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A review by cortanasreadingnook
The Dark Place by Britney S. Lewis
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thanks to Britney S. Lewis and Disney Publishing Worldwide for the complimentary copy through Netgalley! It doesn’t affect my review in any way and I’m very happy to read another book by this author.
Seventeen-year-old Hylee Williams has always carried the grief of the day her older brother went missing. However, she started disappearing to a place that is a twisted version of our world, full of creeping vines, moss, and complete darkness. And when she meets a boy named Eilam after going to a party with her bestfriend, things take for a turn when she disappears right in front of him. And as her disappearances become more frequent, Hylee soon realizes she’s not alone in the world, and that she holds the key to finding the truth about her brother, and possibly save him.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time meets Stranger Things in The Dark Place, which tells such a remarkable story of grief that involves elements of science fiction and fantasy. It is a wonderful tale that warps of time and reality with a little bit of the classic cliché teen romance. Lewis’s characters are exceptional, and I absolutely love her storytelling. Her writing has improved, and her pacing is perfect, hitting right into a reader’s heart. This YA horror novel does not only tell us a sentimental story of love between siblings, but it navigates a story of regret, truth, and acceptance leading towards a bittersweet and emotional ending. I do believe a few elements were left untouched and felt that they should’ve been explored more, but this stand-alone just hits right in the feels! I would absolutely love to hear more from this author.
P.S. I would really love to time travel just to see my grandmother again like how Eilam does. I don’t know if she’ll recognize me, but I would do it just to hear her voice again and ask her all the things I wasn’t given a chance to. She passed away a year ago and I truly miss her a lot.
Seventeen-year-old Hylee Williams has always carried the grief of the day her older brother went missing. However, she started disappearing to a place that is a twisted version of our world, full of creeping vines, moss, and complete darkness. And when she meets a boy named Eilam after going to a party with her bestfriend, things take for a turn when she disappears right in front of him. And as her disappearances become more frequent, Hylee soon realizes she’s not alone in the world, and that she holds the key to finding the truth about her brother, and possibly save him.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time meets Stranger Things in The Dark Place, which tells such a remarkable story of grief that involves elements of science fiction and fantasy. It is a wonderful tale that warps of time and reality with a little bit of the classic cliché teen romance. Lewis’s characters are exceptional, and I absolutely love her storytelling. Her writing has improved, and her pacing is perfect, hitting right into a reader’s heart. This YA horror novel does not only tell us a sentimental story of love between siblings, but it navigates a story of regret, truth, and acceptance leading towards a bittersweet and emotional ending. I do believe a few elements were left untouched and felt that they should’ve been explored more, but this stand-alone just hits right in the feels! I would absolutely love to hear more from this author.
P.S. I would really love to time travel just to see my grandmother again like how Eilam does. I don’t know if she’ll recognize me, but I would do it just to hear her voice again and ask her all the things I wasn’t given a chance to. She passed away a year ago and I truly miss her a lot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Murder, Gun violence, and Grief