BookNook — Young Adult book reviews
4.5 Stars
It needs to be said right now that Dante Walker is bad. Really bad. Like judgmental, douchebag, arrogant asshole bad. But for some reason, I was okay with it. Victoria Scott made me fall in love with an asshole.
I am Dante Walker. I am not merciful.
The Collector by Victoria Scott, Page 94
Steph from Cuddlebuggery actually made me draw a connection between Dante and Daemon from Obsidian. Both guys are complete and utter douchebags. They're hot, but they're both self-absorbed assholes. So why did I love Dante but hate Daemon? At first I gave Daemon a chance because I thought he would come out of his shell and be a nice guy... but he never ever did. And that's why I hated him. But with Dante, it's like I knew from the beginning that it was just a matter of time before he outgrew his shallow ways and proved that he was actually a great guy... and I was right. So, when he was acting like a womanizing asshat, I just rolled with it. Instead of being annoyed and disgusted, I laughed. It was almost so absurd that it was actually funny! I was able to deal with it because I knew he would change... and he did.
Ain't no one do bad like I do.
—The Collector by Victoria Scott, Page 94
I know I've hurt her by implying she's not beautiful, but we have to face facts to move forward.
—The Collector by Victoria Scott, Page 97
In addition to being downright hilarious, The Collector has some of the best character development ever. Dante truly transforms. He starts out being a guy who really does deserve to be in Hell, but he slowly but surely realizes what an asshole he's been. And that's the thing—the slow progression makes it very believable, and I loved that! There isn't really a sudden moment of supreme realization, it's something that slowly develops piece by piece. I love that I can't pinpoint exactly when Dante started to 'see the light', because it really happened gradually over time.
"So let's get this rollin'. What's your dealio, Fire Crotch?" I light my cigarette and drop down on the bed, crossing my red sneakers at the ankle. "You've obviously got something on your chest besides cheap silicone."
—The Collector by Victoria Scott, Page 210
Overall, I think there's something really awesome about how in The Collector, the hot sex-on-a-stick boy from Hell ends up with the not-that-pretty, kind-of-dorky, innocent girl who loves to volunteer. And at the beginning, I actually found myself thinking, "Is this seriously who Dante is going to fall in love with?" I just couldn't picture it. They are such an unlikely couple that I actually couldn't believe it. I would have said they had no chemistry and that there was no way it was going to happen... but I was proven wrong. Because by the end of the book, it just worked. It totally clicked. Dante and Charlie really grew into each other, and it was done in a way that I could believe, despite all my doubts.
Second chances—they were never for me. But Charlie, she just gave me one. She just saw something in me.
—The Collector by Victoria Scott, Page 202
My favourite thing about The Collector was just so darn funny. Mostly I was laughing at Dante's hilarious bad boy fasçade. I highlighted so many lines in The Collector because they had me cracking up and giggling insanely! On more than one occasion, my boyfriend had to ask me if I was okay.. probably because he thought I'd gone insane with all the giggles.
The only thing I didn't quite believe had to do with why Charlie was so special. I just couldn't buy that her charity was going to change the world. There are so many charities out there and I just had a hard time accepting that her little part-time one was the charity that would make all the difference.
I think that if you can see past Dante's asshole attitude at the beginning and find ways to laugh at it instead of being offended, then just about everyone will enjoy this book!