*I was sent a copy of The Dark Place in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Penguin Random House, Disney Hyperion and Britney S. Lewis for my copy of the book.*
Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Hylee Williams didn’t ask to disappear. But she did disappear, and not only that, but when she vanished from our world, she materialized in a dark, twisted version of the night that changed her life forever: the night her older brother went missing.
Just as Hylee realises this moment could be the key to unraveling the truth about her brother, she’s yanked away from the dark place back to our world. Craving a sense of normalcy, she goes to a party with her best friend—where she meets Eilam Roads. Tall, handsome, and undeniably, inexplicably familiar, Hylee can’t help the pull she feels towards him. It’s a classic teen girl-meets-boy situation, until it happens again. She disappears, right in front of him.
Together, Hylee and Eilam investigate the truth about time, space, and reality, with Hylee increasingly convinced her time travel holds the key to saving her brother. But the more they learn, the more Hylee begins to see darkness lurking in her world—and in herself.
Review:
I had a really good time reading The Dark Place. It was a surprisingly fast read and I honestly didn’t want to put it down.
Firstly, I have to say just how gorgeous this cover is. It’s definitely what drew me to the book. One of my favourite covers of the year hands down. Stunning.
The whole premise of The Dark Place was so intriguing. I’ve really gotten into thrillers/horrors in the last year or so. This wasn’t scary, but I did really like the tenser, more horror-esque elements. It’s a great thriller, but I do think it could have upped the ante even more.
I don’t often include quotes in reviews but I really loved this one: “If a stare was a single story, he was giving me an entire book. I wanted to highlight his paragraphs and fold his corners so I wouldn’t forget my place”. It’s incredibly poetic for a teenager to think this and honestly, I think it’s a beautiful quote.
The difference in narration style when the story was told from younger Hylee’s perspective was done very well. She really did sound like a child and then in the rest of the book, she actually talked and processed things the way a teenager would. I feel like getting the tone right age-wise can be very difficult.
The ‘time travel’ element of The Dark Place is still a mystery to me. Is it science-based or magic? I don’t know, but I’d be happy either way. It’s such an interesting concept, I think either explanation would be good.
I have no idea if The Dark Place will be a standalone or if the author has plans for a second book, but I hope it does. I feel like there are a lot of unanswered questions and I’d love to learn more about Hylee’s power and why, giving no major spoilers, it’s different to others.
This would be such a great read for October. It has creepy vibes (in the best way possible) but it’s also quite cosy.
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