Review: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Title: The Dark Divine
Author: Bree Despain
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: 12/22/09
Summary:

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

Plot: 5 Stars
By reading the summary for this book, I never would've guessed half of what happened in this novel was going to happen, and I love that. I wasn't expecting paranormal creatures at all, but they crept up on me (I won't share what kind). This book was surprise after surprise and I just couldn't put it down.

Pace: 5 Stars
This was one of those books I didn't put down much (just for food, work, and sleep). Instead of there just being breaks in the chapters like most books, they were labelled to clarify the time that had elapsed (example, "later that day" or "Wednesday night"). I didn't think I'd like the labels, but I actually found them very helpful to keep track of the timing of events.

Characters: 4 Stars
I loved that the "bad boy" wasn't some mysterious boy who takes an interest in Grace. Daniel was her brother's best friend and practically a brother to her. I also like how despite the "bad boy" image, he really does want to do good. I thought Grace was a very strong character and I liked how she stuck up for people. She follows her gut instinct even if that path is harder or goes against her brother's wishes.

Cover: 4 Stars
The color and composition of the cover is gorgeous in it's simplicity, but doesn't really portray anything specifically from the story. The dark feel of the novel lends it's feel to the cover, but I can't remember any scene that involved Grace's feet.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I received my ARC from Random House.