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A review by easolinas
Dark Companion by Marta Acosta
4.0
I honestly get a little sick of the heroines in urban fantasy. They tend to be white, upper-middle-class suburbanites with no real problems, but loads of angst.
Such is not the case with the heroine of Marta Acosta's "Dark Companion"... but then, this book really doesn't fit easily into any categories. It's a darkly vivid story that isn't quite horror, and it has a tinge of magical realism while still rooting itself in reality. Its only real problem is the overly tidy ending.
Raised in the nightmarish foster care system, Jane used her brains to get a scholarship to the elite Birch Grove Academy. Now she has a guest house, new friends, and she even gets to know the headmistress' two gorgeous sons, charming but spoiled Lucian and quirky rocker Jack.
But soon Jane begins to notice odd things about the school -- including the death of one former scholarship student, and the mysterious disappearance of another.
Then she discovers the shocking secret of this town, and what they have planned for her -- to be Lucian's "companion." In exchange, she will have a life of luxury beyond her wildest dreams. But soon Jane begins to realize that life with Lucian may not be what she wants -- and that something much more sinister is afoot.
"Dark Companion" looks and feels a lot like a paranormal vampire romance. But this story is actually not even a fantasy -- Acosta comes up with a more realistic, genetic-biology-based explanation for the Family's existence and practices, which makes it no less creepy and/or weird. There IS a tinge of magical realism, but it exists apart from the Family.
At its heart, "Dark Companion" is actually more of a story about a damaged young girl trying to heal from years of loss and abuse. Acosta swings back and forth between a rotting slum and a glossily eerie girls' school, occasionally tinging her prose with snappy dialogue and a sense of sylvan magic.
Jane herself is a welcome change from the Bella Swans of YA books -- rather than a lily-white wangstbot of suburban privilege, she's a scarred veteran of the foster care system. Acosta also makes her realistically flawed, with lots of anger and trust issues that have to be worked out before she can live happily ever after. There's a pretty solid supporting cast, including the lovably deranged Mary Violet, the beautiful/eccentric Jack, and the creepily selfish Lucian.
The only problem? The finale. While the climax is a brilliant twist, after that everything just sort of falls into place in the most convenient-to-Jane way, mostly over the course of a SINGLE SCENE. It strains credibility to the snapping point.
"Dark Companion's" ending isn't very satisfying, but the rest of the book is an eerie, sort-of-fantastical thriller. And it's nice to finally have a heroine who has REAL problems.
Such is not the case with the heroine of Marta Acosta's "Dark Companion"... but then, this book really doesn't fit easily into any categories. It's a darkly vivid story that isn't quite horror, and it has a tinge of magical realism while still rooting itself in reality. Its only real problem is the overly tidy ending.
Raised in the nightmarish foster care system, Jane used her brains to get a scholarship to the elite Birch Grove Academy. Now she has a guest house, new friends, and she even gets to know the headmistress' two gorgeous sons, charming but spoiled Lucian and quirky rocker Jack.
But soon Jane begins to notice odd things about the school -- including the death of one former scholarship student, and the mysterious disappearance of another.
Then she discovers the shocking secret of this town, and what they have planned for her -- to be Lucian's "companion." In exchange, she will have a life of luxury beyond her wildest dreams. But soon Jane begins to realize that life with Lucian may not be what she wants -- and that something much more sinister is afoot.
"Dark Companion" looks and feels a lot like a paranormal vampire romance. But this story is actually not even a fantasy -- Acosta comes up with a more realistic, genetic-biology-based explanation for the Family's existence and practices, which makes it no less creepy and/or weird. There IS a tinge of magical realism, but it exists apart from the Family.
At its heart, "Dark Companion" is actually more of a story about a damaged young girl trying to heal from years of loss and abuse. Acosta swings back and forth between a rotting slum and a glossily eerie girls' school, occasionally tinging her prose with snappy dialogue and a sense of sylvan magic.
Jane herself is a welcome change from the Bella Swans of YA books -- rather than a lily-white wangstbot of suburban privilege, she's a scarred veteran of the foster care system. Acosta also makes her realistically flawed, with lots of anger and trust issues that have to be worked out before she can live happily ever after. There's a pretty solid supporting cast, including the lovably deranged Mary Violet, the beautiful/eccentric Jack, and the creepily selfish Lucian.
The only problem? The finale. While the climax is a brilliant twist, after that everything just sort of falls into place in the most convenient-to-Jane way, mostly over the course of a SINGLE SCENE. It strains credibility to the snapping point.
"Dark Companion's" ending isn't very satisfying, but the rest of the book is an eerie, sort-of-fantastical thriller. And it's nice to finally have a heroine who has REAL problems.