Sunday, December 16, 2012

Book Review: Dark Star

TITLE: Dark Star
Book 1 in a new series
AUTHOR: Bethany Frenette
PUBLISHED: October 2012
CATEGORY: YA
GENRE: Superheroes, urban fantasy
PREMISE: Audrey's mother is Dark Star, her city's resident vigilante so she's used to general wierdness. But then she discovers that her mother's adventures aren't only about fighting crime...
MY REVIEW: Dear YA, WHY haven't you produced more superhero books? Really, it makes no sense to me. You could go in any direction with superheroes. This is a seriously untapped genre and it surprises me. Especially considering how much teens also read comic books. Thankfully, it looks like Frenette gets this and the result is a fresh feeling enjoyable debut.
This one actually feels new, you guys. Granted there are several superhero tropes as well as a few YA tropes abound but it's done in interesting ways and whiny angst and melodrama is kept at a minimum in favor of more plot. Plus, I love Frenette's writing. She has simple prose, fabulous dialogue, and gives me enough info that I'm not thoroughly confused about everything but also still keeps me in suspense about things. Audrey is also a fun and likeable heroine who I don't want to strangle.
I honestly don't know why this hasn't been more popular then it has been. I blame lack of marketing because this wasn't as in your face as some YA books were when it was released. If you love comics and are looking for a more action oriented series, I totally recomend giving this one a try.
WHO SHOULD READ: Comic book geeks, superhero fans, fans of Buffy
MY RATING: Four out of Five kick butt superheroes

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