Misfit by Jon Skovron (pre-publication review)

Jael is tired of moving around so often. Every time she gets settled in one Catholic school her father whisks them away to yet another, in another out-of-the-way place. Jael understands, really. After all, the demon Baliel has been hunting her since before she was born. He hates halfbreeds, and he really hated Jael's demon mother, so if he finds Jael he'll kill her. But Jael's uncle, Dagon, believes that Jael may have the untapped potential to destroy Baliel and bring back the era of the gods. If, that is, Jael can learn to harness her power before Baliel destroys her and everything that she loves.

I found this novel difficult to read. The omniscient narrative created an emotional barrier, keeping me from truly caring about Jael and her worries. The dialog was also problematic, sometimes spot-on teen and other times rather stilted and dryly academic. The flashback scenes of the relationship between Jael's parents was much more touching and realistic. The story has potential, though. Many aspects of the plot are unique and original, which can be difficult to find in today's teen lit. And somewhere around the last third of the novel it began to really catch my interest, though it was primarily the secondary characters who sparked my interest. Hopefully any sequel will develop Jael to the same level. Finally, as with many series openers, the climax wrapped up very easily, belying the drama of the buildup and the worries of Jael and those around her. The book will move because of the plot description, but readers will need to be determined to keep reading.

This review refers to the NetGalley digital advanced readers version of the novel. Misfit has a publication date of August 1, 2011.