Dark Eyes (Dark Eyes, #1)

Jun 03, 2012 Maja rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-favorites, all-the-right-choices, contemporary-fiction, cover-lust, debut-author, favorites, totally-saw-that-coming, ya, all-action, reviewed-in-2012

From the second I first saw Dark Eyes, I knew we were going to be great friends. Everyone in the world liked the Millennium trilogy, so labeling this book as YA version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was a smart move indeed… but fortunately, it’s not just a marketing trick, it has a grain of truth to it.

In her short sixteen years, Valentina Mayakova has lived three very different lives. Shortly after birth, she was abandoned at a Russian orphanage, where she spent her first few years, with...more From the second I first saw Dark Eyes, I knew we were going to be great friends. Everyone in the world liked the Millennium trilogy, so labeling this book as YA version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo was a smart move indeed… but fortunately, it’s not just a marketing trick, it has a grain of truth to it.

In her short sixteen years, Valentina Mayakova has lived three very different lives. Shortly after birth, she was abandoned at a Russian orphanage, where she spent her first few years, with no one but an affectionate cleaning lady to care for her properly. At five, she was adopted by a rich American couple and taken to New York, where she became Wallis Stoneman, a pampered, but aggressive and stubborn girl. By her fifteenth birthday, her parents were already divorced, and Wallis, angry and defiant, left her mother Claire for a life on the streets of New York. Her street family consists of three other people: Ella, Jake, and Trevin. One day, while trying to make a new fake ID, Wally accidentally discovers a letter from her birthmother, with a heartfelt note and a valuable stone, and starts looking for her real mother all over the city. But she’s not the only one looking: her real father has just escaped from a Russian prison and dragged her older brother Tiger to New York to find her mother and the rest of the stones.

Don’t you just love it when someone writes for young adults like they aren’t made of glass? When an author respects that teens can read about something very traumatic and not be overly traumatized themselves? I often think about how patronizing YA authors tend to be toward their audience, but William Richter does not pull back. In Dark Eyes, he doesn’t just gloss over the events that put those kids on the streets. We learn about Ella’s vicious stepfather who used to rape and photograph her until she finally couldn’t take it anymore. We get a glimpse of Jake’s story, his dead parents and sister, and the abuse he had to put up with from his cousins and state appointed guardians. We get to really learn the details about the beaten and murdered meth addict in the morgue. We get bloody action scenes, throats get cut, women get beaten almost to death, and all the while, there is a steady stream of profanities in Russian. (The fun part for me was that Russian and Croatian swear words are almost the same so I chuckled every time Klesko said something particularly juicy.)

Dark Eyes reminded me so much of a Hollywood action movie, which I suppose makes perfect sense since William Harlan Richter is a Hollywood screenwriter. I kept waiting for Bruce Willis to show up, barefoot and in a white sleeveless shirt, and shoot all those wicked Russian mobsters. He didn’t come, but he could have – he would have fit right in.

There is, of course, the small issue of predictability. I knew everything that was going to happen at least fifty pages before it did and I knew which characters were going to die the second they showed up. It didn’t really bother me, however, and I don’t think Richter was aiming to surprise. Dark Eyes is a thrill ride that uses gritty, realistic details of life on the streets to shock and captivate the reader. I hope there's a sequel in the works.

Also posted at The Nocturnal Library
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Nov 17, 2012 Giselle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own, favorites, contemporary, mystery-thriller

When I see a book being compared to another, especially a well loved one such as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I'm always skeptical on how it can actually live up to such a claim. Fast paced and filled with conspiratorial twists, Dark Eyes reminded me of Dragon Tattoo before I actually remembered that it said as much on the blurb.

A rebel roughing it on the street, Wally is trying to locate her biological mother after getting a mysterious envelope containing strange messages as well as an exp...more When I see a book being compared to another, especially a well loved one such as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, I'm always skeptical on how it can actually live up to such a claim. Fast paced and filled with conspiratorial twists, Dark Eyes reminded me of Dragon Tattoo before I actually remembered that it said as much on the blurb.

A rebel roughing it on the street, Wally is trying to locate her biological mother after getting a mysterious envelope containing strange messages as well as an expensive gem. However, someone else, someone very dangerous, is following the same trail. The story immediately begins with a high action murder scene, fastening the book with an ominous vibe. Then we move on to meeting our unusual protagonist- Wally. With incredible confidence and excellent street smarts, Wally is a particularly bad-ass heroine. Her ability to handle herself becomes quite apparent during the many impressive fight scenes throughout the novel. She is not your average teenager and this is the main reason why I enjoyed this so much. At the very start I wasn't too sure how much I would like the story, but it didn't take long until I was truly captivated by the eccentricity of Wally's whole situation.

Russian mob bosses, hidden identities, stolen riches- Dark Eyes has a slew of exciting plot-lines that are sure to enthrall you along with its never-ending twists and non stop action. True originality is not something commonly found in the YA genre nowadays, I was thus thrilled at how Dark Eyes stands out from anything else I've read with its authentic grittiness. Even though the first half left me wondering why Wally would chose a life on the streets in trade of her wealthy home life, by the end of the book I understood the reasoning behind her choices and behavior; showing us how deeply rooted this whole story really is.

Dark Eyes is abrasive, it's fearless, and it's clever. Would I recommend it to everybody? Probably not. I would recommend it for those who like things outside the box. A book in a prose depicting such great detail, you will see the story come alive in front of your eyes. But, also, a book written by an author who is not afraid to take risks and become just a little different.

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Jan 05, 2012 Marg K. rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2-star-rating

First off, I must say that Dark Eyes is definitely not a light, fluffy read. The story is gritty with bloody violence & angsty drama, and the characters are deeply damaged & flawed. There are references to and/or instances of drug use, child abuse, rape, underage sex, and all sorts of illegal activities. There is also some bilingual cussing. Come to think of it, I believe this is a book more suitable for older/mature teens.

Secondly, I have to admit that I had a lot of mixed feelings abou...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Alexa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, early-reviewers, young-adult, debut, 2012-reads, contemp-challenge

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

2.5 stars

Dark Eyes had some pretty shocking moments. Things I did not see coming, especially in the last couple of chapters. But that doesn't mean I was happy with those surprises. In fact, I can't wrap my head around why some secrets were secrets in the first place. It made no sense. I felt like most of the death and sorrow in this book could have been avoided if a certain character was truthful YEARS ago about the identity of Wally's biologica...more

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Mar 29, 2013 Deborah Takahashi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-thriller

Wally is a rebel. In fact, she is such a rebel that she ran away from her wealthy family and decided to live on the streets of Manhattan in search of a place to sleep and find food to eat. As the new leader of her "pack," this rebel becomes a leader where her friends rely on her for everything, which, for Wally, is a great responsibility and burden. Although her friends know that she was adopted, she is not at all the spoiled little rich girl that she should be.Wally was born in Russia, but was...more Wally is a rebel. In fact, she is such a rebel that she ran away from her wealthy family and decided to live on the streets of Manhattan in search of a place to sleep and find food to eat. As the new leader of her "pack," this rebel becomes a leader where her friends rely on her for everything, which, for Wally, is a great responsibility and burden. Although her friends know that she was adopted, she is not at all the spoiled little rich girl that she should be.Wally was born in Russia, but was dropped off at an orphanage.Wally enjoyed living with her bother and sisters and her adopted Babushka (grandmother) and caretaker, Mrs.Ivanoa. Babu would tell Wally all sorts about her mother, which told Wally that she had a mother and didn't need anyone else. However, after the sudden death of a former crew member, Wally is being tracked down by NYPD and the Russian syndicate. Although Wally is a runaway and petty thief, she is not at all who she seems to be; now that the notorious Russian mobster is on the lose, his target is Wally. Meanwhile, after attempting to get a new fake ID, Wally makes her way to Brighton Beach, the Little Moscow of New York, is given an envelope that contains a picture of a man, papers, and a rare stone called Alexandrite. In the same envelope is a letter from Wally's birth mother telling her that she loves her, but they may never reunite because of the bad man in the photo. For Wally, this isn't good enough and she and her crew decide to go looking for her. In their search, not only do the uncover the truth about Wally's mother, but how Wally is the key to this mystery, which leads to a series of deadly events.

In a classic game of cat and mouse, Richter has created a thrilling adventure for teens. For Wally, not only is she searching for herself, she is looking for her mother who has thrust her into some serious trouble. In many ways, readers will feel extremely sympathetic for Wally because not only is she in a mess, she is trying to figure out who her mother is and why she did what she did. In my mind, as I was reading this story, I feel like I have been thrown in to an elaborate Le Femme Nikitia movie where a young girl's life has suddenly taken a dark turn, but instead of working for the government, she is running from the mobsters in search of the truth. Readers are going to get a brief insight to Russian culture, including their mob, which adds the suspense that has building; Wally is in some serious trouble. I really, really enjoyed how Richter incorporated a variety of Russian rhymes and text that not only add to cultural aspect, but serve as clue into Wally's past. As Wally tries to make sense of the clues that have been given to her, we are starting to see the resilience and the power of team work as the whole crew comes together to find the truth about Wally's mom. Lastly, the fact that Wally has extensive knowledge when it comes to guns is just plain awesome. Obviously, readers will know from this fact, just how powerful and strong Wally is, which makes this whole story more exciting.(less)

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Mar 29, 2013 Manja rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kurzbeschreibung:
Ein dunkler Mann mit deinen Augen will dich töten…
Wo ist Yalena Mayakova? Adoptivkind Wally würde alles tun, um ihre leibliche Mutter zu finden. Ein entscheidender Hinweis taucht auf, und gemeinsam mit drei Freunden nimmt Wally die Suche nach Yalena auf. Anscheinend hat auch sie damals den Weg aus Russland nach New York gefunden. Endlich hat Wally eine Spur, der sie folgen kann.
Doch auch ein finsterer Mann mit Wallys Augen folgt dieser Spur, und er ist nicht nur auf der Suche n...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Kimsandara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: okay-read, ya-books, thriller, headstrong-heroines

Cover:

The cover artist did a good job on this one. The cover is the reason why I actually read the book. It's simple yet ery effective and I like the girl's boyish look.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for teens, this debut thriller introduces our next big series heroine!That's the sentence that convinced me even more!

However, after finishing the book I don't really see the similarities between Lysbeth and Wally. Wally is a spoilt brat (perhaps that is the famous "for teens" angle")the only thing...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Lucy rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you’re a fan of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, you’ll love Wally, the ass-kicking teen heroine of this pacy thriller…

This is one of those books that drops you straight in the action and keeps you hooked right to the end. There are hair-raising car chases. There are bloody gun battles. There are tantalising clues, Russian gangsters, underhand precious gem deals, surprising twists and turns, even a dash of romance. And at the centre of it all is Wallis Stoneman, a sassy, ass-kicking teen who...more If you’re a fan of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, you’ll love Wally, the ass-kicking teen heroine of this pacy thriller…

This is one of those books that drops you straight in the action and keeps you hooked right to the end. There are hair-raising car chases. There are bloody gun battles. There are tantalising clues, Russian gangsters, underhand precious gem deals, surprising twists and turns, even a dash of romance. And at the centre of it all is Wallis Stoneman, a sassy, ass-kicking teen who could give Lisbeth Salander a run for her money, just as the hype about the book claims. She wields a firearm with style, knows some bad-ass martial art moves and can wheel and deal with Harlem crime world’s finest. All this and she’s only sixteen! I loved her.

The plot follows the resourceful Wally, helped by her street crew, as she tries to track down her Russian birth mother, with the action set against the grimy background of the New York streets. The author doesn’t shy away from the harsher realities of life there and the violent criminal underworld Wally finds herself coming up against. This was one factor that made the book stand out for me as strong young adult fiction – that there’s no attempt to wrap the reader in cotton wool, and neither are these grim aspects glamorised in any way.

What makes Wally believable as a character is that behind her tough exterior there is a softer, caring side, and a need to belong, shown through the attention she lavishes on her crew and her fierce loyalty to them. There is also a love interest for her which leads to some touching scenes and difficult decisions. But she doesn’t let this distract her from her goal – quite refreshing in a teen heroine!

William Richter is a Hollywood screenwriter and you can definitely see the cinematic influence in the writing, particularly the fast-paced action scenes. But the novel has a deeper side to it too, about the search for a sense of self, and it’s not without humour – the way that Wally leaves NYPD Detective Atley Greer a few steps behind at every turn raised a few smiles for me. I’d like to see him back as an ally for Wally in any future instalments. Though Dark Eyes works as a standalone book, the ending does suggest there could be further adventures for Wallis Stoneman to come – let’s hope there are!(less)

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Sep 03, 2012 Audrey Wilkerson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-books-read, books-reviewed

Ink and Page's Quick & Dirty Review

Rating : 4

The Low Down : Wally is an adopted girl from Russia. She barely remembers anything about her life there, so why is she so angry with her adoptive parents? Deciding to live on the streets with her crew until she figures things out, an encounter sparks an unstoppable trajectory that puts her in the path of mobsters, murder and deception. Who is Wally?

Best Thang ‘Bout It : I loved the Russian angle - the adoption, the story of Wally’s past and her b...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Emma rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dark Eyes is the exciting story of Wallis, an adopted Russian irl, who finds the search for her mother Yalena to be one of revealing discoveries, gunfights and heartbreaking secrets.

While from the outside her life with Claire, a New York realtor, may appear to be almost idyllic the truth is that the past is far too important. The past means more to Wally than the present, and she risks the lives of her street ‘crew’ to try and find out the truth.

Something that becomes clear throughout the book i...more Dark Eyes is the exciting story of Wallis, an adopted Russian irl, who finds the search for her mother Yalena to be one of revealing discoveries, gunfights and heartbreaking secrets.

While from the outside her life with Claire, a New York realtor, may appear to be almost idyllic the truth is that the past is far too important. The past means more to Wally than the present, and she risks the lives of her street ‘crew’ to try and find out the truth.

Something that becomes clear throughout the book is that it all came down to the single alexandrite stone that they sold to a jeweller, without that the entire book would have crashed to a halt. In a way, everything that happened after that is Wally’s fault. Every bullet fired, every tear shed, every drop of blood spilt – without her none of it would have happened. That fact helps to cement her strong character, despite this knowledge, Wally carries on bravely, and is a force to be reckoned with.

The book started off relatively slowly, and reading the first two hundred pages was slow – it seemed to take forever. Then, almost suddenly, it picked up and the pace of the book improved dramatically. It is clear after reading, that that first section of the book is backstory which must be read to allow the drama later on to have true effect. By the end of the book, I was flying through the pages to reach the conclusion and I was not disappointed.

One thing I loved about the book was that no character was sacred. Sometimes they say that to write a good book you must ‘kill your darlings’ and I felt that this was something Richter definitely did. There was a character I had grown attached to, and they suffered in Wally’s place at one stage of the book. It was a turn of events that shocked me, and raised the stakes to a new level.

Wally was a character who at first appears to be strong beyond being able to be broken, but as the book progresses you can see a different side to her. You see the young girl who might lose everything, a girl with dark eyes just like her father.

Just like the man who tries to kill her.

An outstanding read – definitely recommend!(less)

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Jul 19, 2012 Isabella Soares rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read the book Dark Eyes, by William Richter, which follows the life of a 16 year old street kid names Wallis Stoneman, and her “crew” of 3 friends. As a child, she had been adopted by her adoptive mother, Claire, from Russia. After receiving a mysterious package in a Russian neighborhood in the city, Wally begins to search for her biological mother, which just begins a life of danger for her.

I really did like this book, because it was just so unpredictable and kept me interested. The ending e...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Nicole Sobon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

My actual rating: 4.5 Stars

While reading "Dark Eyes", which I really enjoyed, I kept thinking back to Criminal Minds. If you watch Criminal Minds, you know about Emily Prentiss and Ian Doyle, and how she does everything she can to remain hidden from him. The way that Wally's mother takes off to protect her, it reminds me of Prentiss and Doyle; which isn't a bad thing, as I'm a huge Criminal Minds fan.

The story is about a sixteen year old girl named Wally. She was born in Russia, and adopted by a...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Barbara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: abusive-relationships, bullies, death, community, families, ncbla2013

Adopted by an affluent New York family from a Russian orphanage, Wallis Stoneman now lives on the street, compelled by some inner urge to leave the soft life. After a prologue in the orphanage, the novel opens with a street scene that ends up in a murder, leading readers to think that Wally has been killed. The rest of the book involves the sixteen-year-old's attempts to find her birth mother while squatting on properties that haven't yet been sold. There are twists and turns and quite a few sur...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Heather Mcginn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Dark Eyes by William Richter was a solid three-star young adult read. There isn’t too much I can say bad about this novel and conversely there isn’t too much I can say great either, I am afraid. The Story follow, Wally (Valentina) from her life as an Orphan in Russia to her life on the streets of New York city where she is a runaway, squatting with friends in abandoned buildings.

This novel was riddled with typos but it is an ARC so I didn’t judge on that at all. The book was well written in...more Dark Eyes by William Richter was a solid three-star young adult read. There isn’t too much I can say bad about this novel and conversely there isn’t too much I can say great either, I am afraid. The Story follow, Wally (Valentina) from her life as an Orphan in Russia to her life on the streets of New York city where she is a runaway, squatting with friends in abandoned buildings.

This novel was riddled with typos but it is an ARC so I didn’t judge on that at all. The book was well written in a voice that was pleasant and appropriate. This books voice was not at all “dumbed down” for the audience an I really appreciated that. The novel did skip, sporadicly, from one person’s limited point of view to another’s. I found that to be not only confusing but unnecessary and sometimes, a little boring too.

The characters were a bit flat. Especially Wally, who was hard to like. That is probably the number one reason I could so easily set this book down repeatedly and not come back to it for days. Wally is a spoiled rich kid who lives on the streets for seemingly no reason as she doesn’t have the emotional scars as her friends. They are the only ones with any, albeit, small depth. I still don’t understand Wally’s need to run away from home in the first place. She was spoiled rotten and I found it hard to believe that this kid from a rich white family in New York city would suddenly be taken seriously as the leader of a gang of kids who came from violent and destitute situations.

There was a lot of mystery in this novel but I felt that everything happened to easily. Wally and her friends continually stumbled upon clues or figured things out just a bit to easily to be believable. Sometimes, the mysteries became so complex that there is not way Wally could have unraveled them so easily. The way some of the people in the story interconnected was just a bit too convenient for me. (view spoiler)

I also found everything in this novel a bit too predictable. I was disappointed when the big plot twist at the end was what I had assumed since pretty much the start of the novel. There weren’t many surprises in this novel to me. Everything was so obvious from the get go that I really didn’t have that wonderful moment of surprise not even once. (view spoiler)

But the book isn’t terrible and it’s actually sort of enjoyable. It’s just not one of those pick it up and never put it down till you are finished reads. (less)

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Sep 21, 2012 Abby rated it 5 of 5 stars

When I first pulled this book off the shelf I wanted to get it right away. Why? Look at the girl. She looks like a tough, sexy, bad ass, fighter girl and that is exactly what she is. Every part of this book was amazing. Each page pulled me deeper and deeper into the story line. Wallis leaves her mother to live on the streets with her 3 other friends. They sell whatever they have to get anything they can. One thing leads to another and Wallis goes on this quest to find her real Russian mother bec...more

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Sep 12, 2012 Brenna rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Very disappointing. This book started off with so much potential, which, one way or another, it frittered away as the book went on.

These are the things that detracted from my enjoyment:
1. The pacing, which was so up and down that I started to lose confidence that the book would ever make it to the climax. There are two completely random scenes where Wally treats her friends to a nice day that have NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PLOT and yet take up a solid chunk of the book each.
2. In fact, the second o...more Very disappointing. This book started off with so much potential, which, one way or another, it frittered away as the book went on.

These are the things that detracted from my enjoyment:
1. The pacing, which was so up and down that I started to lose confidence that the book would ever make it to the climax. There are two completely random scenes where Wally treats her friends to a nice day that have NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PLOT and yet take up a solid chunk of the book each.
2. In fact, the second of those scenes is my second gripe, because during that scene, Wally sleeps with a friend who's clearly infatuated with her but she showed only minimal interest in. Why? I'll tell you why. So the author could kill this guy off later on and attempt to make the scene all emotional and sad, like, "Oh no, I totally slept with this guy, and even though I don't know whether I like him like that, he gave his life for me, wahhh!!!!" I saw this coming, and it was the beginning of the end for me. You can't fake emotion. You can't force it. You want something real, you don't throw in the stupid Hollywood screenwriter sex scene for "drama." Real is Wally knows this guy likes her, but she doesn't realize how much until he dies for her. That hits home. That's real. Random sex that leaves them both awkward afterward? No. Just no.
3. Because of that, the author lost my trust, and by the time we FINALLY got around to the climax, while Wally's mother was dying, I was like, "Meh. So what?" Of course, that was also because the author had thrown in so many twists at that point--but wait, Johanna is the mother, but wait, Wally's adoptive mother is her real mother, but wait, there's a totally random corrupt government agent suddenly searching for the stones too, but wait, what is Detective Greer doing here? BUT WAIT, Wally's evil brother has suddenly grown a conscience--I would have felt less out of place at a ballroom competition.
4. But what really makes me mad? Klesko, the evil of all evils, who has been killing people left and right this entire book, never mind who those people might be, after he has threatened to kill Wally and her mother even though they're family...oh, this is too good. You'll never believe it. He KNOCKS THE COP--who has just attacked him, mind you--UNCONSCIOUS. That's right, ladies and gentlemen. Klesko's gentle side! His totally out of character, are you f***ing kidding me, solitary act of conscience. I almost closed the book permanently right there, and so close to the end, too.

Basically, the entire thing felt way too manufactured for me. Great concept, strong beginning, but an absolute train wreck from there on out. Disappointed.(less)

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Apr 22, 2012 Mitch rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was just frustrating; I almost gave up a third of the way through because the plot seemed to be written intentionally vaguely, a conspiracy just for the sake of having an elaborate conspiracy. Finally finished it, and while I did get into it for one or two stretches, for something billed as Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for teens, everything falls into place a little too neatly. In fact, everything about this book is too neat, too methodical, too clean.

What do I mean? The first third is...more This book was just frustrating; I almost gave up a third of the way through because the plot seemed to be written intentionally vaguely, a conspiracy just for the sake of having an elaborate conspiracy. Finally finished it, and while I did get into it for one or two stretches, for something billed as Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for teens, everything falls into place a little too neatly. In fact, everything about this book is too neat, too methodical, too clean.

What do I mean? The first third is just a bunch of scenes assembled together solely to give the impression that an elaborate conspiracy’s going on (without explaining what that is, obviously). There’s the clichéd woman going to the morgue to identify her daughter, except it’s not her daughter, scene. There’s the girl being directed to a fake ID seller at ‘random’ and receiving a package there from her biological mother scene (and of course, the girl can speak Russian with a Russian accent even though she hasn’t heard or spoken it since she was six, which I know from personal experience is impossible). And there’s the requisite menacing Russians escaping from a prison camp by shooting their way out scene. All in all, an assault of intentionally assembled scenes purposefully set up to appear random to build up the ‘mystery’. Nothing organic about it at all, not without more breadcrumbs to help connect the dots.

Next comes a parade of pointless characters and bad action scenes. I don’t mean Wally, but I didn’t see the purpose of Jake, Ella, or Tevin at all, for all the words and paragraphs devoted to Jake and Ella, in the end they were singularly useless and played no major role whatsoever – so they get to live. Tevin, who gets to be the black named throwaway character, gets even less character development and back story than the completely useless Jake, even though he’s supposed to be Wally’s love interest. And the one scene with Nick. What? Why bother with a crew, Wally, when you’re going to go it alone anyway? And of course, could you be a little more exciting while you’re at it? I’m reading a scene with Wally and the Russians in a shootout in an office building, and she’s moving from one office to the next, trying to avoid them. Heart pounding, riveting, exciting, right? Nope, I had to fight down the urge to skim along – my description’s more exciting than the actual writing, which was just a methodical recitation of the facts rather than a good, frenetic action scene.

And I finally get to the ending, where how all the supposedly random stuff’s connected is finally explained. Without spoiling anything, while some of it is believable if a little predictable, at least one part (how Wally got her mother’s letter at the beginning) is a big WTF. Really? (view spoiler) And they’re fighting the Russians? At this point, I’m bouncing between one or two stars, heavily leaning towards one star, but in the end I figure, since I actually liked the plot of Wally as a streetwise kid looking for her mother (even if the conspiracy as a whole is ridiculous) and a couple of scenes of either her looking for her mother or the Russians looking for her (and killing people), two stars it is.(less)

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May 02, 2013 Nina (Project Read and Review) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-read, reviewed-on-blog, young-adult, contemporary, fiction, from-library, mystery, unexpected-plot-twist, request

Originally at: http://projectreadandreview.blogspot....

As soon as I read the synopsis for Dark Eyes, I knew I would love it. Russians, badass heroine and a big fat mystery? Um, yes please! Many have said this is a younger version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - I can't compare, because although it's sat on the shelf next to me, I have yet to read it (oops!) But if that is anything as good as this read, then I'd better pick it up soon.

Wally has never known who her real mother and father were...more Originally at: http://projectreadandreview.blogspot....

As soon as I read the synopsis for Dark Eyes, I knew I would love it. Russians, badass heroine and a big fat mystery? Um, yes please! Many have said this is a younger version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - I can't compare, because although it's sat on the shelf next to me, I have yet to read it (oops!) But if that is anything as good as this read, then I'd better pick it up soon.

Wally has never known who her real mother and father were. Adopted at the age of five and brought to America to live with a new family, Wally has always wondered what drove her parents to leaving her - so when the oppurtunity to find her mother arises, how can she say no? However, her parentage isn't exactly what she pictured - it turns out that her escaped-convict father is also looking for her allusive mother. It's a race against the clock - if he finds her before Wally does, she fears she will never find the answers she's looking for.

When I heard that the author, William Richter, was a Hollywood screenwriter, I instantly got my hopes up. We all know those typical Russian gangster movies, right? Violence, drugs, violence, actions, violence, etc.- and that's pretty much what we got! The book had a brilliant fast-pace, and Richter wrote it as if you were battling through the mystery alongside Wally, not just reading it. He never focused too much on the surroundings or appearances, instead concentrating on the action side of things. I was engrossed from the very first page.

The character's also lived up to my expectations. Wally - despite the kind of silly nickname - was actually really badass. She reminded me of a young Natalia Romanova (DC's Black Widow, anyone?); feisty, daring, and ready for a fight at any moment. Klesko, the bad guy, also matched my stereotype - he was big, bad, and actually sent shudders down my spine. He is probably one of the best baddies I have ever come across!

I loved the mystery of it all, trying to guess who Wally's mother was. We were told - SPOILER ALERT! - pretty early on that her mother was someone she knew - so from then on, it was like an interrogation of every female character. And when I found out who it was - well, she was about the last one I would suspect! At one point I did wonder, but I thought maybe that was too obvious - thing is, it wasn't obvious. It was obvious but no one thought it would be that so it wasn't obvious and gah I can't explain it but it was fantastic!

It was like reading a blockbuster, to be honest. I adored the fast-paced action, the intense thrill, the unanswered mystery, and I honestly couldn't get enough of it. If you love crime novels and love thrillers, then go out and get this now!(less)

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Feb 26, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was a very exciting and action-packed story. Wally, Russian orphan and adopted daughter of Claire and Jason Stoneman of New York, left home at age fifteen and is living on the streets with her crew - Tevin, Ella and Jake. She is smart, street savvy, and very angry. She has always wanted to know about her birth mother and goes on a hunt for her. Unfortunately, she isn't the only one hunting because when her mother disappeared she took a valuable stash of alexandrite stones with her. Wally's...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Amanda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I wasn't sure what to expect from Dark Eyes. The blurb was interesting, but it labels the book as a Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for teens? It's nearly impossible to scrub that book so that it's teen friendly -just too much adult content. Then, there's the unexpected author. According to his bio, he's a screenwriter whose best known for writing the documentary episode of HBO's Band of Brothers -kind of interesting transition from that to teen literature. Despite all this obscurity, I decided to g...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Kirsty (overflowing library) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: review-books

I really enjoyed dark eyes for a variety of reasons.

Firstly I loved Wally as a lead character. She is completely kick ass and a really awesome example of a headstrong protagonist. I loved how fiercely loyal she was, how independent she was and how she was able to handle herself in any situation. Quite honestly I cannot wait to see more of her in future books to see how she develops as a character as she starts to build on all the things she has experienced.

I loved the action and pace of this...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Sydney rated it 3 of 5 stars

The last book I consumed was so amazing that I knew it would be a struggle to love the next book I read just as much. Indeed, I think that, for the first half of Dark Eyes, I really did pick at the little things I didn’t like and made them seem (in my head at least) much worse than they were. By the time I finished it though, I decided that it was a pretty solid book.

Wallis Stoneman was born in Russia, but adopted by a wealthy American couple when she was young. Despite the privilege provided to...more The last book I consumed was so amazing that I knew it would be a struggle to love the next book I read just as much. Indeed, I think that, for the first half of Dark Eyes, I really did pick at the little things I didn’t like and made them seem (in my head at least) much worse than they were. By the time I finished it though, I decided that it was a pretty solid book.

Wallis Stoneman was born in Russia, but adopted by a wealthy American couple when she was young. Despite the privilege provided to her, she can’t shake the feeling that she just doesn’t belong in such an environment. Taking to the street, and now sixteen, Wally is sure to stick to close to the few friends she can trust, but when she accidentally stumbles upon a file which could finally allow her to discover the secrets of her past, she finds out that family does not always mean friend, and that some people are not afraid to destroy their own flesh and blood to satisfy greed and desire.

The Good - Touted as the young adult version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, this book should appeal to a wide audience, and the story itself is pretty unique for teen fiction, especially in this dystopian/paranormal/fantasy saturated environment. I thought the story flowed well enough, and the writing style was very typical for thrillers across the board, meaning that lovers of thrillers and adventures, in general, should be pretty pleased with Richter’s offering.

The Bad - The bottom line is, I don’t love thrillers. I like them, but I don’t love them. So while I thought this book was everything it promised to be, I just couldn’t get into it completely. I also don’t particularly enjoy third person or omniscient views, mainly because I hate shifting from one character to another. There is always one storyline in something like this which you enjoy much less than the others, and Dark Eyes was no different. I found myself skimming over the pages about Tiger and Klesko. Also, I couldn’t help thinking that Wally was rather bratty and her relationship with Tevin seemed unnecessary. Oh, and the closing action scenes were a bit too convenient if you ask me. But at least pretty much everything is explained at the end.(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: atbf-2012

I was so excited for this book, but it was a giant letdown. The idea was quite intriguing and the ending was full of unexpected twists, but getting to the ending was a trial. The book follows four different characters: Wally, Atley Greer, and Klesko and Tiger. These characters’ paths cross many times, but they each have different events leading up those points. The author follows Wally up to the events with the other characters, and then randomly inserts what the other characters did before hand...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Josie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I didn't really gel with the writing style. It was too street for me, with all its "The crew rocked up..." or "The gang hustled off..." I just couldn't take it seriously, especially when Wally and Ella were repeatedly described as looking "cool". It's such a subjective thing -- personally, I feel there's no way that ripped smelly clothes, scabby nail polish, and crusted mascara looks cool. But hey, maybe that's just me! I guess there might be people out there who really do envy the way that home...more

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May 12, 2012 Krystel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I was lucky enough to win this book on good reads. This is a first-read for me.

I really enjoyed this book! It is full of action, suspense, death and a bit of gore. It pretty much has everything,and it solidly keeps you on your toes page after page.

The author does a good job of keeping you guessing. Just when you think you have everything pinned down and figured out the story takes a turn and everything you thought you knew, isn't at all the case anymore. The last twenty pages or so had me going:...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Willa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, favorites

At first glance, I wasn't too excited about Dark Eyes, because I didn't like the cover or the title. But then I read the synopsis, and I COULDN'T WAIT! I love thrillers, especially ones with a hint of mystery and majorly conflicted characters. Dark Eyes by passed every one of my expectations and it's now one of my favorites for the year!

Wally is one of those characters who you don't immediately like. I didn't understand why she would trade a life of privilege and wealth for a life on the streets...more

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Aug 11, 2012 Beverley (A Reading Daydreamer) rated it 5 of 5 stars

I wasn't entirely sure what I'd make of Dark Eyes to begin with as it's not the type of book that I'd usually go straight for. The fact that it was written by a Hollywood screenwriter and the intriguing synopsis won me over and I'm glad I didn't turn down the chance to read it.

What I loved most about this book was Wally. She's so tough and kick-ass and the way she doesn't go down without a fight left me with so much admiration for her. We need more strong female protagonists like her! Although I...more I wasn't entirely sure what I'd make of Dark Eyes to begin with as it's not the type of book that I'd usually go straight for. The fact that it was written by a Hollywood screenwriter and the intriguing synopsis won me over and I'm glad I didn't turn down the chance to read it.

What I loved most about this book was Wally. She's so tough and kick-ass and the way she doesn't go down without a fight left me with so much admiration for her. We need more strong female protagonists like her! Although I didn't agree with some of the decisions she made, you can't help but support her in the end. I soon felt like I was 'part' of the crew and I fell for her friends, Tevin, Jake and Ella too. I adored the way they stuck by each other through thick and thin and were like family to each other.

Another factor that I can't not mention is that it moved at such a thrilling pace, with twists and turns slapping me in the face along the way. I have never read a book so dark and so gritty before which only made me love it more. The plot completely engaged me and I was never left bored at all. The action and the thrill that came with it was dealt with superbly by Richter, weaving in and out, casting doubts and leaving my heart racing. There were many parts of the book that had me staying up past midnight, just as desperate as Wally to find answers.

Because of the rush of action and combat, I was surprised to find myself loving the book nonetheless despite the lack of romance. It only featured lightly and disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, although I think a heavy emphasis on romance would have detracted from my enjoyment of the book. Instead, it focussed on family love and the love formed between friendships which was just as enjoyable to read as a hot romance, surprisingly.

And the ending... oh my, the ending. It took me completely by surprise as loose ends were tied together in a heart-stopping, edge-of-the-seat fashion. The shock, the heartbreak, the confusion... just WOW. You need to read it for yourself to experience the sheer horror as events unfold in the book.

Overall, Dark Eyes is a hauntingly thrilling rollercoaster of a read which will have your heart racing as quickly as the fast pace at which the book moves. If you're looking for a book with endless action and a generous supply of twists and turns, look no further.
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Jun 03, 2012 Alyssa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really want there to be a sequel to this book! It was so good, and I loved the twist at the end. I think that Richter really knows how to write.

That being said. This book was not realistic at all. And yes, I know it's fiction, so I probably shouldn't expect it to be super realistic but, you know, some things are just too hard to sallow.

I kind of felt like it was a movie where you're like: "That could never happen. Oh, yeah, only in movies," Except this time, it was a book.

Still, it kept me o...more

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Mar 27, 2012 Sierra rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-worth-the-money

This book reminded me a lot of The Thief Lord, with older characters and without a magic carousel. Wally is kind of like Scipio, in that they both come from good, rich families but prefer life on the streets. Wally, unlike Scipio, has taken fully to street life and has cut almost all ties with her previous life.

The first part of Dark Eyes was actually very good. William Richter did a good job describing how hard Wally and her friends’ lives on the streets while at the same time exploring the se...more

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Aug 06, 2012 Brandi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, 2012-debut-author-challenge, teen, librandian-blog, random-reads-column

Wallis Stoneman knows she was adopted, but that is the extent of her knowledge of her childhood before the Stonemans brought her into their ritzy New York City apartment. What Wallis doesn’t know is that up until the age of 5, she lived in an orphanage in Russia. Now sixteen, Wallis is forever searching for any information about her past.

The life provided her by the Stonemans was soon unfulfilling. Her adoptive father left them when Wallis was younger so now it is just Wallis and her mother. Wa...more Wallis Stoneman knows she was adopted, but that is the extent of her knowledge of her childhood before the Stonemans brought her into their ritzy New York City apartment. What Wallis doesn’t know is that up until the age of 5, she lived in an orphanage in Russia. Now sixteen, Wallis is forever searching for any information about her past.

The life provided her by the Stonemans was soon unfulfilling. Her adoptive father left them when Wallis was younger so now it is just Wallis and her mother. Wallis did not seem to fit into the life of the New York upper-crust. Instead, she spent all of her time on the streets with runaways and homeless teens. Wallis and her crew were not the average street kids. Wallis, along with her friends Tevin, Jake and Ella, refused any involvement with drugs, for recreational use or for profit. They earned money by salvaging materials and fencing them off to various buyers. Aside from managing her crew’s endeavors, Wallis visits an organization known for its vigilant attempts for finding missing people. Wallis knows that her birth mother is out there something and she will stop at nothing to learn to truth behind her adoption.

Wallis’ life was pretty good, by her standards, until one evening when a girl is found murdered with Wallis’ fake ID. This one action begins a massive spiral involving Wallis’ secretive Russian past. When Wallis goes to get a new fake ID, she is given a letter from her birth mother, a photo of a dangerous man, and a precious gem worth thousands of dollars. Her dreams of finding her birth parents turn into vicious, vivid nightmares when she discovers that the scary man from the photo is her father, a powerful Russian mob boss who recently escaped from prison and may be on his way to New York City. Wallis must follow the clues left before her to find her missing birth mother.

Dark Eyes is a non-stop thriller. The author’s bio states that he previously wrote screenplays for TV and film. Richter’s experience shines through in this, his first book. Dark Eyes reads like an action film. Readers will never know what is right and what is misleading. With a noticeable shortage in contemporary teen thrillers recently, Richter’s novel fills the void. Prepare to experience Wallis’ search for truth yourselves. Dark Eyes is unstoppable.
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Dark Eyes (Dark Eyes #1)

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