Silver in the Blood by Jessica Day George
The Skinny: Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate… or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might. -From Goodreads
BFF?: Sometimes I don’t think I like when there are dual MCs. I always find myself craving one character’s chapters and groan a little when we get to the other’s. I think I liked both Dacia and Lou equally, but felt a little closer to Lou. She’s a little more reserved, a little self-conscious, and overall timid. And she’s over society’s shit. I really loved watching her transform from this shy girl into an incredibly powerful young woman. No, she doesn’t get physically powerful, but more like she sheds her reservations and embraces who she is. I like that.
Dacia, while perfectly likable, didn’t quite click with me. She felt too much like the pretty friend who gets all the boys while you’re sitting there holding her purse. She was completely interesting though, especially once the family secret was revealed. Dun, dun, dunnnn!
Readability: I enjoyed reading this one very much! The inserts from both Dacia’s and Lou’s diaries and letters really added another level and let us see their true voices, rather than just narration. Definitely one I had trouble putting down!
Crush Level: Err….?
There are a few boys in this book to choose from, and I suppose it’s probably not hard to find one to crush on, but overall I felt like the romance in this book was put on the warmer. Not the back burner, but the warmer. Most stoves don’t even have this. I appreciated it, especially considering the depth of the family secret and all the action and adventure going on! HOWEVER… if I had to choose… Mr. Arkady did make me smile quite a few times!
Bonus Points
Romania
It could be because I know NOTHING about Eastern Europe, but this area of the world fascinates me. It seems like such a fantasy world, cloaked in mystery and enchantment. I definitely loved exploring this area in the book and learning a little more, not only about the country itself but its history too!
Commencement Speech: Jessica Day George’s books are always a win for me, so naturally I was uber excited about this one! Thank goodness it didn’t let me down. It seemed to be a step away from her other books I’ve read; this wasn’t a fairy tale retelling! But I loved how unique it was, how steeped in mystery and folklore she made it. I had the best time discovering everything along the way with Dacia and Lou, and really appreciated how secretive everything was kept until the reveal. Definitely a winner and I look forward to more in this series!
Yearbook Quote: None! ARC!
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The Grown-Up YA 
I know what you mean about dual POV – sometimes I’d the book is REALLY well done I’ll enjoy both characters equally but majority of the time there’s one character I love to read and the other I’m kind of turned off by their voice because I’m comparing it to the awesome voice of my preferred character. I like the idea that this is more a book focused on friendship then relationship, it’s a change of pace in YA.
I agree. Romania sounds like a really exotic and mysterious- a perfect setting for a fantasy novel!! Great review!
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Yes! I always find myself leaning towards one character, even if they are both really well done. And doesn’t Romania sound like a great book setting? One more place to add to my locations I’d love to visit list! 🙂
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I actually have so many places I want to go based solely off books haha Hogwarts is at the top of the list!!
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Sounds interesting – I hadn’t heard about this one, but will have to see if I can snag a copy at the library.
You mentioned you got it as an ARC? Has it already been released?
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