Monday, September 10, 2012

Review: The Dark Light by Sara Walsh


Title: The Dark Light

Author: Sara Walsh 

Rating: 4.5 Stars 

The Dark Light is one of the few novels I can claim has truly taken me by surprise. I am usually one of those readers who look up a novel before I pick it up, reading over both the positive and negative reviews and finally deciding whether or not I want to read it. Thus, I am quite aware of where the story is headed during the first few chapters and am prepared for any unsuspecting let downs. The Dark Light, however, was an exception to this ritual. I had seen its gorgeous cover on more than one blog during its blog tour weeks, so when I saw it, yet again, in my local library, I knew I had to check it out. Surprisingly, I simply dove into this novel headfirst and was shocked, surprised, thrilled, and absolutely exhilarated by the story I found inside its pages. The Dark Light was everything I ever dreamed of and wanted from a well-written urban fantasy novel with mixed genres, but it was also so much more.

The Dark Light, from the surface at least, seems like every other young adult paranormal romance. We have our protagonist, Mia, who has a tough family life as she lives with her half-brother and Uncle Pete who is drunk most of the time. We have our school-boy-crush who finally asks Mia out to prom and, we have our bad-boy-extraordinaire, Sol. When Sol moves into Crownsville, he has naturally caught the eye of every guy and girl in the small town, not only because of his unexpected move or killer good-looks, but because of the large tattoo that adorns his back. Mia, however, has seen the tattoo before on the ankle of her half-brother and hoping to find answers about the father she shares with her sibling, she goes looking for answers. Crownsville is a dangerous place though, for young boys have gone missing, presumed to be kidnapped, for a few weeks now. Thus, when Jay, Mia’s brother, is sucked away by an ethereal light with only Sol and Mia as the sole witnesses, Mia is determined to find her brother at all costs, especially if it means making the enigmatic Sol, who clearly knows more than he’s letting on, talk and spill his secrets.

I don’t think there are enough words – or the right words really – to express just how much I loved this book! While The Dark Light starts out slow and mysterious, it slowly picks up into a fast-paced action novel, filled with phenomenal world-building, three-dimensional characters, and breathtaking plot twists. I am one of those extremely nit-picky and critical readers when it comes to world-building, but I loved the manner in which it was explained here. Walsh introduces us, for the first time in YA Literature, to the concept of parallel universes, a theory I’ve been obsessed with over the past few years. Thus, with this unique idea in mind, we are thrown into the world of Brakaland, Sol’s world where magic reigns free – or used to – and dangerous demons are a thing of every day. Each and every original element of Walsh’s world is revealed to us in time, making this a wonderfully-written debut that avoids the usual qualms of boring info-dumping. Furthermore, Walsh takes some age-old ideas, such as demons, and puts her own creative spin on them. In addition, she ensures that we are constantly reminded of how close to our own world this parallel universe is and the inner workings of her realm were remarkably crafted.

Yet, the complex world-building aside, what made me love this novel so much were the characters. Mia is a protagonist I absolutely loved. She is, first and foremost, a normal human girl; thus, when she is thrown into a world of rebellions, evil sorcerers, and demons, she remains strong in the only way she knows how. While most kick-ass heroines these days seem to wield swords, Mia’s strength lies in her inner ability to persevere on, remain courageous in the face of danger, and use a mature sense of level-headedness. Furthermore, I found that she was easy to relate to as her actions mirror those of us if we had been thrown into a parallel universe. More than that though, Mia is a character I appreciated for her tough family situations and strong friendships, but while we do sympathize with Mia occasionally, we are rooting for her success even more.

While I have to admit that Mia was my favorite character, I should probably admit that she’s my favorite female character. (Sorry Vermillion, you kick-ass shape-shifter!) Sol, on the other hand, was my favorite character overall. (Once again, sorry Delane, you sweet, sweet best friend!) Gosh, what can I say about Sol? We know he’s hot, we know he’s sexy, we know he has a huge tattoo across his back. What I didn’t expect, however, was Sol’s depth, kindness, and understanding. Yes, he carries an aura of a typical bad-boy, but he’s not. In reality, Sol is a true sweetheart: he is passionate about his country, he is a loyal friend, he is a courageous fighter, he is a wonderful listener, and he is an empathetic guy. What more could you possibly ask for? Plus, Sol carries a heavy burden and the gentle unveiling of his past, his secrets, and who he really is amidst the turmoil in Brakaland is a remarkable and deep story as well. Furthermore, I loved the romance between Sol and Mia, primarily because there was no love triangle, but it was also evident that these two really understood each other. For them, the most important aspect of each other was their personalities and flaws opposed to their outer beauty, even though there was plenty of that as well. It was a slow and mostly subtle romance for the majority of the novel and when that changed to become a beautiful love story, I was a melting pot of mush. ;)

The Dark Light, like every other novel out there, isn’t perfect. Yet, it is one that I was thoroughly invested in and loved with all my heart. It is fair, however, to claim that the ending was a little disappointing. Mia and Sol’s final showdown with the villain in this novel, who is, believe me, evil, was wrapped up all a little too quickly for my liking and the entire scene just screamed, “convenient”! Nevertheless, despite that qualm, I still enjoyed The Dark Light immensely! It ends off in a very conclusive manner, wrapping up everything nicely while leaving just a few plot threads loose and prepared for a sequel, if there ever should be one. I love these types of endings as they give way for so much more imagination on part of the reader and I know I spent days thinking about this story, even after I was finished with it. Overall, this is a novel I would highly recommend. Its small flaw didn’t alter my perception or enjoyment of this novel in the least and I was amazed and simply blown away by the depth of the characters, complexity of the world-building, and originality of the plot. If you pick just one more debut novel this year, let it be this one. I haven’t read a YA Novel this good in a loooong time and believe me, it won’t let you down! 

I was so enamored with this book that I actually decided to interview Sara Walsh, the author of this phenomenal debut! Check out my interview with Sara, here! :D

29 comments:

  1. I'm really looking forward to this one. I just saw another review giving this praise. I can't wait to meet Mia and Sol. Plus, I love this cover! Great review Keertana. :)

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    1. Thanks Rachel! I love the cover of this one as well and I can tell that this is a novel that will hit off with you instantly! I hope you get a chance to read it soon - can't wait to hear what you think, especially of Sol! ;)

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  2. YES KEERTANA!!!! I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH TOO! As evidenced by my excessive use of all caps:) I was worried about this one in the beginning, because like you said, on the surface it feels really familiar, but then all of a sudden BAM, the story went in a completely different direction and I was thoroughly impressed. SO GOOD! Glad you were as big a fan as I was!

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    1. Yayy! I'm so glad I was such a huge fan of this one too, Rachel! It was such an original and gripping tale and it's one I will revisit over and over again, I can just tell! :D

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  3. gr8 review keertana . my copy has not arrived yet . damm . gr8 review

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    1. Thanks Roro! I hope your copy arrives soon so that you can read it as well! :D

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  4. I was totally going to pass this one up because the cover is just too obnoxiously Paranormal YA. But now? I'm SO going to pick up a copy. I love the way you describe it! A slow-build up to a fast-paced middle? Yes please! Great review, Keertana. Can't wait for the interview! :)
    - Lauren

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    1. YAY! I'm so glad you're going to read this one, Lauren! I can't wait to see what you think of it! I really think you'll enjoy it and I'm glad I've convinced you to see past that misleading cover! :D

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  5. You know what, I'm happy to overlook a convenient ending if the rest of it is enjoyable enough. You have me so excited for this book, Keertana! I plan to read it in the next couple of weeks (hopefully!) and can't wait to meet Mia and Sol. Also, my obsession with that cover is starting to get a little unhealthy now... ;)

    Amazing review, my dear! So well written and persuasive. :)

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    1. Thanks Sam! :) I'm glad I've convinced you to pick up this one! I love the cover as well and have spent SO much time just staring at it, so you're not alone in the unhealthy cover obsession! ;) I really loved this one though, so I hope you love it as much as I did and the convenient ending was easily overlooked for me and I hope it works out that way for you too. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this one! :)

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  6. Knowing how picky you are with books, Keertana, the fact that you gave a 4.5 means that I seriously need to pick this book up! Not going to lie, I'm not a fan of this cover. But I think I'd totally overlook the cover for what's inside! I've only read one or two books with the concept of parallel worlds, and I love the idea of it! Mia and Sol both sound like amazing characters, and the romance sounds so sweet. <3

    You've definitely got me pining for this book now, Keertana! I will definitely be getting my hands on a copy of this book. ;)

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    1. Yay! I hope you're able to get a copy of this one soon, Aneeqah!(: I am very picky with books and was so surprised that I loved it. I actually like this cover and perhaps the fact that I hadn't read anything more with parallel universes influenced me a lot, but I just adored this one. I hope you like it!

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  7. I'd never even heard of this book before your wonderful review, its seems to promise so much and is able to deliver on so many aspects. I'm glad that you found a book finally that you thoroughly enjoyed! :)

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    1. Thanks Jasprit!(: I'd definitely recommend this one, so I hope you decide to check it out soon! :D

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  8. It's good to know you looked this up first before picking it up, Keertana. It saves me the trouble lol.

    The only other review of this that I read was ^Jenny's. While I thought it was interesting, I was still having second thoughts, but after reading your review? Goodness, I'm SOLD! And, um, can I just say that I melted a bit when I read your description of Sol? And DAT TATOO! <3

    I can't wait to read this now. Thanks for the review, Keertana!

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    1. Yay! I'm so glad I've convinced you, Chel! I loved this one and I really hope you like it as well. Plus, Sol was just AMAZING! I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this when you read it, dear! :)

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  9. I've actually read a YA novel this year that introduces parrallel universes! I won't say which, because that would be a major spoiler, but anyway, like you, parallel universes is a concept that FASCINATES ME!! I didn't actually realise it was an element in The Dark Light, so this only makes me MORE effing excited to read!!

    Oh my gooooshhh, the romance! Sol! Mia! EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING HAS ME SQUEALING ON THE INSIDE. THIS BOOK. KEERTANA. STOP IT. I NEED IT. MY TBR HATES YOU.

    So excited for your interview with Sara!! AMAZING review. Even though I hate you for it because I can't run out and grab a copy locally RIGHT FREAKING NOW. Bless online international ordering!

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    1. Yayy! I can't WAIT till you read this Brodie, especially because I know you will just LOVE this! It's fantastic, has parallel romances, and the romance is beautiful! YES, I WAS SQUEALING ON THE INSIDE WHILE READING IT TOO! :D I will be stalking you obsessively until you get a copy of this one now, Brodie! I hope you enjoy it! :)

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  10. Wow! It is SO clear that you loved this book and I can understand why, the world building sounds so well done and I love the sound of both Mia and Sol and now you have me SO keen to read this book!!

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    1. Yay! I hope you enjoy this one, Mandee, as it was one of my favorites! I think you'll like it, so I'm very excited to see what you think! :D

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  11. " She is, first and foremost, a normal human girl; thus, when she is thrown into a world of rebellions, evil sorcerers, and demons, she remains strong in the only way she knows how. While most kick-ass heroines these days seem to wield swords, Mia’s strength lies in her inner ability to persevere on, remain courageous in the face of danger, and use a mature sense of level-headedness."

    Oh goodness, when you put it like this, how can I resist? Keertana, you write AMAZING, eloquent, wonderfully thoughtful review. You have a GIFT ♥

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    1. Aww, thank you Sarah! Gosh, that is one of the sweetest things anyone has ever said to me, so thank you! I'm so glad I was able to do justice to this amazing book and I can't wait till you read this one! :)

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  12. Your review has seriously made me do a complete 180 on my opinion of this one.

    When I first heard of the book, I read the first words of the synopsis "Mia is torn between two guys..." and immediately left the Goodreads page and wrote it off.

    Now, I definitely want to read it and I can't wait to dig into the world! Thanks :)

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    1. Yayy! I really hated the misleading synopsis of this one, so I'm glad I was able to change your mind about this one, Allison! It was such an awesome book, so I can't wait to hear what you think of it! :)

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  13. You've convinced me to check this book out! I wouldn't have picked it up thanks to the cover but it sounds AMAZING. Parallel worlds!!! Wonderful writing!! A great heroine!! Sol also sounds like a fantastic love interest. Love this review, K!

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    1. Thanks Elena!(: I'm so glad you enjoyed my review and it's convinced you to pick up this novel, especially as it's one I'd highly recommend! I can't wait to see what you think of it! :D

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  14. SQUEEEEEE! The Dark Light! Isn't that cover just GORGEOUS? AND YES! Like Elena, I'm so intrigued by the parallel worlds! It just sounds AMAZING.

    Awesome review, Keertana! ♥ So glad you enjoyed it!

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    1. Thanks Celine!(: I loooove that cover and I can't wait till you read this one! I think you'll really enjoy it, so I can't wait to see what you think! :D

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  15. Ok, holy cow, how hot is that cover? I'm sort of a pushover for tatted up guys in books (and in real life too:) So this one caught my eye back a few months ago, but I really haven't seen that many reviews on it. After reading yours this one is getting bumped up on my TBR list:)

    Love what you had to say about the fantastic world building and especially the parallel universe concept. I am a big sci-fi fan so alternate realities and such excite me as a reader! BTW, have you read Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris? I think you might like that one if you haven't already read it:)

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