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Dark Territory (The Tracks #1)

by J. Gabriel Gates (Goodreads Author), Charlene Keel

4.15 of 5 stars 4.15 · rating details · 88 ratings · 41 reviews

Star-Crossed Love, Martial Arts, and Supernatural Evil meet at the Abandoned Tracks in the Deceptively Quaint town of Middleburg...When Ignacio Torrez moved from the rough streets of Los Angeles to a small town dead smack in the middle of nowhere, he never expected to find himself in the midst of a gang war. But, he soon learns, these are no ordinary gangs. The wealthy, pr...more

Paperback, 504 pages

Published July 1st 2011 by HCI Teens

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May 06, 2012 W.h. (Lovetiggi) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-for-review, ya, favorites, thriller-mystery, martial-arts

DARK TERRITORY by J Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel I received an ARC for review.

I have never read a martial-arts book before......WOW! I love this book! It is filled with martial-arts action, suspense, mystery, romance, tragedy, forbidden love, gangs, war and it's a YA Read.

Ignacio Torrez moves smack dab in the middle of Nowhereville from the gang banging streets of Los Angeles, only to find the town is not as innocent as it seems. He learns a valuable lesson of honor and magic as he sets out o...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, paranormal, non-erotic, young-adult

Originally posted at: http://aurorareviews.blogspot.com/201...

This book, the first book of The Tracks series, is a paranormal Karate Kid meets West Side Story—but so much more. There is a mystery that surrounds the town of Middleburg—a mystery that goes back generations and involves more people than is apparent at the beginning of the book.

The story begins with Ingacio "Nass" Torres being brought to Middleburg from LA because his mother is concerned he will get into trouble with gangs. Little di...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Wendy Hines rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ignacio 'Nass' Torrez is the new kid at Middleburg Middle School. His parents didn't want him to join the gangs like his cousins did in Los Angeles, so now they have moved to a small town in the Midwest. Unfortunately, Nass gets suspended on his first day of school after a fight breaks out in the lunch room. The good part is that he made a friend, Raphael Kain, the leader of a gang.

Aimee Banfield is excited to be going home, after being in a pretentious juvenile center for the past year. She loo...more Ignacio 'Nass' Torrez is the new kid at Middleburg Middle School. His parents didn't want him to join the gangs like his cousins did in Los Angeles, so now they have moved to a small town in the Midwest. Unfortunately, Nass gets suspended on his first day of school after a fight breaks out in the lunch room. The good part is that he made a friend, Raphael Kain, the leader of a gang.

Aimee Banfield is excited to be going home, after being in a pretentious juvenile center for the past year. She looks different, with colored hair and darker eyes, and she doesn't act the same either. Before, she was snobbish and had an array of friends. Now, her first day back to school, no one will speak to her, except Raphael Kain.

Nass learns that there are two gangs in Middleburg. There are the flats, the poor kids, and there are the toppers, those with money. They have their own set of rules that they abide by, and most of the gang members are well versed in the martial arts. Nass has no desire to join a gang as he prefers to breakdance, but he does appreciate the new friends he has made.

Raphael really likes Aimee, and she him, but her dad just got his mom pregnant so things aren't looking so good. Also, Aimee's older brother is a Topper and Ralph is a Flat, enemy gangs that Aimee has no business being in the middle of.

Aimee is still having a hard time adapting to her life again and the stigma from her past continues to haunt her. A death of a friend that is supposedly her fault in the DARK TERRITORY, a stretch of tracks not controlled by the signals, that her therapist tells her was not her fault, continues to haunt her.

There's an old urban legend about ghosts haunting old abandoned rail cars and a mythical beast inhabiting the tunnels. Some of the teens see people who aren't there, or are they? When Aimee goes missing, Ralph is the first person who is suspected because of his hatred toward her brother and father. But will the authorities realize that Ralph isn't responsible and find Aimee before her life is in danger?

DARK TERRITORY is an exciting young adult thriller. With a diverse handful of realistic characters, a compelling plot, romance, friendship, intrigue and a splash of the paranormal, DARK TERRITORY is a must read!
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Jun 18, 2011 Leah (Simply Nerdy Book Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-own, favorites, own-a-copy

Wow, I loved this book. I loved this book. I swear, it has everything; martial arts (action, action, action), romance, school plays, gangs, train tracks . . . Just wow.

First things first: I have never before read a book involving martial arts. I really loved that aspect of the book; I've always thought that martial arts was such an amazing thing to be able to do, and I reading about it was awesome. The descriptions of the fights and moves flowed really well, and all of the action scenes were eas...more Wow, I loved this book. I loved this book. I swear, it has everything; martial arts (action, action, action), romance, school plays, gangs, train tracks . . . Just wow.

First things first: I have never before read a book involving martial arts. I really loved that aspect of the book; I've always thought that martial arts was such an amazing thing to be able to do, and I reading about it was awesome. The descriptions of the fights and moves flowed really well, and all of the action scenes were easy to follow. I've always had some trouble with action books, because it can be really hard to follow full-out fight scenes on paper. For some reason, I've just never been able to do it. But in this book, I loved the action scenes! I looked forward to reading them, and I got really excited during Raphael's and Zhai's lessons with Master Chin. It was just so fun to read.

Character development definitely rocked, too, and I absolutely love Raphael. I swear, I can't get enough of that boy. I think that the bad aspects of his life--his father's death, his mother's job, being on the poorer side--made him really easy to connect to and identify with. And then there are so many characters that I couldn't help but so passionately hate, and I absolutely love that in a book. If there's anything a good book needs to be able to do is make me really, really mad. I could relate to Zhai and Raphael's ruined friendship, like I'm sure most teens could. I think that everyone has that friend that you lost to an outside reason, and really wish things could be better. Nass really made me laugh, and so did Dalton. Aimee was also fantastic, and I couldn't help but feel really terrible for her and her home life, or root for her and Raph.

Which brings me to the romance! Oh, the romance! Once you read this book, you can never go back. Raph and Aimee! I got so caught up in the book, praying for everything to work out. I loved their relationship, and I loved them as a couple. It was one of the most suspenseful parts of the books, actually, when you were so hoping that everything would turn out good for them, but you just don't know.

This book was, really, a summer action flick. It has everything it needs to be amazing, with kick-butt fight scenes, an intense romance, great characters, and awesome dialogue. Basically, it has a little bit of something for everyone. Look out for it on July 1st!

Grade: A+

SIMPLY NERDY BOOK REVIEWS(less)

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Aug 05, 2012 Jadaloves rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow and WOW! It’s been a while since I’ve read a novel that has incorporated so many new and different elements without overwhelming me, but Dark Territory brings that and more. It has the paranormal, the supernatural, martial arts, time-travel, romance and plenty of action. I was hooked from beginning to end, and was thoroughly entertained by the story and the characters. Since this book had so much going on, I’m going to do this review a little differently and organize my thoughts with heading...more Wow and WOW! It’s been a while since I’ve read a novel that has incorporated so many new and different elements without overwhelming me, but Dark Territory brings that and more. It has the paranormal, the supernatural, martial arts, time-travel, romance and plenty of action. I was hooked from beginning to end, and was thoroughly entertained by the story and the characters. Since this book had so much going on, I’m going to do this review a little differently and organize my thoughts with headings.
What I LOVE!

The characters in this novel really took over and drove the story forward. I adored the two leaders of the gangs, Raphael (leader of the Flatliners) and Zhai (leader of the Toppers). While they are different in manner and style, both boys were strongly committed to their families, friends, and the art of Kung-Fu. I found Zhai very down to earth and he tolerates little non-sense. He had a very regal air about him, and I loved his great sense of honor and nobility. Raphael was very passionate in everything he did, and seems to be an all or nothing kind of guy. His concern for his mother, and the loyalty he shows towards his friends earned my respect and admiration. And although Raphael is a bit rough around the edges, to me he still managed to maintain a youthful innocence about himself.

Aimee Banfield, Raph’s love interest and the little sister of his biggest enemy Rick Banfield, didn’t really stand out to me. I liked that her attitude towards people who didn’t necessarily have all that she does changed after she had been sent away for a spell, but other than that there is nothing truly remarkable about her. Now the female characters that did leave an impression on me were Dalton and Kate. Dalton seemed to be the lone wise and reasonable voice among the throng of teenagers, and Kate was so sweet and mysterious that I can’t help but want to know more about her.

The action in Dark Territory was nothing short of exhilarating. I can’t recall reading a Young Adult novel that has incorporated Kung Fu before, but I thought it’s inclusion was brilliant. Both Raphael and Zhai have been trained in the art of Kung-Fu by Master Chin. So you can imagine when these former best-friends face off it’s mesmerizing as neither are willing to give in an inch. I felt like I was on a dangerous roller coaster ride, and while it could be down right terrifying at times, it was also exciting and had my heart racing with each fight, and each battle.

The story itself has so many things at play that you can only wonder how everything relates to each other, and how everything will reveal itself and how the story will unfold. The Legend of the Tracks is a living, breathing entity in the novel, and it eventually begins to awaken and consume the characters. Middleburg and how it’s divided between the haves and the have-nots is very clearly laid out for the reader, so it’s easy to picture. In that respect the world building is great, but the parallel worlds that exist in this book could have been more detailed and better explained.
What I Question?

Raphael’s and Aimee’s romance is cute and sweet. In the vein of Rome Juliet, their love is also a little dangerous considering they are from opposite sides of the tracks and her older brother hates Rapheal with a passion unparalleled. But I question Raphael’s level of dedication to a girl who he’s spent all of two minutes with. I get that they have an undeniable spark of attraction, but during the course of the book they really don’t spend much quality time together. So how he could feel so strongly about someone he really hardly knows at all is a concern.

Also, there is a point in the book where Rick Banfield handcuffs Raphael to an old train car and sets it on fire, trying to burn him alive. The fact that NOBODY AT ALL seems outraged or appalled that this boy literally tried to MURDER Raphael is beyond my comprehension. Everyone who finds out pretty much shrugs it off and feels like, yeah that sounds like something Rick would do. The hell!? I don’t care that he is privileged and a Topper, there should have been some consequences or AT LEAST someone in the book who was just as shocked and furious about it as I was.

Lastly, after Raphael and Zhai go on their mutual and individual quests, I was hoping all they had to go through and endure would be explained. The other world, the manipulation of time, even the quests they had to complete is never explained. I want to know how and why the other world exists? What is the other world and what goes on there? What are the customs, the traditions, and the people like? And how does it all relate to the tunnel and tracks, what’s going on in Middleburg today, and how does it dictate all that is to come for the two gang leaders? Since nothing is really explained, the reader is left with more questions than when they started. I can only hope many of these will be answered in the follow up book Ghost Crown.
Overall

As a whole I LOVED Dark Territory and I want MORE!!!! The action and the characters came together beautifully and the story was written so well that it seemed to leap off the pages. If you’re looking for a book that encompasses romance, the supernatural, and action, and is executed well, this is the book for you. I look forward to reading the sequel and joining these amazing characters for another adventure.(less)

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Nov 08, 2011 Aeicha rated it 4 of 5 stars

READ THE ORIGINAL AND COMPLETE REVIEW (AND MANY MORE) AT : WORD SPELUNKING

With Dark Territory, authors J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel have created an edgy, smart, fantastical story reminiscent of a modern day West Side Story with a splash of Romeo and Juliet.

SUMMARY
In the quite town of Middleburg, you’re either a “have” or a “have not”, a Topper or a Flatliner. An intense hatred and distrust exist between the rich Toppers and the working class Flatliners, especially among the teens. Ignaci...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Lisa (Bookworm Lisa) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, received-to-review, young-adult

When I first ooked at the description and started to read the book I thought that it would be similar to "West Side Story". You have two gangs. One is the wealthy kids who live on the hill and the other is the poor kids who live on the wrong side of the tracks. There is a romance that builds between a girl from the hill and a boy from the poor section.
They live in a small town that has lost its luster since the railroad was rerouted.

I was wrong. Yes, there are those elements present, but this st...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Linda Bss rated it 5 of 5 stars

One of the best books I've read this year! Something is lurking in the dark territory, a stretch of terrority not controlled by signals, in the tunnels in Middleburg, Kansas and it is up to two former friends to stop a war starting with their home town. Raph lived in the flats on the poor side of town as his mom tried to care for him after his dad died in one of Jack Banefield's companies and Jack Banefield refused to pay his dad anything by stating it wasn't the company's fault! When Aimee Babe...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Paula Mitchell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, netgalley, read-in-2011

I received this from HCI Teens for a honest and fair review, and oh my god this was totally different then anything I have read lately. This story had me on the edge of my seat, seeing aspects of the story of Romeo and Juliet. You have the flatliners who are a misfit group doing the best they can in a society where the Toppers succeed and the flatliners just try to get by. Nass is new to Middleburg and the last thing he needs is to join a gang but what he sees in the flatliners is more than a ga...more

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Aug 15, 2011 Branwen rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, favorites, fantasy-science-fiction, thriller

Ignatio has just moved to the small town of Middleburg where he befriends Raphael, the leader of a gang called the Flatliners. Raphael has fallen in love with Aimee, who happens to be the sister of one of the members of their rival gang, the Toppers. This sparks an epic war between the two gangs. But there is more to this town that meets the eye.

I freakin' LOVED this book. It literally has something for every reader: romance, action, horror, mystery, martial arts, some really hilarious moments-...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Jackie Miller rated it 4 of 5 stars

After getting this book and reading the write-up on the back, I was kind of skeptical about the idea of martial arts playing a large part within the story. On the other hand, I was also really interested because I don't think I've read much, if anything, like it before.

From the first few pages I was intrigued by the mysteries behind the tracks in the town of Middleburg, and I was drawn into the rivalry between the Toppers and the Flatliners. The extreme hatred between the two groups is intense....more

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Jan 27, 2012 Krista (CubicleBlindness Reviews) rated it 4 of 5 stars

For the majority of this book I could not help but be reminded of the Karate Kid movies. A new kid attending a new school, gets into some rough times with another gang of boys. They call themselves the TOPPERS and the FLATLINERS. They fight each other with martial art skills that can become deadly and serious very fast.
The twist to this story that takes it away from being too similar to Karate Kid is the combination that we get to have half of the story from a Aimee, and that was nice to get so...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Sejla rated it 4 of 5 stars

My Book Report

In Dark Territory by J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel,
Raphael was the leader of a gang when something from inside
the tunnel, and on the train tracks came out from a whole other
world… Can Raphael save the girl he loves, or will he die trying?
I really liked Dark Territory by J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene
Keel. Raphael was the leader of a gang named the Flatliners. He
Was very noble, multidimensional, and a little bewilidered. He was
noble because he faced the monster, whic...more

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Jan 02, 2012 The Holy Terror marked it as to-read

Shelves: young-adult, asian-characters, hispanic-characters, paranormal, bought-01-12, owned, on-hold, 1st-in-series, chubster, male-author, not-in-the-mood

Found this randomly at the library, and it sounds crack-tastic. Plus, Hispanics AND Asians? This book was written for me, I know it.

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Jul 16, 2011 Kitty Bullard rated it 5 of 5 stars

J. GABRIEL GATES "DARK TERRITORY"

The story of Ignacio Torrez is one that young adults will enjoy. When he moves from his rough and tumble, Los Angeles neighborhood to a small town in nowhere land he learns a valuable lesson about honor and magic. He soon finds himself in the midst of an adventure, a quest to bring peace between the Toppers and the Flatliners, two rival gangs on the verge of war over forbidden love.
This book is one I would highly recommend.

-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud...more

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Apr 13, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I thought this book was just about gang wars between two gangs, the Toppers (the haves) and the Flatliners (the have nots). I was wrong about it.

What is interesting about this book is that it is about martial arts. The leaders of each gang (Toppers-Zhai, Flatliners-Raphael) were taught by Master Chin to adhere to a strict code of honor. But when Raphael unwittingly falls for Aimee, A Topper girl, everything went downhill from there. There was something more than meets the eye, and it involves th...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Ashley - Book Labyrinth rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: for-review, from-publisher, signed-copy

I was definitely intrigued when I first read the description of this book, with all those different elements. And it turns out that ‘Dark Territory’ blends genres well. It has a contemporary high school setting, and yet there’s also a paranormal/mystical element going on in the background of the town, and with the rival gangs there’s also an action/martial arts element to it. You also can’t forget the forbidden romance between Raphael and Aimee. Somehow all of these aspects work well together, a...more

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Jul 05, 2012 Carrie Ardoin rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: tour, posted-on-blog, other-supes

Ignacio, or Nass Torrez has just moved from LA into Middleburg, Kansas...and it's nothing like he expected. Nass soon comes to learn that Middleburg has two distinct and warring groups: The Toppers, rich, privileged kids who live in Hillside Haven; and the Flatliners, working class kids who live in the Flats. Nass's mom moved him away from LA so he wouldn't join a gang, but ironically he becomes a Flatliner.

The leader of the Flatliners is Raphael, and the leader of the Toppers is Zhai. They used...more Ignacio, or Nass Torrez has just moved from LA into Middleburg, Kansas...and it's nothing like he expected. Nass soon comes to learn that Middleburg has two distinct and warring groups: The Toppers, rich, privileged kids who live in Hillside Haven; and the Flatliners, working class kids who live in the Flats. Nass's mom moved him away from LA so he wouldn't join a gang, but ironically he becomes a Flatliner.

The leader of the Flatliners is Raphael, and the leader of the Toppers is Zhai. They used to be best friends--and in fact they still train under the same kung fu master. But circumstances have driven them apart. As things come to a head between the two gangs, Raph and Zhai must decide what's really worth fighting for.

Well, I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but I will say one thing: it was unique. Dark Territory is part teen soap opera, part kung fu flick, and part supernatural fantasy. And does this odd combination work? Sort of.

The characterization was surprisingly well done, for a book with SO many characters to follow. Zhai and Raphael are not just the leaders of gangs, they have depth and internal struggles. Aimee is dealing with unimaginable tragedy, and trying to live with her hateful father and brother. The protagonists were nicely done, but I felt some of the other characters were cliched. The wise kung fu master who has a zany side (he plays Rock Band). The sleazy bad guy with a glass eye and a scarred face. The kindly, grandmotherly black maid. These characters have all been seen before, and I was a bit disappointed in the way they were developed.

The plot was kind of slow throughout the first half for me. There were so many subplots that I feel could have been cut out--the book is almost 500 pages. The action did escalate in the latter half of the book, but it was kind of a yawn getting to that point.

The thing I guess I most struggled with was the rich gang vs. poor gang aspect. This has, of course, been seen countless times in West Side story and the like. But this novel takes place in modern times. I have a hard time believing that things like this would be occurring in middle America...it's a little outdated.

The supernatural part of the story is still a little bit "meh" for me. I know this is the first book in a series, but I still wish what was going on in the Tracks would have been explained and fleshed out for the reader a little bit more. Still, I'm going to read the next book to see if Zhai and Raphael can come together for the good of the rest of the world.(less)

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May 27, 2012 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: on-my-ipad, to-be-reviewed, book-boyfriend

Review also posted on The Book Barbies.

I started this book with NO idea what to expect. I mean, it sounds pretty innocent right? Rivalry gangs, cute romance, fights. And it was exactly that! For the beginning at least.

What I really enjoyed was the characters in this book. They were fun and relatable and the boys sounded damn hot! There were a few stereotypical characters, Rick, the bully, Maggie, the bitch, but even so, they were real. It was great that the story was told from all different poi...more Review also posted on The Book Barbies.

I started this book with NO idea what to expect. I mean, it sounds pretty innocent right? Rivalry gangs, cute romance, fights. And it was exactly that! For the beginning at least.

What I really enjoyed was the characters in this book. They were fun and relatable and the boys sounded damn hot! There were a few stereotypical characters, Rick, the bully, Maggie, the bitch, but even so, they were real. It was great that the story was told from all different points of views. It didn't stick with just one or two characters, but it told everyone's stories, even the not so prominent characters. From time to time, adults got their own little parts and it was just a breath of fresh air, reading from such a great range of perspectives. I gotta say though, I love Nass (Ignacio) and Raph! They were so cute (in lack of a better word)! Nass is hilarious and Raph is just drool-worthy! Totally jealous of Aimee right now...

The fighting in this book was awesome. Just plain, awesomeness. I love martial arts. I love watching guys fight. And not just some random punches flying around, but skilled fighting. The description of the action in here was just too good! I felt like I could see it, everything, being played out right in my head! And it's hot boys.♥

So, jump to the halfway point of the book and the creepy supernatural stuff starts to appear. And I mean creepy. I clearly haven't learnt my lesson (from The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer) to not read books like these in the dark! It's not horribly gruesome, but I definitely felt shivers. All the talk about endless black tunnels and strange monsters in the dark really isn't good for my current state of mind...

But this whole concept of time! Time time time! I just, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Time is something that's just always, constantly there. It ticks on and on and we all know we can't, yet still wish to pause, rewind or fast forward. But you know, maybe we don't need to. Anyways, I just want to praise Gates and Keel on this awesome concept of time. I won't spoil it for you, but READ IT. Your mind will be blown.

I am so excited to start the sequel! (Thank you, Netgalley! Review to come soon.) Needless to say, the end left me dying for more. Shit's about to go down in Middleburg...

An endless, terrifying yet exciting journey! (less)

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Jan 28, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, supernatural, young-adult

Ok well Dark Teritorty was a really good book, there was a lot of stuff going on in the book and from a lot of different POVs. It's like The Outsiders but with a supernatural twist. Two gangs the Toppers (rich kids) and the Flatliners (poor kids) hate each other, Raph is the leader of the Flatliners and Zhai is the leader of the Toppers used to be best friends until Raph's dad dies in an accident and Raph's dad dies at work due to shotty work conitions and his bosses which happen to be Zhai's da...more

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Dec 01, 2011 Evie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: wish-list, e-books, miya-event, pure-awesomeness, favorites

***Originally posted to Bookish Blog as a part of MEN in YA event!

In his Goodreads review, J. Gabriel Gates called this book "Coolest book ever written. Ever." and it's impossible not to agree with that! It's one helluva story! Dazzlingly imagined and un-freaking-believably compelling, Dark Territory is the perfect blend of literary flavors. This book has everything you could possibly want: forbidden love, breath-taking action scenes (involving some serious martial arts ass-kicking!), delicious...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, reviewed

My Opinion:

I thought this book was fantastically written. What a great team of writers,J. Gabriel Gates and Charlene Keel are. They work fabulously together and this book is proof of it. The story is about the town of Middleburg and the people that live there. As soon as you start reading you notice that there are dark forces at work. There is lots of action in this book as well. This book takes you on a journey with the teenagers of Middleburg,with all their own fears and trials going on. Ignac...more

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Nov 11, 2011 Starr Griggs rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow! I can’t say that I’m exactly speechless over this book, but the words are not coming quickly to me. It’s been over a week since I finished this book and I can still see the action that permeated the pages, the forbidden love that was blooming amongst two of the characters and the supernatural turmoil that lay no-longer-dormant under the city of Middleburgh. This book is 504 pages and there was not a page that bored me or made me want to put this book down. Action begins immediately when the...more Wow! I can’t say that I’m exactly speechless over this book, but the words are not coming quickly to me. It’s been over a week since I finished this book and I can still see the action that permeated the pages, the forbidden love that was blooming amongst two of the characters and the supernatural turmoil that lay no-longer-dormant under the city of Middleburgh. This book is 504 pages and there was not a page that bored me or made me want to put this book down. Action begins immediately when the new guy, Ignacio, gets into a fight on the first day of school. He immediately walks into a dividing battle without even meaning to. Action settles the story, bringing it to a satisfying end resolving the unspoken issues and alluding to more. Nothing is ever what it seems in this story, but you are never bored with where it’s going.
What can I say about the characters? I wish there was one that stood out to me and called to me. But there wasn’t, not because something was lacking. In fact it was the opposite, which is a rare find in books. But the story of each character seemed to be complete that I could completely envision them. The story was, successfully, written from different perspectives that added a whole new dimension to the story. They all have such depth and pull to them that, honestly, I am not sure if it is possible to have a favorite. There we quite a few that I didn’t think I would like, but by the end of the book I found myself thinking “oh well. . .she’s alright after all”. The bad guys were awesomely creepy and the good guys were astoundingly flawed. That combination makes the story that much more realistic. The story itself? Wow! It’s not just a story about the battle of good and evil. Or just a story about a lost friendship that holds the key to uniting the town. It’s not even just a story about a forbidden love, a girl trying to find herself or a boy turning into a man. It was all of these things and so very much more. It’s gripping, and real. I could feel the emotions when I needed to, and I definitely got lost in the story.
What would you have to do if you had to go on a supernatural quest to rescue the life of someone you loved? If you had the power to defeat a deeply hidden evil that you knew nothing about? I could seriously go on and on about this book for a long time and there are still things that I am sure I would have missed. There were a whole lot of things going on, but nothing felt like it was just a filler to add pages or to hold time until something happened. It seemed like everything mattered in some way, but it was done in such a way that it wasn’t overwhelming to the reader. Yes, I still had some questions at the end of the story. But, there has to be something hanging to continue the series. And, yes, I definitely want this series to continue! And If you’re still debating if you really want to read this 504 page book, I say don’t be intimidated by the size of the book. It is an awesome story, and you will reach the end quicker than you expect and you will definitely finish wanting more.

This book was given to me, free, from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.(less)

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Sep 07, 2011 Misty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: recieved-for-review, own-kindle

Well I liked this book and it has some great characters but it's really long, I felt it would've been just as good if it were missing a few scenes.

There are a lot of characters to meet in the book but I liked how they all became linked to each other by the end and there are a couple who weren't in it much that I think will be more prominent later in the series.

Though this isn't the first book I've read with martial arts in I thought it added something different to a great story, I really liked t...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Samantha Boyette rated it 4 of 5 stars

If this book was a hundred or so pages shorter, it would have been five stars! Lets start with the characters, and this book has it's share of them. First with have Nass, transfer student to small town America, Raphael, local bad boy with a heart of gold, Aimee, troubled and kind rich girl, Rick, jerkface rich boy and brother to Aimee, and Zhai, stoic rich boy who doesn't want to fight with anyone. Each character is fleshed out nicely and quickly you become interested in their lives and their pr...more

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Sep 11, 2011 Richard (Bound & Determined...) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review:
Full Bookish Disclosure: I reviewed Dark Territory after reading only half of the book. I “knew” what the last half was going to be like, and felt my initial impressions were correct. I gave it 3 Stars. Then I finished reading. Then rewrote my review. And gave it 4 Stars. So there you have it.

Knowing what I know about this book, that it was an idea for a TV show, makes this book work. Somehow, Gates and Keel take a very teen-melodramatic “poor vs. rich” plotline, mix in some martial arts...more

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Mar 03, 2012 Bekki rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jul 05, 2011 Sheena rated it 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. Seriously is the the best book I have read in a long time. Raphael & Aimee's love story mixed with their intense battles with supernatural evil all while having to hide their feelings from her family really pulled me in. Some parts were so exciting it was like watching a movie. It was so hard to put it down and so good I hated to see it finish. I can't wait for the 2nd book!

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Nov 22, 2011 Melinda rated it 2 of 5 stars

If you're into the damsel-in-distress plot then this might be the book for you. The concept of adding martial arts in the story is so ridiculous that I ended up laughing out loud. I found it hard to read the book page by page and had to skim through most of it. There were a lot of characters in the book so it would take a bit of time to get to know them and decide whether you like them or not.

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Jun 10, 2011 Allie Giordano rated it 5 of 5 stars

Got my hands on an advance review copy of Dark Territory. Currently five chapters away from the end and I cannot put it down! You'll absolutely love Ammiee Banfield & Raphael Kain but you'll hate Maggie Anderson. This book will have you eager for the next book in the series. It's right up there with Twilight.

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About J. Gabriel Gates

Author J. Gabriel Gates is a native of Marshall, Michigan. The son of an English teacher, his passion for the written word began at a young age. During college, another passion – for performing – led him to get his B.A. degree in theater from Florida State University.

During his years in Los Angeles, he appeared in a dozen national TV commercials and penned several screenplays while laying the grou...more

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