Format read: ebook
Release Date: 16 October 2012
Length: 317 pages
Publisher: Entangled
Formats available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Book Depository US | Book Depository (UK)

Blurb:

When a Six saved Kale’s life the night of Sumrun, she warned there would be consequences. A trade-off. Something taken for the life they gained. But Dez never imagined she’d lose the one thing she’d give anything to keep… And as if it’s not enough Dez finds her immunity to Kale fading, the Six brought in to help Kale learn to control his killer touch starts drooling on him the moment they meet. Worse than that? Jade can touch Kale. But bimbo Barbie is the least of Dez’s problems.

After Dez and Kale got away at Sumrun, her father lost not only his most powerful weapon but an important piece of the Supremacy project. Forced by Denazen to remedy the situation, he poisons Dez and offers her a choice–surrender to Denazen for the cure…or die. Determined to find a solution that doesn’t involve being bagged and tagged–or losing someone she loves–Dez keeps the poison a secret. But when a rash of Denazen attacks hit a little too close to home, Dez is convinced there’s a traitor among them. Jade.

Sacrifices, broken promises, and secrets. Dez will have to lay it all on the line if there’s any hope of proving Jade’s guilt before they all end up Residents of Denazen. Or worse, dead…

My Thoughts:

This series is getting more and more engrossing, but talk about a sudden ending.

Dez’s life isn’t getting any easier. On top of losing her immunity to Kale’s deadly gift, the dreaded Supremacy crazies are imminent, her powers are getting stronger and slightly uncontrollable and now Kale has a hot new teacher who is supposedly here to help him control his gift, but obviously wants a whole lot more than a student/mentor relationship.

Dez once again is amazing. Although I slightly tired of her constant secret keeping. If she had just told someone, so many bad things could have been prevented, but her misplaced heroism and atrocious choices because she, as a seventeen year old, knew better than everyone else and was convinced she could fix it. She has her father breathing down her neck, holding a cure to the poison coursing through her body over her head, and trying to take make her a prisoner of Denazen. She is still one of the strongest and one of my favourite YA urban fantasy heroines because she’s so confident and intelligent. She has her faults but she does mean well, and she refuses to take flak from anyone or put up with people she can’t stand.

Kale is hotness on a stick, but I find myself leaning more towards Alex in Toxic. Kale says he will always be there if Dez needs him, and Kale is a very literal and no-nonsense kind of person, so when Dez continually finds herself in trouble, I wonder when Kale is going to turn up and am a little disappointed in him when he doesn’t. I understand that he needs to get himself under control, but I feel that although he was locked up for so many years, he should be making a little more progress in the social interaction department, knowing when something is appropriate or not rather than have Dez explain all of his faux pas away all the time.

Do I care about the infidelity in this book? No, although I have noticed quite a few people kicking up a stink about it, I felt that the reasons behind it were valid and fair. I am vehemently against cheating, so when I find no issue with it, I feel that it’s probably not really going to impact too much on others.

Accardo’s writing once again was amazing, I found myself laughing out loud and literally in able of tearing myself away from Toxic. Her characters, her world, her storyline is entrancing. The twists, oh the twists, they even had me stopping and going “no way”. With this series, you just never see them coming, but they are so well placed that once it’s out you’re kicking yourself for not realising sooner, just like Dez does. What I love most about this series still, is the sixes. Just the pure genius behind the creation of these people, that science created them rather than them being paranormal is epic. Learning about the various powers some of them have is sometimes even more engrossing than watching Dez kick butt all over town.

The ending was extremely sudden in Toxic, and I had a slight panic attack searching my tablet for the next instalment when Dez was lying in the foetal position completely defeated and Ginger said “the worst is yet to come”. The end. My body literally wrenched and I had to control myself from screaming “that can’t be it” because I was at work.

Although I have my pet peeves with a few of the characters I can’t fault this book because all of the characters hold true to form, they make a few dumb or annoying decisions because that’s who they are, Toxic is amazing, and I can’t wait to dive into Tremble and continue this absolutely fantastic series.

I give Toxic 5 Stars

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

About Amanda

Amanda-Lee is a proudly addicted reader and writer from Sydney. She lives with her wonderful husband and their more like a baby than a kitten Hamish. Amanda-Lee has been blogging for 4 years now and is a lover of all genres, though she does have a tendancy to stray towards the weird and wonderful concotions in the paranormal and fantasy genres. In addition to being the Winged Lover on BLI she also runs the book blog StoryWings.

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