Pretty Dark Nothing
by Heather L. Reid
3 Stars: A Good Read
Paperback: 256 Pages
Publication: April 9, 2013 by Thomas Nelson
It’s been twenty three days since Quinn has slept for more than minutes at a time. Demons have invaded her dreams, stalking her, and whispering of her death. The lack of sleep and crippling fear are ruining her life. Energy drinks and caffeine pills don’t make a dent. When Quinn dozes off in the school hallway, Aaron, an amnesiac with a psychic ability, accidentally enters her nightmare. The demons are determined to keep them apart, and Aaron from discovering the secret locked away in his memory. Together, they could banish the darkness back to the underworld for good. That is, unless the demons kill them first.(less)
I was drawn to this book because of the creepy paranormal factor, and it didn’t disappoint in this regard. At the beginning, we are introduced to Quinn as she attempts to stay awake, something most of us would love not to have to do. My friends and I talk about how we need to have a national naptime. Of course, the human body can’t resist sleep forever, and Quinn does fall asleep, and we find out why she doesn’t want to sleep. Enter her dark world.
This is a tension-filled book, as Quinn tries to figure out what’s going on and how she can solve the mess that is her life. She’s a decent enough character, and it’s fairly easy to sympathize with her. However, she does tend to wallow in self-pity. It’s not like she was always like this. She was a normal teen before her life fell apart. I think I would have been able to relate to her more if we saw more of her other side even as she slips into her tendency to pity herself. Though she does tend to rely a lot on the people around her though, she isn’t a total damsel in distress. She has her moments.
My favorite character does have to be Aaron. He goes through a lot as well, and he still manages to be so supportive of Quinn even though she pushes him away. I really wanted to see more of his character and abilities developed–and, well, more of him in general.
The characters and their relationships feel like one big high school drama, something I’m not particularly fond of, and the characters lack the depth that would help me sympathize with them more in a high school drama setting.
On the whole, the best part of this book is the paranormal focus, which we really start getting into midway into the novel. I really enjoyed exploring the dark world that consumes Quinn. By the end, I was engrossed enough into this that I would read a sequel if there were one. (Though I do admit this is partly also because a new twist was added at the end that I wasn’t expecting and I feel should have been introduced earlier if this is going to be a standalone.)
I recommend this book if you love a good creepy paranormal book.
Heather L. Reid eats mayonnaise on her fries, loves men in kilts, and met her husband playing Star Wars Galaxies online. This native Texan now lives with her Scottish hubby in North Ayrshire, Scotland, where she wanders the moors in search of Heathcliff and William Wallace.
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
Mary Preston says
PRETTY DARK NOTHING, fabulous title, does sound like a deliciously dark and creepy story.
Victoria Zumbrum says
Thanks for the giveaway. this book sounds very good. I would like to find out what happens. I love paranormal. Tore923@aol.com
Christina Fiorelli says
Christina K. in the rafflecopter
Have heard awesome things about this paranormal and the characters and creepiness:) Glad you liked it:)
I don't mind high school drama:))
Maidenveil says
This is the first time I encountered this book. It sounds interesting. Added to my tbr list!
Heather Reid says
Thank you for reviewing Pretty Dark Nothing, Kris. I appriciate it! 🙂 There will be a sequel which releases April 22nd 2014.
Kbaby81 says
Thanks for the review and giveaway!