Really Ravishing Review (Darkness Becomes Her)

Review of Darkness Becomes Her, by Kelly Keaton. 

Quickie: I enjoyed it, but it was what I was in the mood for. If I had been in a more cynical mood, I don't think I would have liked it as much. Make sense?? No? Maybe you'll have to read the full review...

Full: From the cover flap: Ari can't help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can't be changed or destroyed, ARi has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is. 
Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long-dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting too close. But it's impossible to protect herself when she doesn't know what she's running from or why she is being pursued. 
She knows only one thing: She must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush, rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.
Ari won't stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.


Okay, so Ari was a pretty cool chick. I liked her toughness, and her ability to hold her own. She was more than a little stupid when she didn't tell her foster parents where she was going though... And plenty irresponsible. She's lucky that it all worked out okay and she didn't end up dead. Entering a dangerous situation and not telling a soul where you're going is just plain stupid, no matter your skills. But she did make up for it later, with guts and gumption and smarts.

The relationship is probably my least favorite aspect of this book. While I liked Sebastian, the relationship went way, way, way too fast. It was more than rushed, it was a time-warp. One day they are introduced, and the next they're in love. I'm being very literal here. I simply couldn't buy into their relationship and I felt it was untrue to the characters. Sebastian was supposed to be the brooding boy, the one that you had to put in that extra effort to get to open up. So how come he's falling in love with a random stranger the second day he knows her and baring his soul and secrets to her?? I just couldn't dig that.

The paranormal and mythological elements were fun and interesting and I had no problem with them. It was an unexpected mash-up of creatures, but that's what made it fun. I definitely didn't expect the Big Villain to be what the Big Villain ended up being, so that was nice. I loved the culture and feel of New 2, it was like the New Orleans of today, but creepier and stripped of all the "normal" people. Totally chaotic and very vibrant. Honestly, I think the setting was my favorite part of the book.

When I finished reading Darkness Becomes Her, I thought "5 stars!". But then I had time to think about it, and in the end I'm going to give it 4. Why? The relationship. It was just too big of an issue for me. But I will be reading the next book in the series.

(Edit) The more I think about it, the more I think this book is really a 3 star. I'm sticking with my 4 star simply because that's how I felt at the end of the book, but if I were to review it right now, it would most likely be a 3. It was my mood at the time of reading it that resulted in a 4. Just something to keep in mind if/when you read it.