Darlene's Book Nook: Book Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Book Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

SERIES: A Beautiful Dark, Book #1
AUTHOR: Jocelyn Davies

PUBLISHER: HarperTeen
PUBLICATION DATE: September 27, 2011

FORMAT: Hardcover, 390 pages
GENRE: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy
ISBN: 9780061990656

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites--like fire and ice--Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move--only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

MY REVIEW:

A Beautiful Dark is a paranormal tale of good versus evil.

Skye is a 17 year-old teenager who was orphaned at the age of six. Both of her parents were only children, and she has no siblings. With no family to care for her, Skye was adopted by her mother’s best friend, “Aunt” Jo.

As Skye nears her 18^th birthday, she notices that strange things are beginning to happen: Her gray eyes change to silver at times, she apparently short-circuited the thermostat in her house by touching it, and the only heater pumping out heat on the school bus was the one located next to her while the rest of the bus was freezing cold. All of these events coincide with the appearance of two new boys to the school, Asher and Devin. The cousins do not get along, and they are vying for Skye’s attention. Asher is the dangerous one, who is gorgeous and knows it. Devin is more of a cool cucumber and has a peaceful calm about him.

Skye learns that everything about her life and the world as she knows it is a lie. The decision that she is faced with will affect not only her life but everyone around her. How will she choose, and will she make the right decision?

I really enjoyed A Beautiful Dark, and I think it is a great start to what I hope will be an amazing series! Skye is a great character, and it is hard not to feel sympathetic towards her for everything that she is having to deal with. She has had a hard life, and she has managed to stay out of trouble. She is a good kid, and her love for Aunt Jo and her friends is warm and genuine. Davies is a new-to-me author, and I really enjoy her literary style. The story moves along at a good pace, and I love that her characters are not whiny brats!

This one ended on a bit of a cliff-hanger, so I am really looking forward to reading the next book in the series, A Fractured Light, which was released last year.

MY RATING: