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The Gathering Dark
A mysterious teen boy knows the secrets of Keira’s dangerous hallucinations in this gripping romantic fantasy from the author of Claire de Lune.
Keira’s hallucinating. First it’s a door hovering above the road; then it’s a tree in her living room. But with her parents fighting and her best friend not speaking to her, Keira can’t tell anyone about her breakdown.
Until she meets Walker. They have an electric connection, and somehow he can see the same shadowy images plaguing Keira.
But trusting Walker may be more dangerous than Keira could have ever imagined. The more she confides in him, the more intense—and frightening—her visions become. Because Walker is not what he appears to be. And neither are her visions.
Keira’s hallucinating. First it’s a door hovering above the road; then it’s a tree in her living room. But with her parents fighting and her best friend not speaking to her, Keira can’t tell anyone about her breakdown.
Until she meets Walker. They have an electric connection, and somehow he can see the same shadowy images plaguing Keira.
But trusting Walker may be more dangerous than Keira could have ever imagined. The more she confides in him, the more intense—and frightening—her visions become. Because Walker is not what he appears to be. And neither are her visions.
512 pages, Hardcover
First published February 12, 2013
13 people are currently reading
4794 people want to read
About the author
Christine Johnson
7 books232 followersThere is more than one author with this name
I grew up in, moved away from, and finally came home to Indianapolis, Indiana. While I was in the “away” part of that adventure, I was living in Chicago, Illinois, where I went to DePaul University and met my husband. I majored in Political Science. For the record, Political Science is a totally useless degree. But it’s also totally fascinating and I loved studying it. I fall into that trap a lot. I graduated with about nine million extra credit hours because I was forever taking classes that seemed “interesting” instead of classes that I needed to fill requirements.
After college, I lived in Chicago for several more years with my husband. I had a string of jobs – some I liked, some I hated, but none of them ever stuck with me as a career. Writing is different. For this job, I could be a workaholic! Anyway, after several more years in Chicago, my husband and I moved back to Indianapolis. (We got tired of constantly looking for street parking in Lakeview.)
Now, I live in an old house in an old neighborhood with my husband and kids. I have too many books and a weakness for anything sweet. I love yoga and cooking, but I’m not much of a movie person. I like watching soccer, and always look forward to the first sweater-worthy days in the fall. But mostly, I like making things up and writing them down and having people read them. So, that’s what I do, and I’m very, very lucky to be doing it!
I grew up in, moved away from, and finally came home to Indianapolis, Indiana. While I was in the “away” part of that adventure, I was living in Chicago, Illinois, where I went to DePaul University and met my husband. I majored in Political Science. For the record, Political Science is a totally useless degree. But it’s also totally fascinating and I loved studying it. I fall into that trap a lot. I graduated with about nine million extra credit hours because I was forever taking classes that seemed “interesting” instead of classes that I needed to fill requirements.
After college, I lived in Chicago for several more years with my husband. I had a string of jobs – some I liked, some I hated, but none of them ever stuck with me as a career. Writing is different. For this job, I could be a workaholic! Anyway, after several more years in Chicago, my husband and I moved back to Indianapolis. (We got tired of constantly looking for street parking in Lakeview.)
Now, I live in an old house in an old neighborhood with my husband and kids. I have too many books and a weakness for anything sweet. I love yoga and cooking, but I’m not much of a movie person. I like watching soccer, and always look forward to the first sweater-worthy days in the fall. But mostly, I like making things up and writing them down and having people read them. So, that’s what I do, and I’m very, very lucky to be doing it!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
January 10, 2013
1.5 stars DNF at roughly 200 pages. Probably should have stopped on page 13 at this line:
His eyes were mesmerizing--like watching the gray sheets of rain working their way in from the Atlantic.
His eyes were mesmerizing--like watching the gray sheets of rain working their way in from the Atlantic.
Want to read
July 25, 2012For some reason, I'm wondering how, and why her BEST friend left her. Maybe they got into a best-friend-fight. And Keira got a little ... angry? MAYBE she did something like this ...
Her best friend was probably ... Freaked. Something like this ?
And then we have this Walker, character. Hmm ... I'm picturing a little mysterious, HOTT, of course.
Seems legit. Hallucinations, you say? I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation ...
Just kidding. This book sounds intense, sick, and I'm totally not passing it up. (You shouldn't either! (:)
April 1, 2013
I really didn't care for this book. But I LOVE LOVE LOVE the author.
The Author's Note at the end of the book completely won me over. I can't express how much I adore the fact that she is advocating for the sciences. Though the so-called "science" in this book is complete bullhonky, her note inspiring readers to explore the grand world of physics really made me happy. So for that - much love!
So I did not read the summary or any reviews about this book before I started, and I'm so glad that didn't. Had I known beforehand that this book was about dark matter, I would have been beyond stoked to read it and would have been sorely, sorely disappointed.
As someone who has read quite a lot about physics, I was practically banging my head against the wall in regards to the science in this book. The fact that a young adult book features the concept of dark matter thrills me beyond belief, but I can't help but feel let down by the way it was used in the story. It felt like an add-on. It seemed like an invented fantasy land that had dark matter thrown in to "explain" the alternate dimension. Kind of like how George Lucas decided to throw midichlorians into Star Wars as some sort of attempt at explaining the Force with science. A lame attempt at science does not science fiction make. Just admit that the story is fantasy and that the science doesn't really work. There's nothing wrong with that.
Maybe my expectations for the science in my science fiction are just too high.
This is a huge book, and almost nothing happens until maybe halfway through. Honestly, I was about to put down the book for good when the magic words "dark matter" caught my attention. I just had to keep going in the hopes that the book would do justice to one of my favorite scientific phenomenons. I'm sad to say that I don't believe it did.
But still, kudos for the love of science. And if this book gets young people interested in the sciences and inspires them to pursue knowledge, then it's definitely worth a read!
But anywho - if you don't plan on reading the book or are just curious about the science involved, here is a SPOILER FILLED run-down (seriously guys, this is like hella major spoils so don't click if you plan to read the book):
The Author's Note at the end of the book completely won me over. I can't express how much I adore the fact that she is advocating for the sciences. Though the so-called "science" in this book is complete bullhonky, her note inspiring readers to explore the grand world of physics really made me happy. So for that - much love!
So I did not read the summary or any reviews about this book before I started, and I'm so glad that didn't. Had I known beforehand that this book was about dark matter, I would have been beyond stoked to read it and would have been sorely, sorely disappointed.
As someone who has read quite a lot about physics, I was practically banging my head against the wall in regards to the science in this book. The fact that a young adult book features the concept of dark matter thrills me beyond belief, but I can't help but feel let down by the way it was used in the story. It felt like an add-on. It seemed like an invented fantasy land that had dark matter thrown in to "explain" the alternate dimension. Kind of like how George Lucas decided to throw midichlorians into Star Wars as some sort of attempt at explaining the Force with science. A lame attempt at science does not science fiction make. Just admit that the story is fantasy and that the science doesn't really work. There's nothing wrong with that.
Maybe my expectations for the science in my science fiction are just too high.
This is a huge book, and almost nothing happens until maybe halfway through. Honestly, I was about to put down the book for good when the magic words "dark matter" caught my attention. I just had to keep going in the hopes that the book would do justice to one of my favorite scientific phenomenons. I'm sad to say that I don't believe it did.
But still, kudos for the love of science. And if this book gets young people interested in the sciences and inspires them to pursue knowledge, then it's definitely worth a read!
But anywho - if you don't plan on reading the book or are just curious about the science involved, here is a SPOILER FILLED run-down (seriously guys, this is like hella major spoils so don't click if you plan to read the book):
Want to read
June 21, 2012Reading the synopsis, looking at the beautiful cover...
Also, I may be a little addicted to gifs. Just a little. Just a teeny weeny bit.
Also, I may be a little addicted to gifs. Just a little. Just a teeny weeny bit.
July 6, 2013
1.5 stars. The Gathering Dark, unfortunately, did not seem to wow! me, and here's why:
◦ Crap characters.
◦ Crap world building.
◦ Crap plot.
Keira has a natural affinity with music — more specifically, with her piano. After she meets the alluring and enigmatic Walker, she feels an instant connection: something otherworldly ... literally. With dark visions haunting her at every curve, Keira realizes she is something much more than human, and if she is to live, she must uncover the secret that could save us all.
I will admit, the premise sounded BAD ASS. Totally a Hermione-type-of-book. Dark matter? Alternate dimension? On the run? Sign me up!
The idea was excellent. However, the characters, the world building, and the plot was executed poorly. I didn't much like Keira; I couldn't connect with her. Nor was Walker swoon-worthy; he was actually very plain and very much a John Doe in terms of YA literature. Johnson could've done a much better job wasting the first fifty pages with introducing us to this "Dark World" rather than showing us some stupid sexual tension. And the plot? What plot? It was all right. Twists and turns? Were they there? Did I expect them? Did I enjoy them?
No. No. Yes. No.
All in all, nothing new in YA literature and definitely something you could pass up. The writing was boring, the characters you couldn't connect with, and the plot was straightforward. I give it a 1 star for it being a published novel, and a .5 star rating to Thank Goodness It's a Standalone.
◦ Crap characters.
◦ Crap world building.
◦ Crap plot.
Keira has a natural affinity with music — more specifically, with her piano. After she meets the alluring and enigmatic Walker, she feels an instant connection: something otherworldly ... literally. With dark visions haunting her at every curve, Keira realizes she is something much more than human, and if she is to live, she must uncover the secret that could save us all.
I will admit, the premise sounded BAD ASS. Totally a Hermione-type-of-book. Dark matter? Alternate dimension? On the run? Sign me up!
The idea was excellent. However, the characters, the world building, and the plot was executed poorly. I didn't much like Keira; I couldn't connect with her. Nor was Walker swoon-worthy; he was actually very plain and very much a John Doe in terms of YA literature. Johnson could've done a much better job wasting the first fifty pages with introducing us to this "Dark World" rather than showing us some stupid sexual tension. And the plot? What plot? It was all right. Twists and turns? Were they there? Did I expect them? Did I enjoy them?
No. No. Yes. No.
All in all, nothing new in YA literature and definitely something you could pass up. The writing was boring, the characters you couldn't connect with, and the plot was straightforward. I give it a 1 star for it being a published novel, and a .5 star rating to Thank Goodness It's a Standalone.
September 21, 2013
* spoiler alert *
Best book i've read so far from all the others. I couldn't put it down for a minuet! <3 The ending was so realistic, and the fact that her dad, pike couldn't come with them, just showed how real the book seemed, because it shows that not everybody can have what they want and that there is an opportunity cost for every move that she takes.
The fact that the wold had music as its religion, or its culture showed why she was so obsessed with her piano without knowing why, and how it takes all her problems away.
A MUST READ, this book is the meaning of happiness.
Best book i've read so far from all the others. I couldn't put it down for a minuet! <3 The ending was so realistic, and the fact that her dad, pike couldn't come with them, just showed how real the book seemed, because it shows that not everybody can have what they want and that there is an opportunity cost for every move that she takes.
The fact that the wold had music as its religion, or its culture showed why she was so obsessed with her piano without knowing why, and how it takes all her problems away.
A MUST READ, this book is the meaning of happiness.
January 12, 2013
What really disappointed me was that the synopsis says nothing about a piano. Nope, nothing at all. But that's what the story is mainly about, Keira seeing things and her beloved piano. And I don't really like books where the main character is obsessed with music. So yeah, THE GATHERING DARK was pretty boring for me.
Read Full Review on Iceybooks
Read Full Review on Iceybooks
July 25, 2025
I cannot tell you how happy and how I angry I am about this book. Happy that I'm finally done with it. Angry that I wasted days reading the longest 512 pages. In. My. Life.
This book was so bad that I had to make a new shelf for it. The "just effing horrible" shelf- yeah that was not there five minutes ago. But how could I let this book just sit around not properly shelved. At least now, with my new and self explanatory shelf, this piece of shite is where it belongs.
I want to tell you everything that was horrible about this book, but it may take me days and you most likely will get uninterested so then you will miss all of the horrible things about this book! SO!! In order to keep it brief and keep you entertained while still taking in the warning I am telling you about this book! I shall begin!
First off. The main character. Now I've read the perspective A LOT of bad and horribly dull main characters. But Keira Brannon absolutely takes the fucking cake. Just kidding. She takes the whole bakery. This girl was terribly cliched. (Beyond this book being one giant cliche) Keira is described to be "prideful", "quiet and introverted", "strong", "stubborn", and "humbly beautiful"
OH WOW. WHERE HAS ANYONE NOT SEEN ONE OF THOSE girls. Except with Keira, while other girls are endearing and cute about their cliched personalities, Keira was just annoying that I literally wanted to stab her. When someone's trying to pay for something, she stubbornly refuses profusely to the point where she's COMPLAINING about how much pride she has. and when someone just saved her life, she can't just fucking say thank you. Noooo she has to say "well I don't really want to be the damsel in distress".
Then beyond Keira- there is Christine Johnson. The author. The author who is unbelievable to think that she can actually get away with writing something so tedious and expect it to be a great hit. No. I'm sorry Christine. Hate to fucking piss all over your morning breakfast. But it does not work like that. When you have AWKWARD WRITING. INSENSIBLE SIMILES. STRANGE DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHARACTERS (no really... after reading this, I somewhat believe that Christine Johnson has not had human interaction in some twenty+ years as it's understood she doesn't know how people talk to each other) HORRIBLE DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS. NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. STALE AND MEANINGLESS PROTAGONISTS. CHUNKY SENTENCE STRUCTURES. AND CHAPTERS THAT ARE JUST A LONG AND ARDUOUS TREK FORWARD
No. No your book will most definitely NOT be successful.
And no I do not want to overuse my review with gifs to further perspective- so let me give you some examples of just the crappiest writing that I've encountered in a very long time.
"The oily-smooth voice cracked her focus like an egg smashing against a windowpane
Oh god. And guess where this example is found? On the first page. This did not comfort me and my doubts about continuing to read, but I was intrigued by the synopsis given... And so results- I was lied to.
""Fancy meeting you here," he said, light as spun sugar and nearly as sweet."
"Then the nightmare wouldn't be a nightmare anymore. It would be real." Oh lord -___- Are you for real?
""Keira?" Jeremy's face was pink as an Easter ham...
Oh? Okay?? My what as sight? I suppose??
"She crossed over so quickly that it hurt. It was like she'd been shoved through a meat slicer..."
Oh god, don't you just hate it when THAT happens?
""After everything we've been through, the way I feel when I look at you, when I think about losing you--" Walker shook his head. "I don't know WHAT we are. I don't know that there's even a word for it. not in either of our worlds. But I do know that it's a hell of a lot more than a boyfriend.""
Come on now. Are there really no boyfriends out there that love their girlfriends? Do boyfriends just call themselves boyfriends while asking their girlfriends to make them a sammich as they're digging through the contents of their belly button? Unaware of any reasons why they are boyfriends?
What the hell does Johnson think a boyfriend is? and what a boyfriend can and cannot be.
Beyond my problem with the author... and unsure of how she even decided to become one in the first place as she decided to just share her weird similes, that don't work because no one can relate to them (have you ever been shoved in a meat slicer?) with the unprepared world. No beyond that, I also just had a problem with the story's plot.
In reviews below and above, countless people say that the idea of "dark matter" is interesting and intriguing... Well... to really save you-- I would just like to tell you that it's not. IN the reality of things, in this book, there's next to no explanation of any dark matter in any anatomically correct way having to do with physics or chemistry and how that affected the story line. "Dark matter" is a phrased thrown around, but the author didn't do her research, and she didn't think that maybe she can't just put a topic in a story- as one of the bigger plot ideas- with no constructive evidence and just expect it to stand on its own.
The idea of a dark mattered world layered over the human world. That's intriguing. But if only it was actually explained upon and delved into- then maybe I could have gotten into it more and this book would have deserved a higher ranking. but it wasn't. And I was disappointed.
Then, moving on, lets break down the summary given, shall we? Here is what you are told:
A mysterious teen boy knows the secrets of Keira’s dangerous hallucinations in this gripping romantic fantasy from the author of Claire de Lune.
Keira’s hallucinating. First it’s a door hovering above the road; then it’s a tree in her living room. But with her parents fighting and her best friend not speaking to her, Keira can’t tell anyone about her breakdown.
Until she meets Walker. They have an electric connection, and somehow he can see the same shadowy images plaguing Keira.
But trusting Walker may be more dangerous than Keira could have ever imagined. The more she confides in him, the more intense—and frightening—her visions become. Because Walker is not what he appears to be. And neither are her visions
SOunds interesting no? But here is what is actually hiding slyly behind such beautiful covers.
1) Keira did not want to tell anyone about her images that she was seeing. She didn't even want to tell herself as her stubbornness just chalked it up to her weird habits of not sleeping, playing the piano like a drug addict abuses crack, and not eating enough sustenance to, I don't know, live. So it's not like she was really all alone and trapped in her own disturbing and otherworldly troubles-- definitely not how it's made to seem that way.
2) Walker and Keira do not have an electric connection Their "love story" was barely developed (really they just meet, talk some, and bam they are just instantly ready to hump each other). How they met was that they literally cracked each other's skulls as they banged into one another reaching to pick up music fallen to the ground. And then after that they only saw each other a couple times as Keira didn't want to start a relationship with anyone as she had to practice her piano, I then fathomed why Keira even liked Walker and vice versa. Walker described Keira as "beautiful beyond belief" but how is the audience supposed to understand that when we are even withheld from seeing what Keira truly looks like. The most we can assume is that she has red hair and is pale. (that's original) So unlike what we are thought to believe as we read this book's summary with innocent curiosity, Walker and Keira aren't electrically connecting. In fact... they are as connecting as two bricks. Just sitting there... being their brick selves.
3) The intrigue builds up to nothing. Honestly the whole batch of eye- catchers like "Walker is not who he seems to be! and neither are these hallucinations!" and "Walker may be more trouble the Keira expected!" they are diluted with the fact that this much excitement- from the summary- is more than you will get from the entire book. The entire book who's shockers, are not so shocking, but really 100% predictable, and who's cliff hangers are "Oh no! But that voice sounded oh so so so familiar!" and "and gasp. Then I was falling!"
Thanks summary for getting my hopes up. Just thanks.
And so because I said this review would be brief (in comparison to all what I wanted to say) I would like to tell you that I do not recommend this book- but if you are truly interested in reading it, even after reading this review. I tell you to read it at your own discretion and be prepared to set aside some heavy break times from daily life as this book. Well... It's hefty. And if you are still really faithful to this book? Remember to push through the first 300 pages or so. It's a long trek but boy it sure is worth it ... the scenery is pretty ... it... It just shows how tough you are!! Rock on.
This book was so bad that I had to make a new shelf for it. The "just effing horrible" shelf- yeah that was not there five minutes ago. But how could I let this book just sit around not properly shelved. At least now, with my new and self explanatory shelf, this piece of shite is where it belongs.
I want to tell you everything that was horrible about this book, but it may take me days and you most likely will get uninterested so then you will miss all of the horrible things about this book! SO!! In order to keep it brief and keep you entertained while still taking in the warning I am telling you about this book! I shall begin!
First off. The main character. Now I've read the perspective A LOT of bad and horribly dull main characters. But Keira Brannon absolutely takes the fucking cake. Just kidding. She takes the whole bakery. This girl was terribly cliched. (Beyond this book being one giant cliche) Keira is described to be "prideful", "quiet and introverted", "strong", "stubborn", and "humbly beautiful"
OH WOW. WHERE HAS ANYONE NOT SEEN ONE OF THOSE girls. Except with Keira, while other girls are endearing and cute about their cliched personalities, Keira was just annoying that I literally wanted to stab her. When someone's trying to pay for something, she stubbornly refuses profusely to the point where she's COMPLAINING about how much pride she has. and when someone just saved her life, she can't just fucking say thank you. Noooo she has to say "well I don't really want to be the damsel in distress".
Then beyond Keira- there is Christine Johnson. The author. The author who is unbelievable to think that she can actually get away with writing something so tedious and expect it to be a great hit. No. I'm sorry Christine. Hate to fucking piss all over your morning breakfast. But it does not work like that. When you have AWKWARD WRITING. INSENSIBLE SIMILES. STRANGE DIALOGUE BETWEEN CHARACTERS (no really... after reading this, I somewhat believe that Christine Johnson has not had human interaction in some twenty+ years as it's understood she doesn't know how people talk to each other) HORRIBLE DESCRIPTION OF CHARACTERS. NO CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. STALE AND MEANINGLESS PROTAGONISTS. CHUNKY SENTENCE STRUCTURES. AND CHAPTERS THAT ARE JUST A LONG AND ARDUOUS TREK FORWARD
No. No your book will most definitely NOT be successful.
And no I do not want to overuse my review with gifs to further perspective- so let me give you some examples of just the crappiest writing that I've encountered in a very long time.
"The oily-smooth voice cracked her focus like an egg smashing against a windowpane
Oh god. And guess where this example is found? On the first page. This did not comfort me and my doubts about continuing to read, but I was intrigued by the synopsis given... And so results- I was lied to.
""Fancy meeting you here," he said, light as spun sugar and nearly as sweet."
"Then the nightmare wouldn't be a nightmare anymore. It would be real." Oh lord -___- Are you for real?
""Keira?" Jeremy's face was pink as an Easter ham...
Oh? Okay?? My what as sight? I suppose??
"She crossed over so quickly that it hurt. It was like she'd been shoved through a meat slicer..."
Oh god, don't you just hate it when THAT happens?
""After everything we've been through, the way I feel when I look at you, when I think about losing you--" Walker shook his head. "I don't know WHAT we are. I don't know that there's even a word for it. not in either of our worlds. But I do know that it's a hell of a lot more than a boyfriend.""
Come on now. Are there really no boyfriends out there that love their girlfriends? Do boyfriends just call themselves boyfriends while asking their girlfriends to make them a sammich as they're digging through the contents of their belly button? Unaware of any reasons why they are boyfriends?
What the hell does Johnson think a boyfriend is? and what a boyfriend can and cannot be.
Beyond my problem with the author... and unsure of how she even decided to become one in the first place as she decided to just share her weird similes, that don't work because no one can relate to them (have you ever been shoved in a meat slicer?) with the unprepared world. No beyond that, I also just had a problem with the story's plot.
In reviews below and above, countless people say that the idea of "dark matter" is interesting and intriguing... Well... to really save you-- I would just like to tell you that it's not. IN the reality of things, in this book, there's next to no explanation of any dark matter in any anatomically correct way having to do with physics or chemistry and how that affected the story line. "Dark matter" is a phrased thrown around, but the author didn't do her research, and she didn't think that maybe she can't just put a topic in a story- as one of the bigger plot ideas- with no constructive evidence and just expect it to stand on its own.
The idea of a dark mattered world layered over the human world. That's intriguing. But if only it was actually explained upon and delved into- then maybe I could have gotten into it more and this book would have deserved a higher ranking. but it wasn't. And I was disappointed.
Then, moving on, lets break down the summary given, shall we? Here is what you are told:
A mysterious teen boy knows the secrets of Keira’s dangerous hallucinations in this gripping romantic fantasy from the author of Claire de Lune.
Keira’s hallucinating. First it’s a door hovering above the road; then it’s a tree in her living room. But with her parents fighting and her best friend not speaking to her, Keira can’t tell anyone about her breakdown.
Until she meets Walker. They have an electric connection, and somehow he can see the same shadowy images plaguing Keira.
But trusting Walker may be more dangerous than Keira could have ever imagined. The more she confides in him, the more intense—and frightening—her visions become. Because Walker is not what he appears to be. And neither are her visions
SOunds interesting no? But here is what is actually hiding slyly behind such beautiful covers.
1) Keira did not want to tell anyone about her images that she was seeing. She didn't even want to tell herself as her stubbornness just chalked it up to her weird habits of not sleeping, playing the piano like a drug addict abuses crack, and not eating enough sustenance to, I don't know, live. So it's not like she was really all alone and trapped in her own disturbing and otherworldly troubles-- definitely not how it's made to seem that way.
2) Walker and Keira do not have an electric connection Their "love story" was barely developed (really they just meet, talk some, and bam they are just instantly ready to hump each other). How they met was that they literally cracked each other's skulls as they banged into one another reaching to pick up music fallen to the ground. And then after that they only saw each other a couple times as Keira didn't want to start a relationship with anyone as she had to practice her piano, I then fathomed why Keira even liked Walker and vice versa. Walker described Keira as "beautiful beyond belief" but how is the audience supposed to understand that when we are even withheld from seeing what Keira truly looks like. The most we can assume is that she has red hair and is pale. (that's original) So unlike what we are thought to believe as we read this book's summary with innocent curiosity, Walker and Keira aren't electrically connecting. In fact... they are as connecting as two bricks. Just sitting there... being their brick selves.
3) The intrigue builds up to nothing. Honestly the whole batch of eye- catchers like "Walker is not who he seems to be! and neither are these hallucinations!" and "Walker may be more trouble the Keira expected!" they are diluted with the fact that this much excitement- from the summary- is more than you will get from the entire book. The entire book who's shockers, are not so shocking, but really 100% predictable, and who's cliff hangers are "Oh no! But that voice sounded oh so so so familiar!" and "and gasp. Then I was falling!"
Thanks summary for getting my hopes up. Just thanks.
And so because I said this review would be brief (in comparison to all what I wanted to say) I would like to tell you that I do not recommend this book- but if you are truly interested in reading it, even after reading this review. I tell you to read it at your own discretion and be prepared to set aside some heavy break times from daily life as this book. Well... It's hefty. And if you are still really faithful to this book? Remember to push through the first 300 pages or so. It's a long trek but boy it
January 26, 2023
-NO SPOILERS-
So… so…. Ok. WARNING: If you hated Twilight, you WILL hate this book more. Funny thing is, I loved Twilight. I still do.
ANYWAYS— so the premise was sort of interesting. Sort of. This was like a bad blend of ‘If I Stay” and “Only a Monster.” Both of these books I would recommend ten times over before I got to this one.
Mostly this book just took forever to get going, she finally realized something paranormal was going on like half way through the book! And she didn’t even suspect mystery boy’s involvement until AFTER.
It was just such a small book that I decided to power through… but oh my God, around 70% was where everything went down hill. Objective got lost in the info dump, I either knew way too much or far too little of the plot and… yeah, yikes.
Also very similarly to Twilight, there is a huge gap between the human world, the bridging MC, and the paranormal.
Like while we are fighting off other world bounty hunters— the next door douche canoe is trying to get in her pants. None of it clicked right. Not to mention my main guy, Walker? Yeah, huge red flags. This was WORSE than Edward Cullen.
Anyone who knows anything about WHY I like Twilight— they know it’s not because I am in favor of such a toxic relationship. It’s because I’m a PNW gal who loves her some paranormal prose.
This just didn’t hit all the right notes for me… however, not a huge loss, I thrifted this book for around 50 cents. So honestly unless someone hands you a free copy, and you are willing to over look some failed teenage perspectives, don’t go GET this book. However it did the job and filled in the gap in my good reads quota.
A big positive for this book would have to be the inner dialogue, I honestly highlighted so many clever phrases that I will FOR CERTAIN be going back to. But that honestly might be the only thing saving this book from becoming kindling.
I-just-wanted-a-vampire-bruh,
-Snickety
So… so…. Ok. WARNING: If you hated Twilight, you WILL hate this book more. Funny thing is, I loved Twilight. I still do.
ANYWAYS— so the premise was sort of interesting. Sort of. This was like a bad blend of ‘If I Stay” and “Only a Monster.” Both of these books I would recommend ten times over before I got to this one.
Mostly this book just took forever to get going, she finally realized something paranormal was going on like half way through the book! And she didn’t even suspect mystery boy’s involvement until AFTER.
It was just such a small book that I decided to power through… but oh my God, around 70% was where everything went down hill. Objective got lost in the info dump, I either knew way too much or far too little of the plot and… yeah, yikes.
Also very similarly to Twilight, there is a huge gap between the human world, the bridging MC, and the paranormal.
Like while we are fighting off other world bounty hunters— the next door douche canoe is trying to get in her pants. None of it clicked right. Not to mention my main guy, Walker? Yeah, huge red flags. This was WORSE than Edward Cullen.
Anyone who knows anything about WHY I like Twilight— they know it’s not because I am in favor of such a toxic relationship. It’s because I’m a PNW gal who loves her some paranormal prose.
This just didn’t hit all the right notes for me… however, not a huge loss, I thrifted this book for around 50 cents. So honestly unless someone hands you a free copy, and you are willing to over look some failed teenage perspectives, don’t go GET this book. However it did the job and filled in the gap in my good reads quota.
A big positive for this book would have to be the inner dialogue, I honestly highlighted so many clever phrases that I will FOR CERTAIN be going back to. But that honestly might be the only thing saving this book from becoming kindling.
I-just-wanted-a-vampire-bruh,
-Snickety
August 8, 2019
Keira's life is literally split in two when she meets Walker and he reveals "Darkside" a completely different reality running alongside ours.
It's not by chance that she meets Walker, turns out he's been searching for her for a while but not for the reason she hoped.
Finding herself drawn closer to Walker, her dreams start to slip away as she's forced to go on the run from enemies she didn't even know she had.
I found this book drew me in immediately as it's great to read a protagonist who is so determined. Keira's only focus is her piano and getting to Julliard which I could admire. However, it felt like it took too long to for the plot to get going. I enjoyed reading about Keria and Walker's relationship as it started but did feel like that became too big a focus. Although Walker respect of Keira's desire to play her piano and accepting that he's not her number one priority took me by surprise.
Overall, this book was fun to read with its quirky plot and characters.
It's not by chance that she meets Walker, turns out he's been searching for her for a while but not for the reason she hoped.
Finding herself drawn closer to Walker, her dreams start to slip away as she's forced to go on the run from enemies she didn't even know she had.
I found this book drew me in immediately as it's great to read a protagonist who is so determined. Keira's only focus is her piano and getting to Julliard which I could admire. However, it felt like it took too long to for the plot to get going. I enjoyed reading about Keria and Walker's relationship as it started but did feel like that became too big a focus. Although Walker respect of Keira's desire to play her piano and accepting that he's not her number one priority took me by surprise.
Overall, this book was fun to read with its quirky plot and characters.
July 12, 2023
Even though it was a bit slow in the beginning it got intense halfway. Good read!
August 25, 2025
Bookshelf weeding
August 4, 2020
DNF. Page 100.
This book was such an easy read that I thought about reading the whole thing just to see what happens but in the end, I really didn’t care.
The writing is so young and cliche. The main character is boring, the guy I would assume she falls for is too perfect and all the problems that take place in the book I’ve read about a hundred times before in other YAs.
I gave it 2 stars because it didn’t suck, it was just too young of a read for me.
This book was such an easy read that I thought about reading the whole thing just to see what happens but in the end, I really didn’t care.
The writing is so young and cliche. The main character is boring, the guy I would assume she falls for is too perfect and all the problems that take place in the book I’ve read about a hundred times before in other YAs.
I gave it 2 stars because it didn’t suck, it was just too young of a read for me.
September 4, 2019
Overall, this is an easy YA read with some good tension and a nice romantic interest. The plot is a little formulaic as in you can pretty easily identify the story beats. "Ah, here's the part where the protagonist has lost all hope." "Here is the moment of the first big twist!" But the twists themselves were enjoyable.
As to the things that other readers have complained about (the emphasis on Keira's piano playing and the scientific explanation), I found that these did not bother me. I quite liked that a person who was supposed to be obsessed with the piano was, in fact, obsessed with her piano. We also actually see her practicing, which is better than some other YA heroines in recent memory. (Looking at you, America from The Selection.) The explanation for Keira's visions rang hollow for some, but I was fine with it. In retrospect, it may have benefited the author to instead just ignore the real-world explanation and instead just treat it as the rule of this book's universe.
The romance was fine for me. The "love at first sight" trope didn't bother me as it felt like something a teenager would do. Also, the "love scenes" are amusing to me. The author substitutes "making out" for sex. Granted, there seems to be an age difference between our two leads, and our heroine is underage, so it's for the best that the author decided not to go there. Good job, Johnson.
There are things that could be improved story-wise.
As to the things that other readers have complained about (the emphasis on Keira's piano playing and the scientific explanation), I found that these did not bother me. I quite liked that a person who was supposed to be obsessed with the piano was, in fact, obsessed with her piano. We also actually see her practicing, which is better than some other YA heroines in recent memory. (Looking at you, America from The Selection.) The explanation for Keira's visions rang hollow for some, but I was fine with it. In retrospect, it may have benefited the author to instead just ignore the real-world explanation and instead just treat it as the rule of this book's universe.
The romance was fine for me. The "love at first sight" trope didn't bother me as it felt like something a teenager would do. Also, the "love scenes" are amusing to me. The author substitutes "making out" for sex. Granted, there seems to be an age difference between our two leads, and our heroine is underage, so it's for the best that the author decided not to go there. Good job, Johnson.
There are things that could be improved story-wise.
January 14, 2016
This and other reviews can be found on The Psychotic Nerd
MY THOUGHTS
I've been wanting to read this book for such a long time and I'm glad to say I was not disappointed!
The book follows Kiera, who is pretty normal, though she is a piano prodigy. She knows what she's doing with her life and she knows how to get there. Then she begins having strange hallucinations. A doorway in the middle of the street, a tree in her livingroom, these hallucinations begin to distract her and she feels like she's going crazy. But a boy working at her favorite music store, might actually know what's going on. And when the hallucinations become more real and dangerous, she needs all the help she can get.
This book is very similar to the book The Dark Light. In the way of the general plot, they are completely different, but they both include the theme of dark and light I loved the theme and the idea behind this book so much! One, it includes And the plot is so unique, fantastical, and thrilling! It takes awhile for any questions to be answered, but I was constantly on-the-edge waiting to see what would happen! It's hard for me to elaborate on anything, due to spoilers, but the book does take a surprising and very thrilling turn.
The romance does seem quick, but it is not an insta-love. There's an instant attraction. When Kiera first sees Walker, music store boy, she thinks he's hot which is pretty normal! I thought they made a really nice couple and, by the end, I was shipping them!
IN CONCLUSION
This was a very surprising read! I did have a few problems with the length, but I loved everything else about this book! This is the first book that I've read by this author, but I will definitely be looking into more books by this author!
MY THOUGHTS
I've been wanting to read this book for such a long time and I'm glad to say I was not disappointed!
The book follows Kiera, who is pretty normal, though she is a piano prodigy. She knows what she's doing with her life and she knows how to get there. Then she begins having strange hallucinations. A doorway in the middle of the street, a tree in her livingroom, these hallucinations begin to distract her and she feels like she's going crazy. But a boy working at her favorite music store, might actually know what's going on. And when the hallucinations become more real and dangerous, she needs all the help she can get.
This book is very similar to the book The Dark Light. In the way of the general plot, they are completely different, but they both include the theme of dark and light I loved the theme and the idea behind this book so much! One, it includes And the plot is so unique, fantastical, and thrilling! It takes awhile for any questions to be answered, but I was constantly on-the-edge waiting to see what would happen! It's hard for me to elaborate on anything, due to spoilers, but the book does take a surprising and very thrilling turn.
The romance does seem quick, but it is not an insta-love. There's an instant attraction. When Kiera first sees Walker, music store boy, she thinks he's hot which is pretty normal! I thought they made a really nice couple and, by the end, I was shipping them!
IN CONCLUSION
This was a very surprising read! I did have a few problems with the length, but I loved everything else about this book! This is the first book that I've read by this author, but I will definitely be looking into more books by this author!
February 8, 2013
I received "The Gathering Dark" by Christine Johnson through the Goodreads Giveaway contests. The ARC I received featured a plain blue cover with the title and author's name and 498 pages in length, not the final cover with the girl on the front and 512 pages long. "The Gathering Dark" was so good that I want to get the final version just to see what I missed in the extra 14 pages.
The story of Keira, a girl who knows what she wants and wants nothing to get in the way of her reaching her goals, finds her world twisted by "hallucinations" that she cannot understand. There is a door hovering in the street, shadows across the new boy's skin, a living tree in her living room just to mention the beginning. Keira is plunged into an unbelievable world, another existance, that she never knew about, only to find out that she is the key to its' survival. "The Gathering Dark" is full of suspense, action, fantasy and a little romance as well. The twists and turns keep the reader glued to the turn of the page. The well written characters entreat the reader to sympathize with their plight, to join in their journey and ride the emotional roller coaster of ups and downs in this wonderful coming of age tale.
The reason I noted this story as only 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the sporadic use of foul language, a pet peeve of mine. The language was unnecessary and a distraction to the overall entertainment value of the fantastic tale.
The story of Keira, a girl who knows what she wants and wants nothing to get in the way of her reaching her goals, finds her world twisted by "hallucinations" that she cannot understand. There is a door hovering in the street, shadows across the new boy's skin, a living tree in her living room just to mention the beginning. Keira is plunged into an unbelievable world, another existance, that she never knew about, only to find out that she is the key to its' survival. "The Gathering Dark" is full of suspense, action, fantasy and a little romance as well. The twists and turns keep the reader glued to the turn of the page. The well written characters entreat the reader to sympathize with their plight, to join in their journey and ride the emotional roller coaster of ups and downs in this wonderful coming of age tale.
The reason I noted this story as only 4 stars instead of 5 is due to the sporadic use of foul language, a pet peeve of mine. The language was unnecessary and a distraction to the overall entertainment value of the fantastic tale.
March 1, 2014
This is a really good book, fast-moving and hard to put down. Keira's drive towards music is easy to relate to. It is very common for girls with a plan for their future to worry about a choice between the love of their lives and their career. The balancing between the boyfriend and piano really shows the weighing process vs and the tough choices girls too often have to make. The romance was very well written and the characterizations were very realistic.
The science fiction aspect and action were also well done and the resolution, though, perhaps a little contrived, was excellent. After the exciting plot, the last bit with the mom was a bit anti-clamatic and should have gone in a different direction as the mother was the one with the explaining to do.
One issue that is prevalent in books is this light/dark thing. It has two bases. One has to do with the fact that dark is the absence of light and so light is often viewed as good and vision-enabling. However, the classification also sometimes has racist connotations, with white writers often making dark a negative thing. Clearly, in the book at hand, the dark side has a lot of negative stuff going on in it. What if the light side was the negative side or if Earth were the dark side? I would like to see more of that type of scenario for literary balance.
The science fiction aspect and action were also well done and the resolution, though, perhaps a little contrived, was excellent. After the exciting plot, the last bit with the mom was a bit anti-clamatic and should have gone in a different direction as the mother was the one with the explaining to do.
One issue that is prevalent in books is this light/dark thing. It has two bases. One has to do with the fact that dark is the absence of light and so light is often viewed as good and vision-enabling. However, the classification also sometimes has racist connotations, with white writers often making dark a negative thing. Clearly, in the book at hand, the dark side has a lot of negative stuff going on in it. What if the light side was the negative side or if Earth were the dark side? I would like to see more of that type of scenario for literary balance.
December 19, 2014
Oh boy.
I'm not really sure how to rate this one, so I'll go through the main points.
1) Length. The Gathering Dark is a pretty long book and it felt like a long book. But not only that, the author took forever to set the book up. I was more than half way through with the book, before I got any kind of clue as to why so many weird things were happening.
2) Love/Romance. It was iffy. In the beginning, the main character's love interest is kind of a stalker. And he ALWAYS talks about how pretty Keira is, or how amazing she is, or just how she can do no wrong. Which is kind of unrealistic.
3) The plot/ Storyline. Very interesting topic. Definitely isn't a book out there with a similar storyline.
4) The Characters. The main character is obsessed with piano for reasons that are kind of explained later, but it's kind of annoying/weird how often she says she needs to practice. Keira's dad is almost never present.
5) Details (the good and the bad). Even though this was a long-ish book, I was pleasantly surprised to not have to read about every outfit the main character put on. But, I wish there had been a tad more detail on Darkside.
I'm not really sure how to rate this one, so I'll go through the main points.
1) Length. The Gathering Dark is a pretty long book and it felt like a long book. But not only that, the author took forever to set the book up. I was more than half way through with the book, before I got any kind of clue as to why so many weird things were happening.
2) Love/Romance. It was iffy. In the beginning, the main character's love interest is kind of a stalker. And he ALWAYS talks about how pretty Keira is, or how amazing she is, or just how she can do no wrong. Which is kind of unrealistic.
3) The plot/ Storyline. Very interesting topic. Definitely isn't a book out there with a similar storyline.
4) The Characters. The main character is obsessed with piano for reasons that are kind of explained later, but it's kind of annoying/weird how often she says she needs to practice. Keira's dad is almost never present.
5) Details (the good and the bad). Even though this was a long-ish book, I was pleasantly surprised to not have to read about every outfit the main character put on. But, I wish there had been a tad more detail on Darkside.
January 26, 2015
I won this book at DragonCon and was sold on it by being told it was about alternate realities and music.
I fell in love with the story from the get go. Keira is a great character, super driven, and super focused on her piano practice to make sure she gets into Juilliard. Her friend Susan is supportive but caught up in a relationship of her own. Keira doesn't want anything to do with dating until she meets Walker, a strange young man with tattoos that seem to disappear from his arm. The more time Keira spends with Walker the more she starts to see things that aren't there, like a tree in her living room.
The story doesn't feel rushed, and things are well developed. The alternate world is explained well enough, but still left mysterious enough. The action doesn't feel like it overwhelms the story, and even the secondary characters are fairly well developed and believable. The style is beautifully simple, and was a joy to read.
This has been one of the best YA books I've read in a while, and now I'm off to find more books from Christine Johnson.
I fell in love with the story from the get go. Keira is a great character, super driven, and super focused on her piano practice to make sure she gets into Juilliard. Her friend Susan is supportive but caught up in a relationship of her own. Keira doesn't want anything to do with dating until she meets Walker, a strange young man with tattoos that seem to disappear from his arm. The more time Keira spends with Walker the more she starts to see things that aren't there, like a tree in her living room.
The story doesn't feel rushed, and things are well developed. The alternate world is explained well enough, but still left mysterious enough. The action doesn't feel like it overwhelms the story, and even the secondary characters are fairly well developed and believable. The style is beautifully simple, and was a joy to read.
This has been one of the best YA books I've read in a while, and now I'm off to find more books from Christine Johnson.
February 6, 2015
First off, this book is such a quick read. It really had a flowing writing style that was really easy to read.
I might have really liked this book if it wasn't so cliche. Right from the beginning, I started to roll my eyes at how the main character was so insanely dull. She's pretty much a conventional, go-to female lead in YA. Nothing really stood out about her, the male protagonist, or the overall plot. It was very mindless reading.
For me personally, this book just didn't have enough substance or originality to be any more then a two star review.
I might have really liked this book if it wasn't so cliche. Right from the beginning, I started to roll my eyes at how the main character was so insanely dull. She's pretty much a conventional, go-to female lead in YA. Nothing really stood out about her, the male protagonist, or the overall plot. It was very mindless reading.
For me personally, this book just didn't have enough substance or originality to be any more then a two star review.
November 26, 2012
A lovely dark, paranormal romance. Review to come in LMC.
August 30, 2015
This book just wasn't for me. I didn't like the insta love, I didn't like the main character and Walker did not wow me. Not even the best friend was interesting.....
January 4, 2019
.
Instant love.
Urgh, seriously? Electric connection? That seems like a love at first sight illusion. Not an illusion but a cliché (for me, at least). The connection felt forced, simple is that. Their first meeting was followed by ten chapters of their dates together. YEAH 10 chapters!! Their very dating stuff bored me utterly and I was almost going to give up when a voice in my head desired to know the end and what world this book might reveal. So I kept forcing myself until some action crept in with Kiera and a darkside tree and the whole introduction to the Darkside started and became interesting along the way.
Walker. Why boys are so perfect in books?
Or is it me imagining them so perfect? Like there was no countable flaw in him, so perfect - such a marty stu! Yeah, he was tempting but not as much realistic.
And the saying good-bye idea was totally a crap, it was obviously forced like... no, she had to say good bye and say those stuff, there could've been another, better way towards the trigger button (home and piano)
Despite it all, I liked MCs' love chemistry growing along the way, suffering through difficulties together. Those were better than mere dates they had before, and I also admire Keira's character for her stubbornness, determination and passion for Music in a beautiful way, which made her strong and at the same time had admirable feelings for Walker which made them seem like partners in crime through the end, the way walker admired her those elements was mesmerizing.
Overall, the book was slow paced esp when it dragged with their dates in the start. So, I'd rate it 3/5, specifically for Keira and the struggling chapters in the end, despite the happy ending though.
Instant love.
Urgh, seriously? Electric connection? That seems like a love at first sight illusion. Not an illusion but a cliché (for me, at least). The connection felt forced, simple is that. Their first meeting was followed by ten chapters of their dates together. YEAH 10 chapters!! Their very dating stuff bored me utterly and I was almost going to give up when a voice in my head desired to know the end and what world this book might reveal. So I kept forcing myself until some action crept in with Kiera and a darkside tree and the whole introduction to the Darkside started and became interesting along the way.
Walker. Why boys are so perfect in books?
Or is it me imagining them so perfect? Like there was no countable flaw in him, so perfect - such a marty stu! Yeah, he was tempting but not as much realistic.
And the saying good-bye idea was totally a crap, it was obviously forced like... no, she had to say good bye and say those stuff, there could've been another, better way towards the trigger button (home and piano)
Despite it all, I liked MCs' love chemistry growing along the way, suffering through difficulties together. Those were better than mere dates they had before, and I also admire Keira's character for her stubbornness, determination and passion for Music in a beautiful way, which made her strong and at the same time had admirable feelings for Walker which made them seem like partners in crime through the end, the way walker admired her those elements was mesmerizing.
Overall, the book was slow paced esp when it dragged with their dates in the start. So, I'd rate it 3/5, specifically for Keira and the struggling chapters in the end, despite the happy ending though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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December 11, 2019In the book The Gathering Dark, Keira is a responsible girl that doesn't have the happiest home life because of her parents spending money on her piano lessons. Keira spends most of her time and money on music pieces. Keira is also seeing things that aren't really there, what she thinks are hallucinations. Walker isn't someone that would draw Keira in usual, but when there is an undeniable connection. Walker also sees the shadows Keira sees, which stuns Keira.
In the beginning Keira feels like she can't tell anything about these breakdowns she has until she meets Walker, a new employee at her favorite store. Walker doesn't tell Keira that he was sent to retrieve her to help save the world of dark matter. Walker and Keira can't touch without dark matter coming through. When Keira and Walker play together in the end, it fixes the world of dark matter and they are allowed to return home.
One thing I liked about this book is that it was always making me want to read more. Keira is relateable when she says she can't tell people about her problems because she doesn't want to worry people. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars because i was always wanting to read more.
In the beginning Keira feels like she can't tell anything about these breakdowns she has until she meets Walker, a new employee at her favorite store. Walker doesn't tell Keira that he was sent to retrieve her to help save the world of dark matter. Walker and Keira can't touch without dark matter coming through. When Keira and Walker play together in the end, it fixes the world of dark matter and they are allowed to return home.
One thing I liked about this book is that it was always making me want to read more. Keira is relateable when she says she can't tell people about her problems because she doesn't want to worry people. I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars because i was always wanting to read more.
Read
March 24, 2022This book was definitely an ineresting one.
The start of the book was phenomanol the way the author wrote the visions was great It made me feel like I was in Keiras position however, the personality she was given didn't match her actions. The way the author made her seem like she was obsessed with her piano and would never be able to live without it but the next chapter she was giving up practice to hangout with Walker, now as much as I loved Walker they definitely should've given him more mystery and more of a backstory when he was first introduced. The book started going kinda flat towards the end and it seemed a litle rushed, the ending deserved more depth since there isn't a second book, it was a pretty bad ending and a cliffhanger. It made me very, mad but other than that I loved the idea and concept of the book, I would definitely watch a movie about it or even reread the book and make up my own ending.
The start of the book was phenomanol the way the author wrote the visions was great It made me feel like I was in Keiras position however, the personality she was given didn't match her actions. The way the author made her seem like she was obsessed with her piano and would never be able to live without it but the next chapter she was giving up practice to hangout with Walker, now as much as I loved Walker they definitely should've given him more mystery and more of a backstory when he was first introduced. The book started going kinda flat towards the end and it seemed a litle rushed, the ending deserved more depth since there isn't a second book, it was a pretty bad ending and a cliffhanger. It made me very, mad but other than that I loved the idea and concept of the book, I would definitely watch a movie about it or even reread the book and make up my own ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2024
I've lost faith in Simon & Schuster, as a publishing company. They put out this and the Mara Dyer books, and neither series makes any sense.
This started out amazingly. Then 50% through, it went downhill fast. I think the point when I stopped being able to take it seriously was when I realised what the plot was. Convoluted does not begin to cover it.
And what gets me is in the afterword, the author says it's a sci-fi book. But it's not. There's zero science. Oh wait, no. There were two sentences somewhere in the middle about dark matter, but that was all. And there I was thinking this could be really interesting. You could take this so many directions. But the author just didn't. She took it the same direction all these other YA books end up going. And that wasn't good.
I don't recommend reading it. I'm only giving it 3 stars because I liked the first half.
This started out amazingly. Then 50% through, it went downhill fast. I think the point when I stopped being able to take it seriously was when I realised what the plot was. Convoluted does not begin to cover it.
And what gets me is in the afterword, the author says it's a sci-fi book. But it's not. There's zero science. Oh wait, no. There were two sentences somewhere in the middle about dark matter, but that was all. And there I was thinking this could be really interesting. You could take this so many directions. But the author just didn't. She took it the same direction all these other YA books end up going. And that wasn't good.
I don't recommend reading it. I'm only giving it 3 stars because I liked the first half.
April 21, 2022
ALSO ONE OF MY FAV. SUPER GOOD AND INTRESTING. The genre is horror/mystery/thriller. It's about a how this girl falls in love with a boy but she later find out that the boy is from a dark world. And initially the boy was sent to find the person that belonged to that world the darkness and not earth but he didn't know it was a girl let alone that he was gonna fall in love with her. The best book. I read it in like 5 days.
October 3, 2025
Gave a ton to think about!
Loved the characters. Walker and Keira were perfect for one another. I loved that Keira was not the damsel in distress type and Walker knew when to back off and let a sista work. The posibility of a Darkside or anyside is intriguing. There is definately something..but what?
Loved the characters. Walker and Keira were perfect for one another. I loved that Keira was not the damsel in distress type and Walker knew when to back off and let a sista work. The posibility of a Darkside or anyside is intriguing. There is definately something..but what?
May 21, 2017
Actual rating - 2.5
I didn't love the characters in this, but they weren't bad.
I didn't enjoy this one very much unfortunately. It felt like it took forever to get going, and even when it did it still struggled to keep my interest.
Overall, A bit dull.
I didn't love the characters in this, but they weren't bad.
I didn't enjoy this one very much unfortunately. It felt like it took forever to get going, and even when it did it still struggled to keep my interest.
Overall, A bit dull.
June 1, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. I think I read the book two or three times the summer that I first found it in the library. The main character's connection to music really spoke to me and I liked how the author tied it into the story.
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