YA Review: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Title: The Dark Divine

Series: I Don't Know

Book #: 1

Author: Bree Despain

Pages: 372

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Reading Level: Young Adult

To Be Released: December 22, 2009.

Rating: 

"True Loves First Kill"

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held. The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school.

Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes. The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

Taschima's POV:

This story has some intriguing elements. The whole mystery factor and the ending I think were my favorite parts of the story.

Grace Divine is the daughter of the pastor. She is what you would classify as the perfect daughter. But she can only be tainted by one thing. And that is Daniel. Daniel is the family's bis secret, a secret everyone seems to know about Grace. Daniel had been missing for about 3 years but now he's back. Back into town. And back into Grace's life.

Grace was an okay character, until the end when she was faced with some decisions that made her go up a notch on my scale. Daniel didn't hold an attraction to me, maybe I'm finally getting out of the whole bad boy thing... I think not. I just didn't find myself into him. Grace's brother came out to me as being less than fair. He wanted Grace to be on his side, but he didn't even trust her enough to give her the whole story.

The plot was normal, until the ending where Despain pulled a twist on us. It was a nice one, though I think she could have gotten a little bit farther in the dark department. Not everything was tied up all nice and pretty, but it felt like it. Oh and I liked the whole 'True loves first kill' thing, it has a kind of dark irony that I just love.

Oh the ending was awesome! The action and the consequences, loved them. I think that if the story for some reason doesn't deliver it for you the ending will redeem the whole book.

All in all I liked it, and hope to see either more on this story or more from Bree Despain.