Thursday, March 5, 2015

Book Review 26. A Magic Dark and Bright

A Magic Dark and Bright (The Asylum Saga, #1)
Book: A Magic Dark and Bright
Series: The Asylum Saga (#1)
Author: Jenny Adams Perinovic
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Pages: 321
Published: April 28th, 2015

This ebook was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Synopsis: She meant to help a ghost...not unleash a curse.
Amelia Dupree hasn’t seen the Woman in White since the night her brother died.
The ghost seems to have disappeared from the woods surrounding Asylum, Pennsylvania—that is, until Charlie Blue moves into the creepy old MacAllister House next door. Amelia can’t help liking him, even though she spent her childhood thinking his grandmother was a witch. And she definitely can’t ignore the connection between his arrival and the Woman in White’s return.
Then Amelia learns that the Woman in White is a prisoner, trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Devastated by the idea that her brother could be suffering a similar fate, Amelia decides to do whatever it takes to help the Woman in White find peace--and Charlie agrees to help her.
But when Amelia’s classmates start to drown in the Susquehanna River, one right after another, rumors swirl as people begin to connect the timing of Charlie’s arrival with the unexplained deaths. As Charlie and Amelia uncover the dark history of Asylum, they realize they may have unleashed an unspeakable evil. One they have to stop before everything they love is destroyed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

"A woman haunted the woods behind my house....But that was before. I hadn't seen her in six months, not since the night she'd watched Mark die." 


This was the second book I read through Netgalley, and I really liked it! The story had good pacing, interesting characters, and a nice plot. It just worked for me, and I enjoyed reading it.

So, the story goes like this: Amelia has lived in the town of Asylum for her entire life. The town is made up of a lot of old families, including creepy old Ms. MacAllister next door's family. After Amelia's brother dies, a death she blames on herself, she becomes somewhat withdrawn, plagued with sleepwalking and terrible nightmares. Shortly after enough time has passed for her to somewhat recover, Ms. MacAllister's cute grandson, Charlie moves in next door. He and Amelia form a strong friendship, along with their companions Leah and Ransom. But ever since Charlie came to town strange things have happened. A series of strange deaths occur that may tie back to a ghost and a generations old secret for the MacAllisters. This book is the story of Charlie and Amelia's journey into a world they had never dreamed existed to them.

That may not of been the best summary, but it serves it's purpose.

I really did enjoy the book. The aspect I'm most impressed with is the pacing. Many paranormal aspects are part of this book, but the discovery of them was never rushed. There was no, "'Yer a wizard, Harry" moment when everything was thrown at you. You got to discover slowly along with the main characters, taking small steps. And yet the book never felt like it was going to slow. There was always just enough going on to keep you on your toes, curious about what was around the corner.

I also enjoyed the characters. Amelia's guilt over her brother's death helped you relate to her character, and it was easy to feel her pain. She never fully gott over his death, but let it strengthen her by the end. Her love for Charlie was the kind of desperate love only possible in teenagers, and while in some books their kind of relationship annoys me, in here it was what made me love them. Also, *highlight spoiler* it turns out their relationship was manipulated by magic the whole time, which is why they fell in love so fast. This made up for any over-the-top moments that occurred with then relationship-wise. But it doesn't matter. I still ship it.

The ending though, is such a killer. I cant spoil it, but may I just say, I need the next book and the first one isn't even officially published yet!

To wrap up this quick review, I loved A Magic Dark and Bright. Although it had it's flaws, this book and good pacing, interesting characters, and an intriguing plot. I urge you all to pick it up when it's published next month!

-Claire

Some other reviews for "A Magic Dark and Bright" (may contain spoilers):
The Bookish God
Jess Time to Read
Of Paper and Words

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