Meet Meda. She eats people.
Well, technically, she eats their soul. But she totally promises to only go for people who deserve it. She’s special. It’s not her fault she enjoys it. She can’t help being a bad guy. Besides, what else can she do? Her mother was killed and it’s not like there are any other “soul-eaters” around to show her how to be different. That is, until the three men in suits show up.
They can do what she can do. They’re like her. Meda might finally have a chance to figure out what she is. The problem? They kind of want to kill her. Before they get the chance Meda is rescued by crusaders, members of an elite group dedicated to wiping out Meda’s kind. This is her chance! Play along with the “good guys” and she’ll finally figure out what, exactly, her ‘kind’ is.
Be careful what you wish for. Playing capture the flag with her mortal enemies, babysitting a teenage boy with a hero complex, and trying to keep one step ahead of a too-clever girl are bad enough. But the Hunger is gaining on her.
The more she learns, the worse it gets. And when Meda uncovers a shocking secret about her mother, her past, and her destiny… she may finally give into it.
My Thoughts
I love love LOVE Cracked! It’s been so long since I read a book that made me laugh this much! Eliza Crewe has created something so hilarious and exciting I’m in awe of her. Her characters are just extremely real and vivid and cute!Meda Melange is a villain-protagonist. Before you ask how that even works, let me tell you, it’s so awesome. She’s snarky, selfish, egotistic, and “evil” and she’s not remotely sorry. She even has to borrow her dead mother’s conscience and have conversations with her inside her head so she wouldn’t do anything wrong. Now I’m not saying I approve of questionable morals, but don’t you think the saintly, goody-two-shoes MC is SO overdone? I’d rather have a slightly wicked but relatable female protagonist over “the weak, perfect girl” any day! And did I mention Meda is totally kick-ass? She eats souls--ideally only bad souls, so she’s more of a vigilante. It reminds me of Okiku in the Girl from the Well, but only Meda’s alive and part human, part...other. She has a Hunger inside her that demands to be fed. The story begins when she eats a bad guy’s soul and ends up in a fight with three demons, accidentally discovering what that other part of her is. Then she’s rescued by demon hunters and well, kind of sided with them. Throughout the story Meda doesn’t stop making wise cracks, so basically I laughed through the whole book. Here’s an example among so many:
"Okay? I've gone from thinking I'm Superwoman (OK, maybe her evil twin) to having my ass handed to me. I learnt my beloved mom was one big, fat liar and now there's a boy exhaling souls who might try to kill me any minute. It's been one hell of a day.
But, it occurs to me he's probably asking about all the blood and not my emotional turmoil"
The way Crewe handles this character makes her very likable and distinctly teenage. She hisses and cackles and sulks. It’s perfect.
“Crush! Kill! And above all - cackle!”
Three other characters are thrown together with Meda: Chi, Jo, and Uri. They’re all from demon hunter school and sneaked out to fight demons, rescuing Meda in the process. They’re clueless about who Meda is and thinks she’s a Beacon (a saint that attracts demons) and are assigned to protect her. Chi is the “Golden Boy” with perfect blond hair and a hero complex. I was slightly worried it’s gonna turn insta-love between Meda and Chi, but thankfully there’s none of that. Jo is the grungy ex-best-friend of Chi with a crippled leg. She’s angry at the world for treating her like an invalid and lashes out at everyone.
“I'm pretty sure Jo couldn't talk about the weather without somehow including a threat. Forecast today: cloudy with a chance I'll kick your ass.”
You can immediately tell there’s *tension* between Chi and Jo. Uri is the little puppy groupie of Chi who worships him like a big brother. I especially love how the characters don't seem flat or bland. Meda originally wanted only to learn more about herself, seeing her mother told her she’s one of a kind--a big fat lie, but she ends up liking this group and becoming loyal to them; with them she experiences the kind of friendship she never had.
The world-building is not heavy-handed but effective. I can totally picture the demon hunter school that’s dilapidated on the outside and lovely on the inside (ring any bells?) and the trailer park where demon hunters live. What’s more, Crewe’s demon world is also totally creepy and dark and brilliant.
The pacing is just right. The plot never stagnates, there’s enough action, and things escalate in a normal, believable way. I think the plot twist and the great reveal are a bit predictable, but that’s a minor issue. Again, let’s just focus on how awesome Meda is. You’ve got to read Cracked.
