Book Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Title: A Beautiful Dark 

Author: Jocelyn Davies
Series: N/A
Pages: 320
Publisher: HarperTeen
Date of Publication: 27th September 2011
Source: NetGalley
Synopsis from Goodreads: 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.

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed A Beautiful Dark, a lot more than I thought I would. I was super excited when I received it, but for some reason my excitement was lost, and when I actually got around to reading it, I wasn't expecting much from it. However, after the first chapter or so, my excitement came straight back and I devoured it in only a couple of days. I don't know what it was about the book that made me love it so much, but I just did. It may have been the awesome characters, or the exciting plot, or just a mixture of both. I liked everything about it!

I liked Skye. She was a really good main character, and I really related to her. I loved how she coped with having two guys attracted to her, and I admired her when she managed to not make a big deal out of it, and instead of having to choose either one of them (or like some books, BOTH of them at once), she actually chose to try and ignore them both. Even though in the end it didn't work out, it's something that you don't see very often in books - a heroine who at least tries not to be interested in a guy. Or two guys. Or even three guys.

And then there was Devin and Asher. Oh my gosh you guys, these two guys are HOT. There were things I liked about both, but at the same time, things I didn't like. Asher was confident, cocky, and he was nice and kind to Skye, and he didn't seem serious or boring like Devin did at the beginning. Devin was kind, sensitive, and when he and Skye had a snowball fight it was one of the most adorable things I have ever read! On the other hand, Asher at times could be extremely arrogant, and it sometimes seemed like he didn't care about Skye all that much, that he was only with her because of what he had been sent to do. And lastly, whenever Devin was with Skye in public, he was cold and hard and just downright boring and rude. He never showed any kind of emotion towards her when they were alone, and it annoyed me because he was there to protect her from something she didn't even understand, and he couldn't even get up the nerve to talk to her! Rude. Anyway, I couldn't choose between them, and I'm sure you don't want to hear anymore about them!

I really enjoyed the plot - it kept me entertained and I couldn't stop reading. I read it in about 2 sittings, only stopping to sleep because I literally couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. It had lots of twists and turns that I couldn't see coming, and important things were revealed all the way through the book that kept me guessing (incorrectly, may I add) and needing to find out what came next.

The best part of the book for me though, was the end. I would never have seen it coming in a million years. It shocked me, and I know that it didn't shock a lot of people, but I honestly gasped out loud when it happened... If you've read the book, then you'll know what I'm talking about, but if you haven't, maybe you should read it to find out why I'm being so cryptic...

Anyway, A Beautiful Dark was awesome. It has a gorgeous cover and I LOVE the title, it's so nice. Many people have described it as generic and done before, but I didn't feel like that at all. I'd recommend it to all the young adult paranormal fans out there, especially if you like your stories with a little romance thrown in.

*Thanks to HarperTeen and netGalley for allowing me access to this galley in exchange for an honest review :) In no way has this affected my opinion of the book. 

My Rating:

I give it 5 Feet!

Challenges:
2011 Debut Author Challenge #26
2011 eBook Challenge #20
2011 Paranormal YA Reading Challenge #46
2011 100+ Reading Challenge #84