Book Review: A Beautiful Dark

Media Type: Print Book
Title: A Beautiful Dark
Author: Jocelyn Davies
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: Hardcover; 320
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Source: NetGalley
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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.

Jocelyn Davies has written what I lovingly call “book candy”. So easy and delicious to devour, that it might just be a sin. Books like this may or may not knock my socks off, but they’ll keep me reading on and on until I’m finished. A Beautiful Dark was just that for me. Nothing too heavy, nothing mind blowing, but a sweeping and enjoyable read nonetheless.

Skye is a wonderfully vivid character. The reader is treated to a view of Skye’s entire life, including her tough past and her bright present with her friends. She is funny, smart, sweet, and a loyal friend. It was honestly hard not to appreciate Skye, even when I felt a little bit frustrated by her choices (or lack thereof). She’s a real person. It just so happens that she has an extraordinary side to her as well.

If that wasn’t enough, Joceyln Davies offers up two very different boys for the reader to choose between. One light, one dark. One cocky and charismatic and the other stoic and at peace. Devin and Asher are like night and day, but this works very well for the story. The tension that exists between these two crackles off the pages. Their existence makes Skye’s story so much more intriguing.

As I mentioned above, the story line tends to fall into a pattern that ends up a little easy to anticipate at times. A Beautiful Dark is, at it’s core, an angel book. It follows a lot of the same rules that books in this category often do. Light and dark. Good and evil. Skye’s future is hinged on which she chooses. What kept me immersed in the story though was the unique set of rules that each side had in place. Davies doesn’t just allow her boys free reign over their lives, there are rules that must be followed. I won’t spoil, but it does make things much more interesting.

The bottom line? This is a great read. I didn’t find it to be anything absolutely unique or groundbreaking, but it was a great read nonetheless. I was looking for something a little less serious and a little more fun, and I found that in A Beautiful Dark. I’m not one to compare books, but I will say that if you enjoy paranormal romance this will be a book you are sure to fall in love with. Good luck choosing sides!