April 20, 2015

ARC Review: A Magic Dark and Bright (The Asylum Saga #1) by Jenny Adams Perinovic

Publish Date: April 28th, 2015
Publisher: Bookish Girl Press
Rating: 3.5 / 5

Blurb:
She meant to help a ghost...not unleash a curse.

Amelia Dupree hasn’t seen the Woman in White since the night her brother died.

The ghost seems to have disappeared from the woods surrounding Asylum, Pennsylvania—that is, until Charlie Blue moves into the creepy old MacAllister House next door. Amelia can’t help liking him, even though she spent her childhood thinking his grandmother was a witch. And she definitely can’t ignore the connection between his arrival and the Woman in White’s return.

Then Amelia learns that the Woman in White is a prisoner, trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Devastated by the idea that her brother could be suffering a similar fate, Amelia decides to do whatever it takes to help the Woman in White find peace--and Charlie agrees to help her.

But when Amelia’s classmates start to drown in the Susquehanna River, one right after another, rumors swirl as people begin to connect the timing of Charlie’s arrival with the unexplained deaths. As Charlie and Amelia uncover the dark history of Asylum, they realize they may have unleashed an unspeakable evil. One they have to stop before everything they love is destroyed.




First Thoughts

That cliffhanger, though!! Why?!?!


I am definitely continuing this series because I'm itching to know what happens next!

I'm usually not one for creepy paranormal ghost stories, but A Magic Dark and Bright really captivated me. The characters were likable, the setting was eerie, and the mystery kept me turning the pages! I stayed up way too late reading this because I had to know the story behind Amelia's brother's death as well as find out what the in the heck the Woman in White's deal was!


What I Enjoyed

The historical aspect. Apparently, Asylum, Pennsylvania was a real place. It was a planned settlement for French refugees fleeing the French Revolution. Legend says that, before her execution, Marie Antoinette was supposed to live there with her two children.

The flashbacks. These were my favorite part of the book! I loved reading about the Woman in White's previous life. Her history fascinated me!

Charlie Blue. Charlie is serious book boyfriend material. Enough said!


The story behind Amelia's brother's death. Waah! The feels. Gosh. I couldn't even imagine. Devastating.


What Could Have Been Better

The pacing at the beginning. A Magic Dark and Bright starts off slowly. It just didn't grab me. I didn't fully begin to enjoy myself until about midway through the novel. This isn't a bad thing, I just feel like some readers could possibly lose interest, DNF the book, and miss out on this spooky story.


TL;DR

The cliffhanger has me dying of curiosity. The characters were cool. The setting was historical and creepy. The Woman in White has an intriguing background. Slow at first, but steadily builds into a satisfyingly good story.



3.5 asterisks




No comments:

Post a Comment