Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Source: Publisher
Around the world, black hand prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grows dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Karou is an awesome character. I liked that she was really creative and fierce. She was just a very lively character that thrived on her independence and strength. She doesn't compromise herself, but challenges people. Avika was also an awesome character and I liked that he was strong and evolved over time.
Zuzana was a great friend. She challenged Karou, but still wanted the best for her.  The plot was epic. By the time that I finished this book, I wanted more. Part of the reason is that Taylor created a complex story in a very imaginative  world that I felt immersed in from the first page to the last page. This story was extremely original and spectacular.  Taylor's writing was amazing.  It is just so beautiful and honest and hard to explain without making it me sound like more of a fangirl. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more. If like me in July, you haven't read this book, even though you have heard great things about it. You need to forget everything else on your To-Read Pile and read this like now.