Details Appertaining To Books Dark Heart Forever (Dark Heart #1)
| Title | : | Dark Heart Forever (Dark Heart #1) |
| Author | : | Lee Monroe |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Anniversary Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 372 pages |
| Published | : | October 1st 2010 by Hachette Children's Group |
| Categories | : | Young Adult. Fantasy. Paranormal. Romance. Shapeshifters. Werewolves. Angels |
Lee Monroe
Paperback | Pages: 372 pages Rating: 3.61 | 3912 Users | 274 Reviews
Commentary To Books Dark Heart Forever (Dark Heart #1)
Sadly, Dark Heart Forever is one of those 'the cover is better than the actual prose' novels. I was enchanted by the gorgeous art and really excited to read the book as I've had plot bunnies about a similar idea bouncing round my head for a few years now but sadly I was left feeling very disappointed.I had a lot of trouble with the narrative because it jumps into the story without a back story at all. I expected some flesh to Luca's storyline (how long had Jane been having these dreams? What happened in them?) but there was not really anything at all. Particularly at the beginning of the novel, the narrative just left me confused. Luca started appearing in her real life almost instantly but we never actually saw him visit her in her dreams, so I was confused as to if he was in her real life and no one could see him or if she was in a dream when she saw him.
There was no back story on Jane either, aside from the apparently fundamental 'I'm a freak' trap that so many YA authors fall into. Usually I can somewhat go along with it but I found it startlingly painful to digest in Dark Heart Forever. Jane mentions several times outright that she is a 'freak' and that she was terribly bullied, but aside from the fact that she doesn't dress well, I didn't really see why she would be picked on. However, people do strange things, so perhaps she was bullied simply for being herself, but I felt like the point was overdone. It was typical, overused case of the female lead not being pretty or special, but the male lead still falls in love with her because actually, she is beautiful. This leads me to a gripe I had with Jane: at least twice her "long glossy hair" was mentioned as her redeeming factor. For someone who claims to not care much for her appearance, her vanity is obvious here.
Moving on from Jane, I give a little credit to Lee Monroe; the Evan twist was interesting. Unfortunately, I had already guessed it. I couldn't believe these two boys were suddenly 'in love' with her when she had just met them both and no one had ever liked her before.
Luca was about the only character I liked. He seemed kind and gentle, but brave when it was necessary. Lowe's character was just not well done; he seemed very evil, only to suddenly change his mind at the end. Other characters flitted in and out without much story, investigation or purpose. I firmly believe that every character must serve some kind of purpose if they are important enough to be mentioned several times. The vampires were almost redundant. I wish there had been more support behind all of the characters. They had no depth and seemed almost there to fill a gap.
Just some other little things that bothered me: the scene in which they have lunch. Evan is offered a beer, which he declines, because he is going to teach Jane how to drive. He says that the two he has already drunk are his limit. Firstly, Jane is sixteen, so it's illegal for her to learn how to drive until she is seventeen (I'm assuming the novel is set in England because of the spelling of Mum and the author is English, but I can't actually remember if it is ever mentioned) but her parents are okay with that. Secondly, Evan has already had two beers (drinking while driving, again, illegal, and even if he is under the limit, dangerous) and he is going to teach Jane to drive on a mountainside. They are okay with that, too. In fact, they even find it agreeable, rewarding him a with winning smiles when he says he won't drink another.
It also seemed like Jane used both of the boys when the other wasn't around. She also accepted Luca's world without a second thought, barely questioning it, which did not seem realistic at all.
Frankly, this book feels to me as if it is just another novel designed to fill the Twilight gap, which saddens me greatly. As a devot YA fiction fan (specifically paranormal as well) I'm looking for something different. Something with strong characters, development and something original. I'm aware that it is impossible to go not cover what has already been breeched: wolves, alternate universes, fallen angels ect. but Dark Heart Forever was a real disappointment. I was also sad to see that it was an English author, as I think most YA fiction is published by American authors and a brilliant British paranormal YA series is needed.
Describe Books As Dark Heart Forever (Dark Heart #1)
| ISBN: | 1444901893 (ISBN13: 9781444901894) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Series: | Dark Heart #1 |
| Characters: | Jane Whitefield |
Rating Appertaining To Books Dark Heart Forever (Dark Heart #1)
Ratings: 3.61 From 3912 Users | 274 ReviewsCrit Appertaining To Books Dark Heart Forever (Dark Heart #1)
Hmmm. Where to start.Well its your usual story about a girl who has to choose between two guys and navigate a strange new world, which for the most part is nothing original. The characters are incredibly underdeveloped, and the plot far more so. It felt rushed, and the developments by the end were hard to stomach.Some of the chapters were a bit ridiculous. 'Why yes daughter, of course your 18 year old boyfriend can teach you to drive unlwafully ON A MOUNTAIN. Even if your father just crashed theErmm, this book wasn't as good as I'd hoped it would be. The plot was good enough: there plenty of unexpected twists and it was kinda exciting. The lead character Jane was what really deducted from the book. She was just so...infuriating to say the least. The other characters were okay, and we had the classic love triangle for the majority of the book: good guy that offers security, mysterious guy that has a dark, concealed past and a girl. But then the twist changed that to shocked whiny girl,
This book was amazing! I haven't picked up a new book in a long time and been blown away like I was with this one. I admit that the start did seem a little slow but it kicked right in soon enough and it was brilliant. Lee Monroe writes with such simplicity that it makes for a smooth and easy read yet it is deep and intriguing and doesn't let you stop reading. I loved Jane. She was so likeable and relatable, she had her moments but that is with all good characters. I found Evan and Luca to both
Sadly, Dark Heart Forever is one of those 'the cover is better than the actual prose' novels. I was enchanted by the gorgeous art and really excited to read the book as I've had plot bunnies about a similar idea bouncing round my head for a few years now but sadly I was left feeling very disappointed. I had a lot of trouble with the narrative because it jumps into the story without a back story at all. I expected some flesh to Luca's storyline (how long had Jane been having these dreams? What
Unfortunately, this book will be shelved under DID NOT FINISH. I was halfway through but nothing was really happening. The plot moved in such a snails pace that I quit reading before I could figure what this book was about. I hate giving up on books but I have to think about the other ones on my Mt. TBR that are more deserving of my time. The beautiful cover did me in again. So much so that Ive bought the second book without knowing how the first one would turn out. There wasnt much character
Alternate realities? Dual worlds? Parallel universes? Apparently they exist or at least in this novel they do. This novel was like a beautiful telling of tale, of Romeo and Juliet but with a whole lot of Witches, Vampires, Werewolves, Angels, Mortal and more. I actually quite enjoyed it, despite it being a bit weird and funky.
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