Dark Star Paperback – September 3, 2013

Review originally posted on A Kernel of Nonsense blog.It’s difficult to call your life normal when you’ve grown up with a mom who roams the streets at night, looking for bad guys to pummel. To the city of Minneapolis, the superhero Morning Star, is clouded in mystery, but to Audrey Whitticomb, she’s just mom. Only her best friend, Gideon, knows the truth. But when girls start disappearing, Audrey has more problems than keeping her mom’s secret under wraps.When Audrey accidentally interrupts an attack on her friend Tink, she discovers that her mother isn’t what she thought–because it isn’t supervillians her mother is battling, but demons. Morning Star is no superhero. She is a Guardian–part of the Kin–called to protect the world from Harrowers, malevolent beings from Beneath. Now girls are showing up dead and Audrey finds herself caught in the middle.I am absolutely in love with Dark Star. Audrey is impulsive and snarky, but she’s also funny and courageous. After learning the truth, she starts off exhibiting a high level of self-preservation, but as the novel progresses her inability to stand on the sidelines is both reckless and admirable. This is both frustrating for her mother and Leon, her mom’s exasperating sidekick, who doesn’t miss an opportunity to point out just how thoughtless he thinks Audrey can be.The tension between Audrey and Leon is flat-out adorable at times. I found myself either highly amused or smiling like an idiot. Leon can be extremely hard on Audrey, but it’s more of a defensive reaction because he cares about her and it’s easier for him to be angry than afraid. Audrey, on the other hand, is pretty clueless and thinks Leon’s criticisms are just a way for him to say she’s an incompetent, naive kid.I loved how the relationship between Audrey and her mom drove most of the book. Audrey wants to be like her mom and her mom would like nothing more than to protect her daughter from the Guardian part of her life. It’s hard for any daughter to see her mother as anything but her mother. But Frenette makes it a point for Audrey to see that her mother was once a teenager like her, who had the world thrust upon her shoulders and bent to the pressure but did not break.The second book, Burn Bright, in the Dark Star series comes out this coming Tuesday and though I tend to hoard new books for awhile before I read them, rereading Dark Star might have made it impossible for me to wait.

It kept me interested because i thought there would be more action coming up. Dont get me wrong, it was a good book and i'd buy it all over again. But the book focused more on audrey's thoughts and actions rsther than a strong plot. I would have liked the protagonist(audrey) to have been more involved in the plot and how it progressed. Like if she was more involved in fights. I get that she was scared, but i would have liked her in more action. It actually seemed like the book was more about the mother than herself. And as for the romance. It was sudden. I knew there was going to be romance only from other reviews. There was a total of three scenes where it hinted at romance. And st the end it was like BAM! i was happy, but i would have liked a little more building up to it. It just seemed like audrey just plain,y hated leon.All in all. It is a nice read. And id definitely buy it again

I recommend Bethany Frenette's Dark Star to any young adult--or any adult--who enjoys a fun and suspenseful tale set in a world that is both familiar (the Twin Cities) and unfamiliar (the "Beneath").I'll avoid anything that would spoil your read. Maybe other reviewers will cover the plot should you wish to read about it. Suffice to say, the world is fresh and original, the characters stick in your head long after you've finished reading it, and most of all, Frenette excels at maintaining a pace of suspense and reveals that keep you turning pages. I don't often read a book cover-to-cover, but this one had me from start to finish, with only breaks for water and nail-biting.Though Dark Star is intended for ages 12 and up, I would say it's written with wording and content suitable for children even a bit younger--especially if that child is one of those insatiable readers who's worked her way through all the books for her age.I'm an aspiring YA fantasy writer, and I plan to look to this book for tips on how to balance secrets and suspense in a story. If you're on the fence about this book, I recommend getting it. It's a blast.Looking forward to book two!

A coworker lent me his copy of this book and it is fantastic; the dialogue is very down to earth-conversations you would hear from every day people. The storyline is unique and absorbing and I highly recommend this book. I am looking forward to the next book and hope it comes out soon.

Strong characters are the center of this Young Adult debut novel filled with adventure, fantasy, and romance. Definitely can't wait for Book 2!

What a great start! Cannot wait to read the next one!

My 13-year-old daughter loves this book. I believe she's read it several times already, and has enjoyed it every time.

Can't wait to see more! This book is worth the read, funny and interesting. I didn't want it to end

I really liked Dark Star! The story of a girl whose mother is essentially kind of a superhero and her coming to terms with finding out she is connected to that is a unique perspective and it's told really well. It has great action and mystery throughout and kept me hooked to the end.Main character Audrey is great, I liked her. My only issue with the book was I felt there were so many characters that a few of them didn't get much air time. Gideon, Tink, Detective Wyle for example - all good characters that went missing for long periods of time. Most criminally though is how little we get of Leon, who to me was super intriguing.Like all sort of superhero stories though, Dark Star needs an 'origin' story! Audrey's mother's story or the glimpses we get of it seem exciting enough to have their own novel. That I would definitely read. That said, the sequel has been ordered.