The Uncrossing Review
Luke Melnyk is famous for uncrossing
curses. He’s the guy—teen guy—everyone in New York City goes to if they find
themselves at the nasty end of a hex. He’s a little cocky, a little
unpredictable, and a lot powerful. Did I mention that he is falling for the ever-untouchable
prince of Manhattan, Jeremy Kovrov?
Jeremy is the sheltered younger brother
of the famous Kovrovs. He doesn’t care what people think of him, constantly
wearing outlandish colors to purposely stand out. He doesn’t talk about his
past, because of all the secrets that lie there. He entertains himself with
bouts of fantastic magic, which he downplays as humble “party tricks.” And he’s
hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with Luke Melnyk.
Melissa Eastlake’s debut novel, The Uncrossing, is everything I had been
wanting without knowing exactly what I was looking for. Eastlake combines the
idea of gangster activity—the strong family and community influence part of
it—with the idea of magical. Add the idea of true loves kiss, a seemingly
unbreakable curse, and star-crossed lovers and you have The Uncrossing—not to mention the blood rituals, hex bags, and
petty fights over property and power.
Eastlake’s novel got my emotions going
in so many different directions—in a good way—and I know I would have sobbed if
I hadn’t been reading The Uncrossing
while I was at work. Like any young adult novel, the angst is on point. I felt
Jeremy’s anger, Luke’s confusion, and their shared nervousness over falling in
love and wondering if it’s “true.” The pure inexperience of falling so hard and
so fast for another person is portrayed oh so perfectly onto the page through
Eastlake’s gift of convincing dialogue and lyric imagery. I found myself
underlining nearly half of the book. As a reader, I wanted to protect Luke and
Jeremy (that little cinnamon roll). As a fellow writer, I want to emulate the
deepness of their love as well as the naturalness of how easy it is for them to
fall into it. The back and forth third person omniscient point of view allows readers
to experience this with each boy individually. As Luke and Jeremy fell in love,
I felt as if I were falling with them.
I would most definitely—and already
have—recommend The Uncrossing to
people. Days since I finished Melissa Eastlake’s book, I’m still humming with
all the magic and innocent love.
Luke can uncross almost
any curse—they unravel themselves for him like no one else. So working for the
Kovrovs, one of the families controlling all the magic in New York, is exciting
and dangerous, especially when he encounters the first curse he can't break.
And it involves Jeremy, the beloved, sheltered prince of the Kovrov family—the
one boy he absolutely shouldn't be falling for.
Jeremy's been in love with
cocky, talented Luke since they were kids. But from their first kiss,
something's missing. Jeremy's family keeps generations of deadly secrets,
forcing him to choose between love and loyalty. As Luke fights to break the
curse, a magical, citywide war starts crackling, and it's tied to Jeremy.
This might be the one
curse Luke can't uncross. If true love's kiss fails, what's left for him and
Jeremy?
