Title: Darkness Becomes Her
Author: Kelly Keaton [website] [twitter] [facebook]
Genre: Paranormal, Romance, Mystery
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Parental Advisory: language, guns, violence, crime, death
Teachable Moments: loyalty, individuality

“No one had come out of the hotel when the gunshots were fired.  Hadn’t they heard?  A tingle of unease slid down my back as the sight of the hotel and back parking lot disappeared from view.  Either the hotel staff or guests didn’t call the cops on purpose, or gunshots in the middle of the night were the norm near The Rim.  That might also explain why Crank didn’t seem fazed by the weapons I’d brought on board.  But none of those thoughts made me feel any better.”

Summary (from publisher):
Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone.  With teal eyes and freakish sliver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out.  And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long-dead mother; Run.  Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should.  But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: She must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans.  upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very….different.  Here, Ari is seemingly normal.  But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why.  But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, ever to be revealed.

Opinion:
Thus far in my reading I’ve thoroughly enjoyed books that have a Gothic tone to them.  Darkness Becomes Her is no exception to that rule.  Keaton has done an exemplary job of crafting a dark, ominous and somewhat sultry setting in New 2.  Years after being destroyed, the former city of New Orleans is replenished and rebuilt by a wealthy group of benefactors called the Novem.  What’s interesting about that is the fact that this group is quickly recognized to be comprised of people believed to be of another world.  You know, vampires, shape shifters, creatures like that.

Once settled in and working towards a more stable economy the Novem open their doors by encouraging their kind to inhabit New 2.   Which they do, en masse.  Suddenly New 2 becomes a destination vacation spot.  Widely recognized as a dark and foreboding place tourists flock to experience the fun of Mardi Gras one day and the fear of strange creatures the next.  But more importantly, with such a concentration of strange creatures it becomes the central focus of Ari’s investigation into her mother’s death and the mystery surrounding her own life she’s trying to unravel.

Keaton is not overbearing though, the inhabitants of New 2 are an interesting cadre of diverse characters. The focus here being primarily on Ari and a small group of teens and children she encounters.  Fearing for her life after being unexpectedly attacked at home Ari runs into Crank as she’s fleeing.  Taken to New 2 (a location she was heading towards regardless) she is immediately introduced to Crank’s “family” — Sebastian, Dub, Henri, and Violet — a band of dislocated children each with their own special ability.  Brought together under strange circumstances they are a tight knit group who easily and openly accept Ari with few questions asked.  I’m not going to go so far as to outline the different characters or their abilities mainly because I believe you should find out what they can do as part of experiencing the story.  However, I will say that I enjoyed their presence.

These children weren’t the only secondary characters either.  There was also a good selection of adults from the Novem as well.  Included primarily to facilitate the conflict of the story they were equally diverse.  Some friend some foe their presence was a source of constant catalyst for Ari’s investigation.

I give props to Keaton for writing an even handed story.  Given the sheer quantity of characters she included she was able to evenly spread the attention around.  There wasn’t too much focus on any of the secondary characters at the expense of Ari and her plight.  Their infusion was an enjoyable asset to the story.

The Gothic vibe wasn’t the only aspect of the story that appealed to me, I also enjoyed the mystical and ancient mythology on which the plot was based.  Again, not wanting to reveal too much to you before reading I’ll say that it  was a fantastic foundation on which to build the characters and story.  Particularly when certain plot points began to be revealed.  It brought power and mystery to an already delectably sultry setting and plot.

Oh, and there was romance here!  I wasn’t a big fan of the jump from “this guy is so annoyingly not for me” to “I can’t breathe any air but that which I share with him” insta-love that happened *but* once they arrived at the together stage I did like them as a couple.  Mainly because both characters were appealing on their own and as a result enhanced each others lives in a good way. I liked Sebastian as a character — he was sullen yet charming and became quite protective of Ari a fiercely capable and independent woman in her own right.  They were a good fit for each other and their relationship was interesting to watch.

A book that will undeniably appeal to readers of the paranormal genre, Darkness Becomes Her is also worth a try for those that don’t tend to lean this direction.  It does have some fantastical creatures attached to it but not in such a dominant way that it would scare contemporary fans away.  Well written, interesting plot and characters it’s one I definitely recommend.