YA Review: A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Title: A Beautiful Dark
Author: Jocelyn Davies
Series: A Beautiful Dark
Book #: 1
Pages: 390
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating: 
Goodreads Rating: 3.89
Published: Sept. 27th, 2011.

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.

Taschima's POV:

A Beautiful Dark is a mindless read. As in, you barely have to put any thought into the story line because it is like every other one out there. It isn't bad in the strictest sense it just has been so very done before. As my rating suggests, it was just okay.

Started out with the basic YA Paranormal Romance novel "plot". Normal girl (Skye) with some strange aspect who meets two strange boys (Asher and Devin) who inexplicably are new to her high school, and eventually become attracted to her. Because you know, High School is always the way to go when you are immortal. Along the way Skye gets to uncovered a dark secret from her family tree while debating the ultimate question, do I like Asher or Devin?

Sigh, you know what, I do like a good triangle as much as the next girl, but not when the love triangle overpowers the actual story line, no matter how overdone said story line is. I swear we spent the entire novel ogling Asher's good looks and devil may care attitude and the other half was spent scrutinizing Devin's calmness and his mood swings. Who gives a rat's ass! Asher is hot for sure but not hot enough to fully engage me for an almost 400 page novel. To be honest I've seen/read hotter.

The story "plot". It was just unoriginal, down to the very last strand. I've read some very well written Angel books (Sweet Evil anyone?) but this one just didn't make the cut. I think it didn't even make an effort. And Skye? She was nothing special really. Nothing from her character called to me or made me connect with her in any way. She spends the full first chunk of the novel avoiding the truth and the other half she is too focused on the boys in her life to actually sprout any wings of her own. Pun intended.

You might be asking yourself why exactly then did I continue to read till the very end? Does it have any redeeming qualities? Truth is, it was an easy read. It was like watching a movie who's plot you have watched millions of times before but instead of changing the channel you power through because well, you are already seated at your couch and the TV remote is far out of reach. Then again I could understand loving the book if you are a new reader because you would appreciate the plot without comparing it to everything else you have read in the past. But for me it was just blah. Who knows if the second book will have anything going for it, and I already have it so let's find out.