Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.
England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.
Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.
Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time.–Description from Amazon.com
Pre-order here: http://www.amazon.com/Sweetest-Dark-Shana-Abe/dp/0345531701/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359428215&sr=1-1&keywords=The+sweetest+dark
- ISBN-10: 0345531701
- ISBN-13: 978-0345531704
- Publisher: Bantam (April 9, 2013)
My Review of “The Sweetest Dark”
Lora Jones has not grown up as one of the privileged members of society. To make matters worse, she is also different. Hearing sounds, seeing things; she does not fit in. Her life is about to change…
This book started out really well. I immediately took a liking to the main character. She was humble, engaging and the type of girl that you just want to hug. After the first chapter, the set up for the book began and to be honest, I worried for a little while that the promising book before me could be taking a turn for the less interesting.
The slow down does not last for more than a few pages. I am so happy that I kept reading. What the author has created here is more than just fantasy. By including things we are all familiar with the common themes of, such as war and poverty and offsetting that with fantasy and magic, I felt it was much easier to relate to the story.
The author has written a book that not only compelled me to keep reading, but also had some of the most brilliant imagery I have discovered in a YA novel.
I thought the romance in this book was handled masterfully. There is enough tension between the characters that you are forced to side with one or the other. This made reading more fun. I really find it boring when you love everyone in a book and in this one, there are conflicting personalities to choose amongst.
The ending was not expected and I appreciated that. I look forward to reading the rest of this series as soon as possible. Recommended.
This review is from a digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley. My opinions are my own.
