Review: Lips Touch by Laini Taylor

Last word first: Totally absorbing and just scary enough (4/5)

Description: From tempting goblins to curses that come from the very depths of Hell to immortal killers, this collection of short stories explores a few rather life-changing kisses.

My thoughts: Like most collections of short stories, this one was hit-and-miss for me. In the first story, a young girl is tempted by a goblin in disguise. I didn't like it. I almost stopped reading. I'm glad I didn't.

Because the last two stories are phenomenal. In one, a fairy-tale-esque curese turns out a little differently than the curse-giver had planned. I loved the way the story worked in some eastern and some western mythology and somehow managed to present a coherent whole. The characters, while of necessity briefly presented, managed to capture my attention and sympathies. Well worth reading.

The third story is a chilling tale of immortal hunters (nope, they belong to neither of the species you're thinking of) who are tracking a young girl and her mother for reasons unknown. This one really surprised me with the way it twisted bad guys into good guys and suddenly the people you were afraid of ended up being people you felt sorry for. I can't tell you more without giving too much away, so you'll just have to read it for yourself.

The writing throughout this book is simply lovely. Not only is the vocabulary extensive (it's not often I learn a new word reading a novel: odalisque), but the way the words are put together is both distinctive and mesmerizing. I love this quote: "They can hear the blood moving in your veins a mile away. They can smell the color of your hair in the dark." It gives me exactly the chill that I think the author was going for.

A few words need to be said about the illustrations by Jim Di Bartolo (who is the author's husband). They're gorgeous, prefacing and ending each story with a graphic touch that really brings the book to life. I'm steamed that my camera isn't working right now, because I'd really like to take a couple of pictures, just to give you a taste. Maybe at some point in the future. Suffice it to say, the book is beautiful.

Lips touch was a fun read, just scary enough to be enjoyable, not enough to give me nightmares. And I just love looking at it. Adding this one to the permanent shelf.

About Laini Taylor: Her website doesn't want to let me cut and paste an excerpt of her bio. Let me just say, she has pink hair, a daughter named Clementine, and extremely amusing pictures on her website. Click over there and look for yourself.

Cover query: I didn't notice this until I had the two of them sitting side by side on my desk, but don't these covers remind you of each other?