
Let's start this MegaBook Giveaway with a review on a great new paranormal book by a debut author.
The Dark Divine by Bree Despain Pub: December 2009 384 pages
Synopsis: Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.
The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.
The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.
Oh, yeah! So much fun to read! I heard an editor from Egmont talking about this book at a conference months ago and I've been dying to read it! So happy it lived up to my expectations!
Grace is kind, caring, stubborn, and bossy. She's a people pleaser with a rebellious streak. It's very easy to connect with her. And Grace is put in a ton of weird, and complex situations that she handles well. I don't think I'd fare as well.
Daniel is dark, mysterious, sexy and vulnerable. What a great recipe for a male romantic love interest, right? He's an excellent artist with an extremely trouble past that at times made me flinch. It is amazing this guy has turned so well.
I found it troublesome that those around Grace label Daniel as a Bad Boy. There is the 'dark' mystery in his past, but his present actions only show him to be a kind, helpful, quiet, generous guy. His romance with Grace is sweet and innocent rather than hot.
The Dark Divine is jam packed with good characterization and a well paced plot. I mean, this book never slowed, it just kept you on a steady fast ride all the way through.
While we're dealing with Grace's family complications, her feelings for Daniel, her problems at school and her obligations to the parish, we're worried about all the people disappearing and the weird pet killings raging through the town.
One complaint would be that Grace's best friend, April, becomes one of those annoying BFF's that goes crazy for a guy, in this case, Grace's brother, Jude. It often seems like April is willing to choose trying for a chance with Jude over taking care of her friendship with Grace.
I would have also preferred if the paranormal element was introduced sooner. My love for paranormal is why I read this stuff so please give it to me sooner!
I sooo wish to talk about the paranormal element, but that's a fun reveal so...my lips are sealed -- more like my hands are tied.
I was a bit worried about Grace's dad being a pastor, but my fear was unwarranted. Selflessness and forgiveness are portrayed and talked about often but The Dark Divine didn't get preachy. This is a forbidden love kind of story, so every now and then, something winked "Twilight" to me, but Despain's story and characters are unique and I was quick to get over it.
Romance, mystery, suspense, the supernatural...if that's your cup of tea, then you should snap up The Dark Divine.

The Cover: I love it with one caveat. I think her legs look odd. They're weirdly shaped and so skinny! But I like the colors, nail polish and flowing material.
First Lines: "Grace! You have got to see the new guy." April bounded up to me in the junior hallway.
Doesn't really catch my interest. That there's going to be a hot guy in the story is no big surprise.
Author's Website: www.breedespain.com/
Have your own review of this book? Add the link here!


109 comments:
I agree with you about the cover, though I think it's beautiful, she does look really skinny! :)
Great review, I loved The Dark Divine, I cant wait for book two! :)
Ugh, super horrible BFF's are present everywhere in books lately. I hope it's not a theme....
Awesome review! :)
I agree about wanting the paranormal theme introduced earlier. I am glad I read it though. Great detailed review.
I loved the cover too and I agree this book was slow but once the action started..it was good and i wondered about the pastor aspect of it.
I have seeing this one being praised so highly and now you added cherry to the icing :)
Cover definitely one of my fav..
Love the review! I so, so, so can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this because it sounds awesome. And really, how can anyone say no to a paranormal romance?! Your review made me even more excited to read!
Great review. I've been seeing this book around the blogs a lot recently and the reaction seems to be universally positive, so it's already been added to my wishlist.
Awww...I wish you could talk about the paranormal element. I'm dying to know what Daniel is. But I also dont wanna know because I'm preserving it for the element of surprise once I read my copy (which is somewhere out there).
Amazing review!I dont blame April for being crazy for Jude. LOL. Jude sounds really attractive. :)
I just finished this book a few days ago and I loved it! April made me a little agitated with her behavior. She just of ditched Grace for her brother.
Great review, I want to read this one ^^
FAB review! I can't wait to read it :)
I can;t wait to read it either^^. I don't know if I think the girls legs are odd shaped ..But her toes sure are . hehe
It sounds good. I get kind of sick of the annoying BFF too lol. Is there ever a caring non-boycrazy BFF? :) Great review!
Thanks for the review. Yep, the cover is beautiful!
Sounds very good. This one was already on my wishlist. I love the cover. I didn't notice how odd her legs looked until you said it!
lizzi0915 at aol dot com
I've heard just good things about this book so far, I'm dying to read it! Thanks for not spoiling the paranormal part :)
Great review! I really want to read this. And I agree...the legs in the cover pic are too skinny. Never noticed until you said something...LOL!
i'm dying to read this, everyone's going team daniel these days.
and on twitter #GraceIsTheNewBella. lol
nice review. Romance, mystery, suspense, the supernatural...
that's MY cup of tea!
Great review, I so want to read this. The cover is really different and the legs are rather skinny.
I loved this book too. The cover is so pretty, but I agree her legs are pretty freaky deeky!
Great review.Love the cover too.I have this book and can't wait to read it
I'm reading this right now, only a little bit more left to go and I love it! I had no idea it would be so good and it's definitely going on my to be re-read shelf. I think this has been one of the best kept secrets as far as what type of paranormal it is. When I reached that part I was like Whattttt, I had no idea! It made for an awesome surprise! :)
I have read this ARC of this book and I loved it!!! This series has so much great potential! Thanks for adding it.. :]
Great review! I loved The Dark Divine. I also would've liked it if the paranormal part of it was introduced earlier, but it was still an amazing book.
Great review! Sounds very good!!!This one was already on my wishlist
The cover reminds me of Twilight a lot...
great review! This is one of the top ones of my wish list. It sounds really good.
Sounds like a book I would enjoy and I think the legs look so odd because of the angle they photo is taken from.
This has been one of the top priority in my wish list. The cover art is simply amazing. The combination of black and purple made the final effect totally stunning!
Regarding the story line, I've a terrible habit of falling in love with books with strong male characters in it and this sounds like one!
Hopefully that I'll be able to get this one very soon =) Thank you for the great review!
I'm so dying to have and read this book! It sounds awesome! Good review! :)
This book sounds really good. I can't wait until I get my hands on it!! Thank you for the great review!!
Great review Alyssa! I'm looking forward to this one. I just got it this week, so I'm happy to know you enjoyed it so much.
I've been hearing SO much on this title online...how can you not have it on your wish list? I agree about the beauty of the cover...the color was perfectly chosen to draw your attention. As for the review, definitely peaked my interest....can't wait to get my hands on a copy! Thanks for sharing....and happy reading!
Been staring at those legs, and yes that one looks so weird.
Anyway, great review, and it does sound good!
I'm not entering as I'm one of those lucky people who read the ARC, but this is a great contest. Good luck to everyone!
I've been really excited about this book to, I have a copy at home but haven't read it yet. The curse of having a huge TBR pile.
Good Review =)
Great review :) I've had this one on my TBR for a while now and I'm excited to read it.
Great contest btw. Of course I entered!
Okay, I've entered in hopes of winning some of the other fantastic books. :D
Liked the review, I've heard about this book but I usually just remember that the cover is really intriguing... It's great that this book is included in the giveaway :D
The cover is stunning..but, don't you think her toes look a teeny bit square-shaped?! Hahaahaha :P
I agree that first line really wouldn't catch my attention, I probably would have put it down if I hadn't heard so much about its awesomeness already lol
hooray for innocent!romance though =D
I loved this book, but I felt the exact same way about April. A lot of YA books portray best friends in that light, so I wasn't surprised. Great review! :)
Yep, I LOVED this book. I'm adding my review. Your review was great!
Great review! This book sounds soo good, and it has been on my wish list for a while now. So glad it's part of your giveaway :)
I have this one waiting (impatiently) on my TBR pile. Hopefully I will get to it soon!
Great review. I have been wanting to read this since I first heard about it. Glad to read such positive reviews, makes me want to read it even more.
Excellent review! I'm really looking forward this book. and this cover is lovely))
This sounds awesome! I do agree that those are some crazy skinny legs though.
I've heard such good things about this book. I really can't wait to read it but it's sort of down on my TBR pile. I might be sneaky though and move it up. Glad you liked it!
I've read very nice reviews about this book and i cant wait to read it. And he cover is so beautiful!
I like how Daniel sounds, I STILL haven't read it though, allowance shortage :( Great review!
I was kind of iffy on reading The Dark Divine, but now I really want to read it. :)
I wasn't so sure about reading Dark Divine before this review, but now I can't wait to get my hands on it...Plus, the cover has amazing colors. :) thanks so much for the review!
You guys are awesome! This is on my wish list and I'm so curious now...
And the cover - I so agree. It looks a bit as if her legs are twisted? Sitting like that must hurt ;-)
Great review! I'm really looking forward to reading this book :o)
This book looks great. It's on my wishlist. The cover is eye catching.
I was slightly concerned this would smack a little of Twilight; I'm glad to hear the story overcomes the similarity.
Haha, I thought the same thing about the legs looking odd. Photoshop, perhaps?
This book is still sitting on my TBR pile. There are so many good new books that I just can't find the time to get to them all. Your review makes me want to move it to the top of the pile though.
I think her legs look fine on the cover. I didn't notice anything odd. And I really like the purple. Now, I'll have to go look again.
Wonderful review, Alyssa! I do agree with you, I would have loved to see a stronger element of paranormal, but it worked anyway. Fingers crossed that we get our wish in the next one!
I've heard really great things about this book. I have to get my hands on a copy. Great review!
Oh, thanks for linking me! :D
I just got this book in the mail today! I'm pushing it up to the top of my TBR pile - thanks for a great review :)
Love the colours on the cover. I've heard so many great things about this book. Can't wait to read it :)
Great review, makes me want to read it even more. Looking forward to this.
Great review!
I can't wait till this finally gets released in Australia. :(
I have not yet read this book but I cannot wait to! Your review made me push it closer to the top of my to read list thanks!
Great review! Well-written and gave me a good feeling about if I'd like it or not. And I too like the cover. The colors and the draping of the fabric gives this book a very dream-like quality.
Wow The Dark Divine sounds so good. I cannot wait to read it. Great review.
Great review! I should be getting this book in the mail soon and your review just makes me more excited! I too love the cover, but yeah the legs, especially by the left knee
Great review! I'm definitely with you on the paranormal aspect; I kept waiting for it to show up, but it didn't for way longer than I expected. I also want to give away the paranormal "creature," especially since it's impossible to guess with only the summary. Bree Despain did a nice job of hiding it! :D
Man, I want to read this one so bad. Definitely high on my to-red list. Great review, I had fun reading it.
Great review! I bought a copy of TDD a couple weeks ago and really have to read it soon.
I just added my review above. :-)
I need to get this book! I've been wanting it since last December and I've been hearing nothing but great things about it. I can't wait to see what this big paranormal reveal is. Where's my Borders coupon...?
Im dying to read it, it just looks amazing and I cant resist to that cover ^.^
Great Review!
I've been hearing good things about this book, so I am looking forward to reading it!
I am aching to read this book but it just isn't showing up in bookshops over here.
I love the cover - I'm too busy gazing at all that purple to notice that the legs are a bit strange and skinny.
I fell in love with this book because of the purple color on the cover ! : ) Great REview Alyssa.
and yeah, the legs are skinny.
I really need to get this book I've heard sooo much about it. And I totally agree with you on the cover I think her legs almost look corpselike to be honest!
It's great that u reviewed this book and it sounds good too.
This book is in my wishlist. :)
I love the cover and the color purple! :)
I've heard so many good reviews on this book, I can't wait to read it!
Re: the cover, I read somewhere (Bree Despain's blog? can't really remember now, sorry) that there *is* a reason for the purple wrap on the cover (except that it is pretty, of course). That made me wonder...
Everyone everywhere LOVED this book. I was actually really disappointed. It felt like I read it so many times before. Maybe it's just me...
I'm swaying away from paranormal at the moment but am intrigued to see what the paranormal aspect is of the Dark Divine.
The first line isn't particularly grabbing but the cover makes up for that.
Seahn
Great review! Can't wait to get my hands on this one!
I can't wait to read this. I hope I win and can put it in my classroom library!
Thank you for your great review! I'm
dying to read this book, it sounds so
good, it is definitely in my wish-list
hehe. I love the purple color on
the cover, it makes it standout,
its great. Thank you! =)
I'm so glad this one lived up to your expectations cause I'm dying to read it. I love the cover, actually voted for it for some cover award :-)
I've got my copy of TDD coming. Don't know when it will arrive, but I can't wait to read it. Glad you liked it.
Gah! Why couldn't you at least hint at what the the supernatural element is?! All I know for certain is that it's not vampires *so relieved*. This is killing me! I need to know! Maybe my library has it... *crosses fingers*
Great review, Alyssa!
Great review! I have to agree about the cover as well. Loved it. I know it's usually a great thing with the cover calls to me. lol.
I have to agree with pretty much all you said in the review. I posted a link to mine in your Mr. Linky.
-Lisa
Been meaning to pick this one up, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Lots of good reviews though, including this one. : )
Great review! I actually have this book but have not read it yet.
~Raelena
Oh, I hate it when the best friend goes awry; the annoying best friend syndrome in books is the worst! Still, this sounds TOTALLY awesome! I so can't wait to read it! :-)
The cover is amazing! The first time I saw it I was totally in love, hehe.
Anyway, i'm reading this book; and like you, I totally hate April. She is sooo anoying!!!
Great review!
I've been wanting to read this book ever since seeing the cover- it's beautiful, reminds me of Francesca Lia Block covers. The book sounds great too, love misunderstood love interests and weird situations.
Great review! I can't wait to read this book. It sounds wonderful!
I remember staring at the cover in the library and wondering why her nailpolish didn't look smooth. That was the first thing I thought when I saw it in person. I'm wondering how bad April is as a friend and just what this paranormal element is!
I really enjoyed this one! :)
Yes! 100th comment of this post!
Anyway, I've yet to read TDD. And i've heard soo many good things about it, I can't wait!!! The cover looks amazing, I think so. It makes me want to get my nails painted purple. :D
I'm in the minority on this book. I didn't LOVE it. I liked it, but it was just ok for me.
I've always wanted to read The Dark Divine!
I haven't read The Dark Divine yet, but from the reviews I have seen it is great!
have heard a lot about this book !
Great review :)
I love the cover and I love purple! I can't wait to read this book!
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