5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, December 4, 2009
This review is from: Darkside: Book 1 (Mass Market Paperback)
Picture a windy dark night. The rain is hammering against the house. The lights are flickering from the wind pounding the power lines. The rest of the house is asleep. The clock slowly inches towards 2:00am.
Does that catch your attention? Well, I had to set the mood for how I found myself last night with the horrible weather and DARKSIDE in my hands. I had spent the better part of the day in bed with a migraine. So, finally feeling better, the rest of the family was asleep, and I was wide awake. And in more ways than one.
DARKSIDE had my pulse racing from page one, and with the weather conditions going on outside, I wasn't sure if I should keep reading or put the book down and wait until the sun came out the next day. But I was already wrapped up in the developing story of Jonathan Starling and his journey to Darkside.
Jonathan is fourteen, a loner, and can pretty much do as he pleases. His father is often hospitalized for what he calls "the darkening," leaving Jonathan to fend for himself. After his father's latest hospital admission, Jonathan and their neighbor, Mrs. Elwood, venture off to find Carnegie.
Jonathan has never heard of this Mr. Carnegie before, and Mrs. Elwood is evasive. Driving toward the Thames River, Mrs. Elwood's car is attacked. The passenger door is literally ripped off the side of the car. Mrs. Elwood tells Jonathan to run, and the heart-pounding adventure begins.
Jonathan has investigated his father's study (which he has usually found locked) and discovered references to this Darkside. His father has never mentioned it before, and Jonathan can only surmise it is the reason behind his dad's illness. Following hints he's uncovered, he is able to find his way to Darkside and to the well known Mr. Carnegie.
Darkside is the opposite of Lightside, or the world as we know it. Darkside is the meanest, vilest parts of London. Inhabited by the likes of weremen, vampires, and the progeny of Jack the Ripper, Jonathan is forced to survive if he has any hope of helping his dad recover from his latest hospital admission.
Mr. Becker has written a fast-paced, page-turning adventure. I am not usually a fan of the fantasy genre, but I was pulled into the action of the book from the first page. The story is a bit graphic in the descriptions of Darkside, so the younger reader should be warned. But the book was quite thrilling and the ending has been left open for more adventures featuring Jonathan and Carnegie.
Reviewed by: Jaglvr
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