A Magic Dark and Bright by Jenny Adams Perinovic [Non-Spoilers Review]

Title: A Magic Dark and Bright

Author(s): Jenny Adams Perinovic

Pages count: 330 pages

Publisher: Bookish Girl Press

ISBN: 9780986201301

Rating: 4 stars

Publication Date: April 28th, 2015

I received an ARC of this book thanks to Bookish Girl Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book brought me so many memories back; not because I felt that it was reminiscent of my own life but because the story reminded me of Beautiful Creatures. Perhaps an improved Beautiful Creatures. I loved the setting, I grew to love the characters, and I most definitely adored the direction the series took at the end of the book!

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She meant to help a ghost…not unleash a curse.

Amelia Dupree hasn’t seen the Woman in White since the night her brother died.

The ghost seems to have disappeared from the woods surrounding Asylum, Pennsylvania—that is, until Charlie Blue moves into the creepy old MacAllister House next door. Amelia can’t help liking him, even though she spent her childhood thinking his grandmother was a witch. And she definitely can’t ignore the connection between his arrival and the Woman in White’s return.

Then Amelia learns that the Woman in White is a prisoner, trapped between the worlds of the living and the dead. Devastated by the idea that her brother could be suffering a similar fate, Amelia decides to do whatever it takes to help the Woman in White find peace–and Charlie agrees to help her.

But when Amelia’s classmates start to drown in the Susquehanna River, one right after another, rumors swirl as people begin to connect the timing of Charlie’s arrival with the unexplained deaths. As Charlie and Amelia uncover the dark history of Asylum, they realize they may have unleashed an unspeakable evil. One they have to stop before everything they love is destroyed.

One of the things I thoroughly enjoyed while reading this book was the setting and dark atmosphere it had. The book is set in a small town called Asylum where everyone knows each other and families live off their reputation within the few paved kilometres. The rumours and myths eat at their souls and hunt them down throughout the years, but not all the stories told are just myths. For some reason, this concept is so interesting to me.

The writing was fast paced and it felt like the book was 100 pages long instead of more than 300 pages. It was a fun and quick read and when the second book comes out I will be rereading this one. Yes, I enjoyed it that much! If I wasn’t a horror addict I would’ve found this book creepy and unsettling so if you’re looking for a dark, creepy read go pre-order this book right now!

The characters were very likable especially Charlie and Leah. I found the main character, Amelia, a little bit annoying at first but once the story progressed I grew to completely love her! Leah, Amelia’s best friend, was the perfect sidekick. She was smart, funny, and too honest! On the other hand, I didn’t like Ransom at all since the very beginning. I felt like something was off about him and I just didn’t connect with him.

The plot was well organized and most of the times I did not see things coming, even though I guessed some of the girl’s deaths but it wasn’t damaging to the experience! There were moments where the story went all the way back to the origin of the town and revealed things that made the actual story way more interesting. The magical background of some of the characters is what made me want to pick up this book in the first place and it didn’t disappoint. We don’t get to see too much witchcraft on this book so I’m hoping we get a lot more in the second installment!

I just love witchcraft, okay?

I do highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a short, creepy read. The writing just won’t let you go and you’ll have to read it in a seating I promise! A Magic Dark and Bright comes out on April 28^th so make sure you grab a copy!

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