Mundie Moms

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Book Review: The Dark Light by Sara Walsh


Published by: Simon Pulse
Released on: August 28th, 2012
Source: book to review from publisher
4 Stars: I Enjoyed It
Purchase from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Mia is torn between two guys—and two worlds—in this epic, romantic fantasy.

Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she’s concerned, that’s about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town.

That is, until Sol arrives. Mia’s not one to fall for just any guy, but she can’t get Sol—or the brilliant tattoo on his back—out of her mind.

Then Mia’s brother goes missing, and Mia’s convinced that Sol knows more than he’s sharing. But getting closer to Sol means reevaluating everything Mia once believed to be true. Because Sol’s not who Mia thought he was—and neither is she -quoted from Goodreads

An intriguing paranormal story with a mesmerizing secret. I don't know which made more excited to read this book, the cover or the synopsis. Based on the synopsis alone I knew this was going to be paranormal read I was going to enjoy, and I did! Sara Walsh did not disappoint me. She created a story that wasn't at all what I was excepting. There is this enticing air of mystery surrounding the entire story that I loved. That one element alone is what kept me invested with the story. I wanted answers, and the deeper I got into the storyline the more I learned, and more I realized this was not a story I could even try to figure out what was going to happen next. Surprisingly, the more answers I got, the more questions I had. 

Mia's small town in on edge. There are strange things happening, and with the mystery behind kids's disappearances, reports of weird lights, and other unexplainable things going on, that's understandable. Mia is an amazingly strong character. She's someone I felt bad for and admired all at the same time. She works hard to keep her family together, which basically means she does all she can to help and protect her younger brother. With no father or mother around (nor have they ever been around), she and her brother live with an Uncle who's hardly there at all. I love the bond Mia and her brother Jay have. She'd do anything for him, and it shows in all she does and ends up doing when she sets off to find him after he disappears. 

I at first thought this was a story that had aliens in it. I know, I don't know what I was thinking, but I guess something about "mysterious lights" had me think space ships. Boy, was I wrong! This is far from crop circles and aliens abducting kids. I loved the world that Sara introduced me to with The Dark Light. The originality of the story is my favorite part of the book, because it's unlike anything I've read. I liked the mythology, learning about the history of the people who made up this world, and the surprising twists with some of those characters. I think this is the first time in a long time I wasn't able to figure out who anyone really was, and what was going to happen next. I loved that! Mia's journey is full of surprises, action, plenty of mystery, and a sweet romance that despite lacking that intensity I love about YA romances, was one I still enjoyed.

Mia's got a fabulous love interest in our mysterious hottie, Sol. If you love a guy with a tattoo that takes up his entire back (I loved finding out what the significance was with this), who's tall, dark and brooding, then you'll love Sol. Here's the thing with Sol, he's not like other guys. He's mysterious, not dangerous, but there's something about him that like Mia, had me wanting to find out about his secrets. He's commanding, sure of himself in a way that doesn't make his cocky, but it instead makes him come across as just different. The more I got to know Sol, the more I liked him! Trust me, Sol's got some pretty interesting secrets that make it hard not to love him. 

My only compliant with this book is I felt it was a bit too long. At almost 500 pages in length, I felt there was a point between the middle and close to the end of the book that lost some of it's interest for me. I think if the book had been a just a little shorter that might not have happened. I didn't have any problems with the storyline until that point, and because I had already invested myself in the story I wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen, and I'm glad I did, because the scenes after that were great. Over all this was a book I enjoyed! With the way the story ended I'm really curious to find out if there will be a sequel. If there is, I'm totally picking it up. 

7 comments:

  1. Excellent review! Seriously great insight. =)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I seriously loved this book like you. 4 stars for the exact same reason and why I think it was slightly too long, it didn't answer enough questions for a stand-alone. It is almost as if more answers needed to be packed in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you loved it for all the same reason and felt the same way I did. I agree, there's still so many unanswered questions. I'm hoping we get a book 2!

      Delete
  3. oh I have seen this cover ...adds to reading pile

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you so much for this review! Not only is it well-written, but I've been unsure about this book despite loving the cover. Glad to know the inside is just as wonderful. I'll definitely be picking up a copy tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete

Labels