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| Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle June 27, 2011 357 pages Genre: Young Adult Source: Personal purchase (currently FREE ebook on Amazon) |
Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.My Review:
After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.
Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.
I've heard many good things about this book (series) so I was glad to finally be starting it. But with much hype comes some trepidation, wondering whether it would live up to said hype. In general, I really liked this book. I found it very captivating and I got caught up in the story and the characters. Though perhaps I wasn't as hyped up about it as others, I did find it to be a solidly good read and between an intriguing plot and engaging characters, I look forward to more.
The premise of the storyline certainly grabbed my attention. I'm conflicted about the plot in regards to tampering with "Fate", and perhaps that was the author's intent all along. Maybe because I'm confusing it with "Reality" and that bad things happen in life, even to good people, and we can't prevent it all from happening. But the question of whether you would do something to prevent something from happening in the future if you knew it was about to happen is an intriguing one. Some choices seem more obvious than others, but to what cost? I think this is why I wouldn't want to know personally. But that's not Inara's reality. She does see the next day every night in her dreams, and for the most part has tried to leave things alone... until now. Part of me wants to hug her for trying to protect her friends, and even her frenemies, from harm. The other part of me is afraid she's messing with too many things she doesn't really understand, and the consequences are just going to get worse and worse. But I think that was the point. And as the story progressed, I got more of a sense of where the author was taking things, which then got me more excited to find out where she was going to take things next.
The characters themselves were well developed and drawn out. Inara was in a very conflicted position and I do not envy her one bit. But I loved how she stood up for what she believed and looked beyond the surface, especially with Ethan. She is a solid and 'real' heroine. As for Ethan, I loved his character. He is haunted, mysterious, and hiding so much, but he is a deeply compassionate and kind soul. He is also a survivor on one hand and a fierce protector on the other. I liked the way the friendship between Inara and Ethan developed. I'm not against insta-love, but in this case it was nice to have a paranormal read that didn't include that aspect for once. This gradual development was probably my favorite aspect of the story's progression. Their kind natures, paranormal abilities aside, made them kindred spirits in my eyes so it felt natural that they would be drawn to each other. Inara's lack of honesty at times drove me a little nuts, and Ethan's mystique was very engaging, all making for intriguing developments. This is a couple I definitely want to read more about.
And how about what's going to happen next?! By the end, I have several questions answered, but then a bunch more rushed into my brain, leaving the next book(s) open for so much more. I'm intrigued and curious about the rest of this exciting series for sure!
4 STARS
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