I wish this novel had been better, because the concept is fantastic. Centuries long secret society of Brujx who are caretakers of spirits and graveyards and have healing magics. People struggling against the strict gender roles/traditions of their society. The Los Angeles shown here felt very current. And there are some sweet moments between the characters, and some moments just emblazened with the Truths of being a teenager. I could see this idea being turned into a really wonderful series or film. But the actual writing and story development of this young adult novel was only average. Secrets and surprise twists are telegraphed miles and miles in advance. Characters make frustrating choices to provide conflict for the plot, not because they're following their own internal logic. Also, I had some real concerns about the romantic relationship dynamics and modeling. Julian is an (understandably) angry and wreckless teen, but I didn't feel like we saw any real growth or discussions of his violent outburts and dangerous choices. Romanticizing the Bad Boy is nothing new (whose behavior is violent and could be abusive) and here his violence is always excused or justified (“he just cares SO much. He's so passionate and loyal that he punches holes in walls and throws things”). And when your book is Young Adult, I just feel like you should have some obligation to your audience to at least discuss potential abuse and healthy dynamics, etc. Ah well. The cover is gorgeous and I know some young (and old) folks are seeing themselves in fiction and that's wonderful. Just personally wish this could've lived up to the promise of the premise.