My Book Boyfriend: Ezekiel Crosse

For those of you who don't know, MBB is a weekly meme hosted by Missie over at the Unread Reader--if you're interested in making your own MBB post, check out the intro post here!  


Dear Julie Kagawa,
THANK YOU SO MUCH for creating so many swoon-worthy boys. 
Seriously. They're like fuel for my daydreams...
...but not in a creepy, X-rated way... Promise. 


Sincerely,
~Me

This week, I'm crushing on Ezekiel Crosse from Julie Kagawa's amazing The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) 

He is...

• Ezekiel "Zeke" Crosse
• human
• 17-years old
• named after the angel of death, apparently
• is very lean, with jagged blond hair that falls into his eyes and bright, piercing blue eyes
• is great with kids.... actually scratch that, he's great with everyone
• is a natural leader
• very handy with guns, machetes, arrows....
• is just a REALLY good person--sees the good in just about everyone, very patient, selfless, always keeps hope....etc.

“The mighty hunter,” I quipped as we snuck out the backdoor, escaping into the yard. “He can take down vicious rabids and rampaging boars, but one old lady can make him flee in terror.”
“One scary old lady,” he corrected me, looking relieved to be out of the house. “You didn’t hear what she told me when I got up — you’re so cute I could put you in a pie. Tell me that’s not the creepiest thing you’ve ever heard.” His voice climbed a few octaves, turning shrill and breathy. “Today for dessert, we have apple pie, blueberry pie and Ezekiel pie.” 

He smiled, a real one this time, though his voice remained teasing. “So, what do you think I am?” 
Naive, I thought at once. Naive, brave, selfless, incredible and much too kind to survive this world. It’ll break you in the end, if you keep going like this. Good things never last.

"I know you're scared," he continued in a quiet voice, still close enough that I could feel his breath on my cheek. The Hunger stirred, but it was weaker this time, sated for now. "I know we just met, and we're all strangers, and you keep yourself apart for your own reasons. But I also know I haven't...felt this way about anyone before. And I think...I hope...you feel the same , because that was really hard for me to say. So..." He reached out again, taking my hand. "I'm asking you to trust me."

“He suddenly leaned in, and his fingers brushed my cheek. Warmth flooded my skin, and I frozen, waiting for him to pull back. 
He didnt. The tips of his fingers lingered on my cheek for a moment. Then, very slowly, his hand slipped forward, the palm brushing my skin. Frozen, I stared at him, watching his face as his fingers moved from my cheek to my forehead to my chin, like a blind man tracing someone's features to see them in his mind. 
"What are you doing to me?" he whispered.”

Review: The Immortal Rules

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1)
by Julie Kagawa
Published April 24th 2012 by Harlequin Teen

In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity."Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.
Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of "them." The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters.
Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.
Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.
But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what--and who--is worth dying for.
-goodreads

Rating: 5 stars
Review:

At long last!
Since Twilight, I honestly cannot remember any other vampire book in which vampires were the super-scary-blood-sucking-monsters that they used to be before they were sparkly, swoon-worthy, tortured love interests.
Thank you Julie Kagawa for rectifying this!
The Immortal Rules was everything I could have asked for in a vampire novel--and more!
I freaking loved Kagawa's writing in the Iron Fey series--her world-building, her characters, her plot, her pacing, everything. And she's done it again! She's made me fall head-over-heels in love with another story, another set of characters!

As I read this book, I couldn't help but constantly keep the Iron Fey series in the back of my mind, occasionally comparing them. Obviously, the two stories are TOTALLY different, but if anything, this "comparison" made me realize just how talented and versatile Julie Kagawa is!
The worlds and characters are so different, but equally captivating!

The new world that Kagawa has created it very dark and grim--rightfully so because vampires basically rule the cities and rabids roam the rest of the area! And oh my goodness freaking gracious, those rabids are pretty darn frightening! The way Kagawa handled vampires, a very very overused idea now, is really a breath of fresh air! Very original. Also, they do not sparkle. The sun actually can kill them.

Allie, the protagonist, is so kicka$$ and I LOVE it! She's super tough after years of living on the fringe, and very independent and cynical and jaded. Yet despite all of that, she's also fiercely loyal and selfless towards the people she cares about. She's got her flaws and I loved that! Even though she hates vampires with a fiery passion, when faced with her own mortality, she still wants to live, which I thought was very human and realistic of her. Even as a vampire, I could relate to her internal struggle over hating what she's become and the desire to live.
All in all, Allie has become one of my favorite YA heroines of all time. I honestly could not help but love her!

And of course, I have to mention Ezekial "Zeke" Crosse. He was great--almost like a shining beacon of hope and goodness in this dark and dangerous world that Kagawa has created. He's super sweet--but extremely swoon-worthy! He complemented Allie perfectly and I wish I could've read more about him!

I even liked all the "villains" in the novel! I'm telling you: Julie Kagawa is just that talented.
But Ruth, on the other hand.... wow. I have never wanted to smack a character upside the head, hog-tie her, and stuff her in a closet the way I wanted to with Ruth! That girl.... ugh just don't even get me started!

If there were any doubts as to Julie Kagawa's ability to write, let them all be eradicated now, because she has definitely proven that the talent she had when writing the Iron Fey is alive and well and in large supply. As soon as I started reading this book, I just couldn't put it down! Everything about this book is just SO gripping! Believe me, when you finish, you will be craving book 2!
I know I am.