Monday, May 4, 2015

Book Review - A Magic Dark and Bright by Jenny Perinovic


Title: A Magic Dark and Bright (Aslyum #1)
Author: Jenny Adams Perinovic
Publisher: Bookish Group Press
Release Date: April 28, 2015
Format: E-ARC *Thank you NetGalley and Patchwork Press co-op*

Rating: 3/5 Stars
She meant to help a ghost...not unleash a curse. Amelia Dupree hasn’t seen the Woman in White since the night her brother died. The ghost seems to have disappeared from the woods surrounding Asylum, Pennsylvania—that is, until Charlie Blue moves into the creepy old MacAllister House next door. Amelia can’t help liking him, even though she spent her childhood thinking his grandmother was a witch. And she definitely can’t ignore the connection between his arrival and the Woman in White’s return. Then Amelia learns that the Woman in White is a prisoner, trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Devastated by the idea that her brother could be suffering a similar fate, Amelia decides to do whatever it takes to help the Woman in White find peace--and Charlie agrees to help her. But when Amelia’s classmates start to drown in the Susquehanna River, one right after another, rumors swirl as people begin to connect the timing of Charlie’s arrival with the unexplained deaths. As Charlie and Amelia uncover the dark history of Asylum, they realize they may have unleashed an unspeakable evil. One they have to stop before everything they love is destroyed.
*I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review*

I wasn't sure what to expect when I had first started this book because I'm not much of a horror fan and horror tends to creep me out pretty well. So that being said; I figured why not give it a try and see what happens. It wasn't as bad as I thought it for the type of book it was. I really connected with the setting of the novel; which is in a small town in Pennsylvania. Growing up and living in a small town in PA, Jenny really captured the feel and atmosphere of the small town and how everyone knows everyone and the like of what is going on. Even the way the characters that she has created could have just been like any of the people that I know because of how they are (which isn't a bad thing necessarily). 

Amelia and Charlie being the main characters of the novel (besides the Woman in White), had something that made them work well together but at the same time I feel as if the relationship was a little bit odd. Charlie being new to town and is automatically supportive of Amelia and the fact that she sees a ghost in the woods behind their homes. Amelia on the other hand is dealing with the death of her brother and her father leaving and being the only one in town who has seen the Woman in White. Together they try to figure out how to help the Woman in White move on and hopefully help Amelia's brother move on as well. What actually happens, sets the plot for the rest story. The evil that they unleash comes with consequences they never saw happening. 

 At times AMDAB creeped me out enough that trying to sleep was rather difficult (did I mention I don't do horror). The vibe was perfect for being the first horror novel I had read and I can't wait for the next one. The Woman in White was one of my favorite things about this novel. She is what kept me turning page after page because I was curious as to what was going on with her. What really got me is that I originally thought this was going to be a stand alone novel but once I got to the ending I knew that this wouldn't be the case and upon some further research its turns out that there is indeed going to be another book. 

Overall I would give this book a 3 out of 5. It was good for what it was and I enjoyed reading it and has changed my tune for other horror books within the YA genre.

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