Book Review: Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Rating:

Genre: Young Adult > Mythology

(Gods and Monsters #1)

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers a message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very…different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

*****

A few dim lights shone through the panes, muted by dark curtains, dirt, and grime.

I loved it immediately – beauty shadowed by time and decay, but still standing proud. Yeah, this was my kind of place.

EDGY.

Darkness Becomes Her has the kind of mythology that I want to read more in the YA shelf. It has a kick-*ss heroine and a Louisiana backdrop that are refreshingly different and appealing to me. This one quick read dismissed my hunger for mythology with a hint of paranormal at the side.

I found Ari‘s character strong. In spite of the longing for a family, she confidently takes care of herself. She’s headstrong and very skilled for fights (her foster parents are bail bondsmen). I just really like her! Her inner turmoil did not take precedence over her searching for her true identity. She knows a lot of weird stuff has been going on around her, but still she remain focused on her search. Sebastian is a little difficult for me to understand. The aloofness of his character at the start did not worked for me. Still, when he and Ari hooked up, I can see that there is chemistry. and Sebastian is not weak either, so that’s a plus.

I love the myth Keaton has presented. I liked how she wrote this; it was very easy to get into. Louisiana’s portrayal was hauntingly beautiful to imagine. I was just skeptical over the presence of paranormal elements in such a mythological setup.

If you are tired of the same set of gods and goddesses being featured in YA mythology, you better read Darkness Becomes Her. It’s dark. It’s alive. It’s a little violent. So awesome for my taste. =)