I had another (much better!) review written at first but Goodreads didn't save it inbetween and when I clicked the star rating it was all gone so I had to rewrite it.

I’m disappointed with Darkest Hour, especially since I didn’t like the 2nd and 3rd book of the series as much as the first one and was hoping this one would be better. The storyline was interesting enough I guess and it promises a few interesting things for the last two books but the last few chapters to be good isn’t enough for a book.

I had so many gripes with this book, mostly with the development of Suze’s character which is something Meg Cabot really disappointed me with.

We get yet another completely psycho guy AND she turns his brother in some little dimwit who apparently never asks first. So is there supposed to be no other okay guy in these books other than “oh-so-godly” Jesse? Don’t get me wrong, I like Jesse but it annoys the heck out of me that we don’t get one other nice guy during the span of four books. There are nice guys out there and not just psychos or the sons of psychos!

But now unto Suze’s character development. It wasn’t there. Instead Suze regressed so much as a character it actually makes me almost sad. She’s stupid, reckless, careless, insensitive and gosh knows what else.

The way she treated Jack, her family, Father Dominic? It’s not acceptable. And HELLO! Just because a girl has the ability to kick some butt doesn’t make her a strong female character. In the first book Suze was a nice fresh breath of air but within four books she turned into a mess.

It started in earlier books, I’m sure, but the way she always demeans herself and talks badly about her body? I know we all have insecurities but come on! And then her incessant blabbering on about designer clothes and that she got items for a good price? WHO THE HECK CARES?
And when she once said that Caitlin must be so jealous and crying inside because she has designer clothes and Caitlin doesn’t? I wanted to slap her in the face. It’s really sad that she defines herself over her clothes and that she only feels good about herself if she has designer clothes on her.

She can’t live her life without the guy she loves by her side, she stops caring about anything at all and thinks her life isn’t worth anything anymore? Is that the message Meg Cabot is trying to convey to her young readers, that a girl’s life isn’t worth anything unless she has a guy/man by her side!?
I can’t even put into her words how angry that makes me.
All the whining Suze did about Jesse in the first 200 pages of the book or so, I couldn’t stand it anymore. If you like the guy do something about it for crying out loud! Or go out with another guy to forget him if you know that you can’t be with Jesse SINCE HE IS A GHOST.

Then the stupid recklessness and carelessness with which she treats her life because of a guy and not thinking things through at all. If you have to do something stupid at least take all problems into account and don’t just jump into action!
It was quite pathetic how 8-year old Jack managed to think of more things than Suze did and was a lot more rational than her.

I’m still going to read the last two books (not just because I own them) because I’m still hoping there might still be some positive character development but I’m not putting much faith into it right now.

Edit: Oh and as intelligent as Suze apparently is, she never ONCE thought of looking up the word querida or ask her teacher, since she's apparently taught Spanish in school? You have got to be kidding me. Way to make things easy on yourself Meg Cabot.