Me on Darkness Becomes Her

Title: Darkness Becomes Her
Author: Kelly Keaton
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse (S&S imprint)

Ari can't help but feel alone, abandoned and left to grow up in foster care, labelled a freak because of her silver hair and teal-coloured eyes. When she finds a letter written for her by her mother, dead for years, Ari knows something is wrong, that something is coming for her. She travels to her birthplace, the town of New 2, New Orleans after the storms that ruined it, and finds that things are much different. In New 2, she's normal, no longer a freak, but everyone seems to know who she is.

And they're afraid of her. Ari still won't stop, but sometimes the truth is too terrifying to be revealed.

A glorious blend of the paranormal, the strange and the bizarre and the ancient, and the lush history and grandeur of New Orleans, Darkness Becomes Her was a breath of fresh air. This book was so easy to devour like candy, the pacing was quick, the characters different and interesting, the plot packed with secrets. Ari was the highlight of the book for me, a heroine who kicks ass and takes names like Lili St. Crow's Dru from Strange Angels or Courtney Allison Moulton's Ellie from Angelfire. Strong with a cracks in her armour, Ari knows how to take care of herself.

And there has to be a guy for her to fall for, there just has to be. It happens so fast, too, but because of the quick pace the book takes place over a few days. It's not instant love, more instant attraction that can and hopefully will be fleshed out in the next book.

The dark side of New 2, the reason for the storms and the ruin of a once great city, was something I hadn't expected but welcomed with open arms. Mixing New Orleans with Greek mythology was new and interesting, it filled that spot in my scholar's soul that loves mythology and history and bringing it into a modern setting.

Darkness Becomes Her was a lush, quick-paced, no-holds-barred journey into the deep dark of a strange town filled with the paranormal and the bizarre, the dangerous and the despicable. A welcome mix of vampires, witches, shapeshifters, and Greek mythology.