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A review by crystalisreading
Defy the Dark by Saundra Mitchell, Aprilynne Pike, Carrie Ryan
3.0
I was torn on how to rate this book. Some of the stories were really enjoyable. A few of them confused me, though, or really seriously annoyed me, and so I can't give it an overall great rating. Here's a breakdown author by author, in order:
Sleepstalk by Courtney Summers--read like a convincing glimpse into the mind of a violent stalker. obviously quite disturbing reading because of this, but I thought it was well done.
Nature by Aprillyn Pike--I loved the initial concept of the story, and was really excited to see where it went. But the story definitely didn't live up to its premise. the minute we got to insta-love and teens snapping at each other as a sign of this instant love, I started to get frustrated, and it didn't improve. Sad. it could have been so much better and more interesting. Also, I struggled to see how this really fit into the whole "dark" theme of the collection.
The Dark Side of the Moon by Dia Reeves--This was a weird story. I give kudos for original characters and setting, especially in combination (African American teen in a rural Texas town). but the story itself was just creepy and weird.
Ghost Town by Malinda Lo--another creepy story, ghosts and thwarted lesbian love and whatnot. I didn't love it.
Eyes in the Dark by Rachel Hawkins--no. just no. especially not before bed. I didn't like this from start to finish, and it was really creepy. definitely dark.
Stillwater by Valerie Kemp--This was a very interesting, original, creative story. I liked Pruitt and Delilah, and was rooting for them to find what they were seeking. The story was mildly creepy and definitely compelling--making me think of the Truman Show and Pleasantville and stories like that. Run, Pruitt, run!
I Gave You My Love by the Light of the Moon by Sarah Rees Brennan--Rees Brennan seems to favor thin, gentle heroes. definitely not alpha males. that doesn't keep me from liking her stories, though, and this was no exception. I liked the two main characters, enjoyed the development of their relationship, and enjoyed the treatment of the supernatural elements of the story line.
Night Swimming by Beth Revis--This story felt familiar, but maybe it's because all of Revis' stories are set in her Elder/Eldest/ spaceship world. I didn't like anyone in this story, and kind of saw the ending coming. I didn't enjoy it.
The Sunflower Murders by Kate Espey--I didn't feel like this was an actual story so much as a long letter written to a deceased friend, and mostly just too sad and tragic for my taste.
Almost Normal by Carrie Ryan--oooh, Carrie Ryan doing a zombie story--that's new! ...um, yeah. anyway, this seemed like it was set early within her normal zombie setting, when the walled cities were just being established in response to the zombie plague. Zombies and roller coasters...not a terrible story, but I didn't really get into it, didn't care for any of the characters, etc.
There's Nowhere Else by Jon Skovron--This was an interesting story, and was in some ways compelling. I always wince at stories, though, that present running off and abandoning school, no matter how good the cause, as an ideal solution. It just seems like it's reinforcing the wrong ideas with kids. Otherwise this was a creative story about dream walking, and choosing between right and wrong, and standing up to abuse and injustice.
Naughty or Nice by Myra McEntire--Spoiled rich kids on an elaborate expensive vacation is rarely a big draw for me. The whole "Krampus" element was creative and something I hadn't heard before, but a little too "Hotel Kalifornia" for me. Didn't really like it overall.
Shadowed by Christine Johnson--This was certainly creative--a murderous shadow? so much potential for awesome story telling. I liked Sir Rylan, despite the somewhat inexplicable insta-love. I was rooting for the poor girl stuck in the dark in the tower. Then I hit the ending and, after I stopped being confused and realized what happened, got so angry that I almost threw the book across the room. I felt like it negated the whole point of reading the story. No thanks.
Now Bid Time Return by Saundra Mitchell--a beautiful, dreamy story in a beautiful dreamy setting. I want to go to there. more insta-love, though, and an unrealistically ambiguous ending. overall enjoyable but forgettable.
The Moth and the Spider by Sarah Ockler--It was interesting reading from the perspective of a suicide attempt survivor. Otherwise, I didn't feel like there was really a point to the story, and it was just sad and creepy.
Where the Light Is by Jackson Pearce--A strange, dark, beautiful story. Given the span of time in the course of the story, I won't label it insta-love. Patricia Briggs wrote a short story about the fae deep underground in mines too, so the idea wasn't new exactly, but it was written in a compelling way, and I was rooting for Ennor and Will. I liked the inherent skepticism of mining as well.
This Was Ophelia by Tessa Gratton--Well written, with sharply drawn characters, but ultimate rather bewildering for me. Is O supposed to be a transexual? a woman who wants to be a man but to be with other men? I didn't know, and I couldn't relate to her any more than I could understand her, or her beloved Hal. The play on Hamlet was clever, but I still didn't enjoy the story overall.
Overall, I did enjoy the collection, and may hunt down a few more of the authors I read and enjoyed in here. With a theme like darkness, I was bound to not enjoy some of the stories, but the book as a whole was still worth my time.
Sleepstalk by Courtney Summers--read like a convincing glimpse into the mind of a violent stalker. obviously quite disturbing reading because of this, but I thought it was well done.
Nature by Aprillyn Pike--I loved the initial concept of the story, and was really excited to see where it went. But the story definitely didn't live up to its premise. the minute we got to insta-love and teens snapping at each other as a sign of this instant love, I started to get frustrated, and it didn't improve. Sad. it could have been so much better and more interesting. Also, I struggled to see how this really fit into the whole "dark" theme of the collection.
The Dark Side of the Moon by Dia Reeves--This was a weird story. I give kudos for original characters and setting, especially in combination (African American teen in a rural Texas town). but the story itself was just creepy and weird.
Ghost Town by Malinda Lo--another creepy story, ghosts and thwarted lesbian love and whatnot. I didn't love it.
Eyes in the Dark by Rachel Hawkins--no. just no. especially not before bed. I didn't like this from start to finish, and it was really creepy. definitely dark.
Stillwater by Valerie Kemp--This was a very interesting, original, creative story. I liked Pruitt and Delilah, and was rooting for them to find what they were seeking. The story was mildly creepy and definitely compelling--making me think of the Truman Show and Pleasantville and stories like that. Run, Pruitt, run!
I Gave You My Love by the Light of the Moon by Sarah Rees Brennan--Rees Brennan seems to favor thin, gentle heroes. definitely not alpha males. that doesn't keep me from liking her stories, though, and this was no exception. I liked the two main characters, enjoyed the development of their relationship, and enjoyed the treatment of the supernatural elements of the story line.
Night Swimming by Beth Revis--This story felt familiar, but maybe it's because all of Revis' stories are set in her Elder/Eldest/ spaceship world. I didn't like anyone in this story, and kind of saw the ending coming. I didn't enjoy it.
The Sunflower Murders by Kate Espey--I didn't feel like this was an actual story so much as a long letter written to a deceased friend, and mostly just too sad and tragic for my taste.
Almost Normal by Carrie Ryan--oooh, Carrie Ryan doing a zombie story--that's new! ...um, yeah. anyway, this seemed like it was set early within her normal zombie setting, when the walled cities were just being established in response to the zombie plague. Zombies and roller coasters...not a terrible story, but I didn't really get into it, didn't care for any of the characters, etc.
There's Nowhere Else by Jon Skovron--This was an interesting story, and was in some ways compelling. I always wince at stories, though, that present running off and abandoning school, no matter how good the cause, as an ideal solution. It just seems like it's reinforcing the wrong ideas with kids. Otherwise this was a creative story about dream walking, and choosing between right and wrong, and standing up to abuse and injustice.
Naughty or Nice by Myra McEntire--Spoiled rich kids on an elaborate expensive vacation is rarely a big draw for me. The whole "Krampus" element was creative and something I hadn't heard before, but a little too "Hotel Kalifornia" for me. Didn't really like it overall.
Shadowed by Christine Johnson--This was certainly creative--a murderous shadow? so much potential for awesome story telling. I liked Sir Rylan, despite the somewhat inexplicable insta-love. I was rooting for the poor girl stuck in the dark in the tower. Then I hit the ending and, after I stopped being confused and realized what happened, got so angry that I almost threw the book across the room. I felt like it negated the whole point of reading the story. No thanks.
Now Bid Time Return by Saundra Mitchell--a beautiful, dreamy story in a beautiful dreamy setting. I want to go to there. more insta-love, though, and an unrealistically ambiguous ending. overall enjoyable but forgettable.
The Moth and the Spider by Sarah Ockler--It was interesting reading from the perspective of a suicide attempt survivor. Otherwise, I didn't feel like there was really a point to the story, and it was just sad and creepy.
Where the Light Is by Jackson Pearce--A strange, dark, beautiful story. Given the span of time in the course of the story, I won't label it insta-love. Patricia Briggs wrote a short story about the fae deep underground in mines too, so the idea wasn't new exactly, but it was written in a compelling way, and I was rooting for Ennor and Will. I liked the inherent skepticism of mining as well.
This Was Ophelia by Tessa Gratton--Well written, with sharply drawn characters, but ultimate rather bewildering for me. Is O supposed to be a transexual? a woman who wants to be a man but to be with other men? I didn't know, and I couldn't relate to her any more than I could understand her, or her beloved Hal. The play on Hamlet was clever, but I still didn't enjoy the story overall.
Overall, I did enjoy the collection, and may hunt down a few more of the authors I read and enjoyed in here. With a theme like darkness, I was bound to not enjoy some of the stories, but the book as a whole was still worth my time.