Krista Reviews: Jon Skovron—"Misfit"

Jael Thompson has never really fit in. She’s changed schools too many times to count. The only family she’s ever known is her father, a bitter ex-priest who never lets her date and insists she attend the strictest Catholic school in Seattle. And her mother—well, she was a five thousand-year-old demon. That doesn’t exactly help. But on her sixteenth birthday, her father gives her a present that brings about some unexpected changes. Some of the changes, like strange and wonderful powers and the cute skater boy with a knack for science, are awesome. But others, like the homicidal demon seeking revenge on her family? Not so much. Steeped in mythology, this is an epic tale of a heroine who balances old world with new, science with magic, and the terrifying depths of the underworld with the ordinary halls of high school.

In the beginning pages Jael is turning 16; and for her birthday, her father has given her a necklace that once belonged to her demon mother. Jael is given this necklace with only one warning: to never wear it. After her very first fight with her father over this necklace, she looks deep into the Gem and can see things in it. The first vision is of her father, downstairs in the kitchen as he is contacting the demon world to relay the message that the necklace has been given to her. Jael becomes deeply hurt and confused as her father has always said that he no longer has contact with the demon world.

After some very interesting things happen at school, she ends up putting the necklace on and things only get weirder. In the description above it states that this book is “steeped in mythology” and I could not agree more. There are several places throughout the story where you will feel like you’re sitting in church being quoted the bible and Catholic beliefs and other mythology.

Throughout the story we also get to see into the underworld and the demon lives and world view. Some of the chapters are from Jael’s point of view and some of them are from people relaying the past through memories or the visions to Jael. She begins to really learn who she is, why they have to move around so much and really begins to see her father with new eyes. I think that the underworld and the demons’ view of our world was really what made the book worthwhile for me.

My favorite paragraph in the book is when her uncle is helping her understand what being a demon means. “Jael”- it still gives her a strange shiver when he says her name. Like she can almost get a sense of the person he believes she’s capable of becoming. A person who deserves an exotic name spoken with reverence. But now he looks a little sad. “If all you ever do is try to avoid pain, you’ll never create something truly worthwhile.” Of course this is only a small part of a very entertaining and best chapter of the book, in my opinion. Misfit has action, interesting creatures, magic and a little romance.

I give Misfit 4 stars. I found the view of the underworld and demons and their relationship to our world very fascinating and intriguing. I do realize that the religious concepts were necessary for this story to be told, but I personally felt it set a very heavy tone to an otherwise very fascinating story.

Misfit – Jon Skovron

Publication date: 1 August, 2011, by Harry N. Abrams

Hardcover, 382 Pages