The Dark Light

June 25, 2012
Seventeen-year-old Mia Stone has seen the strange lights that haunt her rural Nebraska town, but she doesn’t suspect that they might have something to do with a string of child kidnappings. When Mia’s 10-year-old half-brother, Jay, becomes the latest victim, Mia turns to gorgeous new student Sol. Mia thinks that Sol knows more about the kidnappings than he is letting on: his back is tattooed with the same strange bird that she has seen on her brother’s ankle. When the lights reappear, Mia makes the drastic decision to embrace them, uncovering Sol’s secrets and the truth about Mia’s family. The strange nature of the lights will hook readers, though debut author Walsh doesn’t draw out the mystery, revealing a magic-filled alternate world early on; oddly, Walsh chooses to call the city Mia arrives in Bordertown, invoking (intentionally or not) Terri Windling’s fantasy metropolis. Expository information about Bordertown and the world of Brakaland weighs down the second half of the book, but it remains an intriguing fantasy adventure. Ages 14–up. Agent: Nathaniel Jacks, Inkwell Management.

October 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-Mia Stone is 17 and fatherless-the man who abandoned her and her young stepbrother, Jay, has been gone for years. Sol, the mysterious and gorgeously tattooed hunk newly arrived at Crownsville High School, troubles the normally steadfast Mia, especially when she sees that the tattoo on his well-muscled back matches a smaller version on Jay's leg. The sudden disappearance of seven local boys, including Jay, leads Mia to inadvertently open the Barrier, the gateway to Bordertown and a parallel other world. She discovers her destiny-she is heir to the Solenetta, a necklace of magical stones on which the safety of both worlds rests-and falls for Sol during a race to rescue the stolen stones and the boys from the evil Suzerain. Mia's narrative lacks intensity, the consistently earnest tone making the emotional arc of this lengthy novel a trifle flat. In the final battle, she unlocks the power of the stones, saves her newfound father, and returns to Crownsville (with Sol, who has revealed his passion for her) to hold the barrier between the worlds. The predictable plot might be palatable with tighter exposition, but what should be a fast chase and escape suffers from slow pacing and stock characterizations. Still, the dramatic cover photograph may attract fans of fantasy romance looking for an easy read.-Janice M. Del Negro, GSLIS Dominican University, River Forest, IL

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