A Beautiful Dark (Beautiful Dark Trilogy Series #1)

by Jocelyn Davies

Overview

On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers whose sudden appearance sends her life into a tailspin. Complete opposites, Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Skye has no idea what they want or why they seem to follow her every move—only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

Then, in the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye discovers an impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061990656
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/27/2011
Series:	Beautiful Dark Trilogy Series , #1
Pages:	400
Product dimensions:	5.72(w) x 8.54(h) x 1.30(d)
Lexile:	HL630L (what's this?)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Jocelyn Davies is the author of A Beautiful Dark and A Fractured Light, the first two books in this captivating trilogy. She edits young adult fiction at a publishing house in New York, a job that has allowed her to cultivate a keen interest in all things angsty, hilarious, and/or unrequited. She is a graduate of Bates College, and lives in an apartment overflowing with books.

Editorial Reviews

The final chapter adds a few heart-pounding twists to the story, which leaves readers panting for a sequel.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Skye Parker lost her parents in a car accident on her sixth birthday. During Skye's seventeenth birthday party, Skye escapes outside and meets a strange boy named Asher. Later, after returning to her party, Asher and another boy named Devin get into a heated exchange in the middle of the coffee shop, which is cut short by the explosion of the shop's boiler. At school on Monday, Skye is surprised to see that both Asher and Devin are new students in all of her classes. Strangely both of these boys seem to by vying for Skye's attention. Tall, dark, and beautiful Asher grabs Skye's focus with his bad-boy persona; light, calm, and gorgeous Devin keeps Skye guessing by his always tranquil demeanor. Over time, Skye learns that Asher and Devin are angels; Asher part of the "Rebel" or fallen angels and Devin part of the "Order." She learns they were sent to protect her, as she is special—the daughter of the only pairing of a rebel and an order angel. As Skye's powers emerge, Asher and Devin attempt to help her hone her skills and control her power. In the process, a love triangle forms as Skye spends more and more time with them. In the end, Skye is forced by the Elders to choose between light and dark—or Devin and Asher. Unable to decide, a fight erupts and Asher rescues Skye, but not before she is horribly wounded. Ending as a cliffhanger, the reader is left wondering whether Skye will live or die, and whether she will choose light or dark. With many twists and turns, the reader is kept guessing as to the real motivation behind both Asher's and Devin's actions. A theme of family and friendship is woven throughout, as Skye has to leave them behind. Reviewer: Maggie L. Schrock

Children's Literature - Maggie L. Schrock

On the night of her seventeenth birthday, Skye Parker meets two beautiful cousins who will change her life: blue-eyed Asher, and dark Devin. They always seem to be arguing over something, and Skye soon suspects that they often argue about her. Skye only learns the truth after she barely survives a dramatic skiing accident. Asher and Devin are angels representing different factions in an unearthly conflict, and both have been sent to Earth to watch over Skye and determine the nature and extent of her angelic powers. Soon, Skye will be forced to choose between the Order and the Rebellion. This slow-starting novel reads very much like Twilight with wings. The "myth story" of the angelic rebellion seems clunky and forced, and the romantic triangle, plus an additional love interest provided by an entirely-earthly boy named Ian, is established too quickly for credibility. The pace picks up, however, mid-way, as Skye's unpredictable powers cause more problems for her and the angels, and the final chapter adds a few heart-pounding twists to the story, which leaves readers panting for a sequel. Action sequences and romantic interludes do not entirely redeem the awkward narration, but teen readers who focus on plot rather than character will enjoy this book and ask for more. Reviewer: Aarene Storms

VOYA - Aarene Storms

Here's a paranormal romance that doesn't follow all the conventions of the genre but relies at least in part on imagination to feed the needs of readers seeking supernatural fun.

In this novel, the heroine has no difficulty with vampires, werewolves, mermen or ghosts. Instead, Skye appears to live within reality in the normal world, until strange things start happening to her on her 17th birthday. Of course, two handsome new boys have coincidentally appeared, both with the ability to make girls weak in the knees at a glance, but it's Skye herself who seems to have some kind of supernatural ability. Her eyes turn from gray to shiny silver, and machinery explodes around her. Eventually readers learn that the boys—golden Devin and dark Asher—are angels, one a "guardian" and the other a rebel. Skye can't avoid her strong attraction to Asher, but Devin pulls at her heart as well. Little does she know that she's a very special girl, in great danger, with a life-changing choice to make. Davies layers on the suspense, delving ever further into the supernatural but keeping some realism in the story until the final confrontation (which may or may not set up a sequel). While angels are almost as thick on the ground these days as vampires, Devin and Asher achieve a modicum of originality, and Skye has enough spunk to please her audience.

A cut above the genre average. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

Kirkus Reviews

Gr 9 Up—After her parents' deaths, Skye strives to outrun sadness with success. She is a competitive skier and is on the fast track to Columbia. At her 17th birthday party, though, she meets two boys who defy the normality Skye desires. Dark and teasing Asher encourages her to embrace her feelings for him and the powers she is beginning to display. Controlled Devin also calls to Skye, who longs for peace in a way only he seems to understand. While she is slowly falling for one boy, and unable to stay away from the other, both are drawn to her—a complication that none of them can afford when the reason for their coming to Skye's small town is revealed. A daughter of Prophecy, Skye has powers that could potentially mean the end of the world. She must decide where she stands and which celestial force to join, and she must do it before her powers reach their peak. Davies introduces a unique new twist on angelic mythology. Though this book has the now-familiar paranormal romantic triangle, the characters are fleshed out and steeped so deeply in the world that their shared passion is eminently believable. Fans of Lauren Kate's Fallen (Delacorte, 2009) and Cynthia Hand's Unearthly (HarperTeen, 2010) will devour this new offering. A well-done debut.—Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT

School Library Journal