Review: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Title: The Dark Divine
Author: Bree Despain
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pub. Date: 12/22/09
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Supernatural, Love, Good vs. Evil, Mystery
Pages: 375
Plot (from GoodReads):
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.

THE DARK DIVINE is, without a doubt, one of my favorite YA supernatural books of 2009! I was thrilled to find that THE DARK DIVINE was not only a pretty face (or should I say cover?), it also had an amazing plot and stunning supernatural elements! As soon as I finished it, I started looking forward to the release date because I couldn’t wait to share and discuss it with other readers! In fact, I borrowed it to my sister so she could experience the awesome that is TDD. Needless to say, she loved it as well!


I’m not sure why I didn’t know this, but the supernatural aspect of TDD was a bit of a surprise for me. I had a vague understanding that it had supernatural elements incorporated, but I didn’t know details. So I enjoyed trying to figure out what exactly was going on in the novel. I’m one of those readers who doesn’t refrain from reading reviews, even if they contain spoilers. I often know details about the plot before reading, but that wasn’t the case with TDD. Bree Despain kept me guessing, I wasn’t sure until quite a ways into the book what was really going on.

I adored the romantic plot line of TDD! Since it was a YA novel, of course it was predictable in some ways, but I liked that Despain added some twists as well. Characters had unexpected depths, and secrets, that kept me furiously flipping pages.

TDD is full of suspense and mystery as well. As the reader learns more and more about the supernatural elements and creatures in the novel, the tension continues building in regards to how various issues will be resolved. I really didn’t know how Despain would pull it off, but the conclusion was phenomenal!

Ratings (out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing: 10
Romance: 10
Originality: 10
Total: 50/50 (A!)

THE DARK DIVINE is an amazing debut novel and I cannot wait to see what Bree Despain writes next! I’ll definitely be buying a hardcover copy of TDD and recommending it to everyone! I wouldn’t hesitate to preorder Despain’s future novels, I don’t doubt that I’ll love those books as well!