Review of A Beautiful Dark, by Jocelyn Davies



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.

A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.

(From GoodReads)

My Review

From the beautiful, prophetic cover to the prologue, A Beautiful Dark is a promising book.

The book is set in the snowy mountains of Colorado, providing a nice change in climate from a genre predominantly set in sunny, beach spots or the rainy, dreary Northwest.  Every time Skye ventures outside for a break from the drama, the wintry blasts seemed to re-invigorate me, as well.

In addition to the change in scenery, I also liked main character, Skye. She is a girl with a good head on her shoulders. She's smart and responsible, but is not so uptight that she becomes someone that you can not relate to.  She takes the revelations that are furiously thrown in her direction with the incredulity that is to be expected.  And, she doesn't become overly infatuated with the two new guys in her life, Devin and Asher. Skye subjects them to the scrutiny they deserve and is quick to call them out on their games.

I also liked Skye's core group of friends, Cassie, Dan, and Ian. They were funny, kind, and always had her back. They also were just mischievous enough to make them realistic. Their scenes provided a nice contrast to the drama surrounding Skye's love life.

And speaking of love life, I'm not even sure that's the right way to phrase it. Let me start with the two "guys" in question. Skye meets Asher first. Asher is wild, unpredictable, a rule breaker. That appeals to the side of Skye that longs to break free. Devin is calm, peaceful, a loner. He adheres rigidly to the rules, believes in order. He appeals to the part of Skye that longs for peace and logic.

I was never sure which guy was the supposed good guy/bad guy. First I thought Asher was bad, then Devin. Then I thought both, but possibly neither. I thought I knew who I wanted Skye to be with. But I wasn't sure that he was the right one, the good guy. But then I wasn't sure that I cared if he was the good guy, because I liked him. Are you getting a sense of my general confusion? Well played, Davies. Because I felt like I knew where the whole story was going, but she certainly kept me on my toes.

The ending of A Beautiful Dark is filled with tons of revelations and HUGE cliffhanger. But, in a way, I felt unsatisfied. I can't quite explain why. It just felt... lacking. But I plan to read the next book in the series, hoping to get some answers.

Favorite Quote:

" With Asher, I'd begun to feel like conversation was a game, a skill, and I couldn't show my hand. I had to hide my smile, make him work for it. With Devin, things just seemed so easy."

"Devin was more of a dove. Asher was a hawk."

You can find A Beautiful Dark at:

GoodReads  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Book Depository

Hardcover, 320 pages

Expected publication: September 27th 2011 by HarperTeen

*I received this book from Harper Teen, in exchange for an honest review.*