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A review by paigerini
A Neon Darkness by Lauren Shippen
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I bought A Neon Darkness and Some Faraway Place from a second-hand book store, not knowing they were part of a series. So, I read this book as a standalone novel (so some takes may not apply to those who are reading all of the books in order).
I never sympathized with Robert/Damien at all. Even though he has terrible trauma and knows what it is like to struggle to live life normally, he never considers that his friends also experience the same things. I understand he is supposed to be flawed and this is like his villain origin story, but he's not likable whatsoever. For an audience to care about villains, they need to be charismatic, funny, or complex, but Damien is barely any of these things. He doesn't even attempt to change - genuinely trying to change and failing would've made his story much more of a tragic hero plot than him being stubborn and awful.
I wish we learned more about all of the characters' backstories.It would have made Damien's plan to keep everyone happy with his power much more effective if he thought he was saving them from their past trauma. Missed an opportunity to flesh out the friend group's dynamic, especially Marley and Blaze.
The side conflict also seemed extremely anti-climatic (probably because there is more information about them in the other books).Who is Isaiah? Why is he in California? What is he experimenting on Unusuals for? Again, this probably makes more sense in the context of the other books, but there is little connecting this book to the others from what I've researched.
When it comes to the writing, it was mostly okay. It was easy enough to follow. However, some of the descriptions of actions sound like how I wrote in middle school, which I would rather not have paid $8 for.
Overall, this was a...read. I wish I had known before I purchased this book that it was part of a series, but to be fair, each book does not follow the same characters, so they should be able to stand alone without too many complications. I wish that Robert had more depth and that the side plot didn't flatline near the end as it did.
I never sympathized with Robert/Damien at all. Even though he has terrible trauma and knows what it is like to struggle to live life normally, he never considers that his friends also experience the same things. I understand he is supposed to be flawed and this is like his villain origin story, but he's not likable whatsoever. For an audience to care about villains, they need to be charismatic, funny, or complex, but Damien is barely any of these things. He doesn't even attempt to change - genuinely trying to change and failing would've made his story much more of a tragic hero plot than him being stubborn and awful.
I wish we learned more about all of the characters' backstories.
The side conflict also seemed extremely anti-climatic (probably because there is more information about them in the other books).
When it comes to the writing, it was mostly okay. It was easy enough to follow. However, some of the descriptions of actions sound like how I wrote in middle school, which I would rather not have paid $8 for.
Overall, this was a...read. I wish I had known before I purchased this book that it was part of a series, but to be fair, each book does not follow the same characters, so they should be able to stand alone without too many complications. I wish that Robert had more depth and that the side plot didn't flatline near the end as it did.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder