[Review] Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Title: Darkness Becomes Her

Author: Kelly Keaton

Publisher: Simon Pulse (February 22, 2011)

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver 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, to ever be revealed.

What can I say? I loved this book. I thought the beginning was a little rushed and it would have been nice to see more of Ari's life before her journey to find her origins, but otherwise Darkness Becomes Her was a suspenseful and fascinating read that will keep you on your toes throughout. I really liked how Ari was this kickass heroine who had backbone made of steel; she stands out from the crowd of YA protagonists with her unique background and personality. The other characters were also different from what I expected. I'm totally looking forward to knowing more about Sebastian, other than how darkly handsome he is!

Kelly Keaton's writing style truly draws you into the mysterious, dark world of New 2, and the plot is just so captivating. You get all the typical YA paranormal fare mixed with something new and fresh that I haven't witnessed in other books so far...I couldn't figure out what was the secret about Ari even though I could usually guess early in the story, so the big revelation was such a surprise! I won't spoil anything so you'll just have to read it for yourself; I'm almost certain you'll be anticipating the next installment in the series just like me.