brandylw's review against another edition
4.0
Not bad at all. It's somewhat like "The Craft", but different enough to be enjoyable.
becsa's review against another edition
3.0
All her life Dawn Christian has felt like an outcast and when her and her mom move from Boston to Covington, Maine she hopes for a new beginning. Dawn has premonitions and when she begins to have them about kids in her new town she is tormented immediately but finds solace with other outcasts at school, Candace and Jamie, who introduce her to Serina, the local psychic in town.
Yet Dawn soon realizes that not is all what she thinks it is and maybe her new friends aren't friends at all. Will Dawn be able to figure out the right path or will she sit back and let others take control?
I enjoyed this book and liked Dawn. I really wasn't to impressed with her mom and the lack of support she gave Dawn with her abilities. Dawn was trying to do the right thing and her mom just wanted her to ignore them.
I found that with the exception of Dawn and her step-brother Ken, I didn't get attached to any of the characters. I liked Vicky but I felt that I liked her and then thought she was snobby but then liked her again. I didn't really like Candace and felt that maybe she was more in control than what we think.
Still a good book and I will read the author again.
Yet Dawn soon realizes that not is all what she thinks it is and maybe her new friends aren't friends at all. Will Dawn be able to figure out the right path or will she sit back and let others take control?
I enjoyed this book and liked Dawn. I really wasn't to impressed with her mom and the lack of support she gave Dawn with her abilities. Dawn was trying to do the right thing and her mom just wanted her to ignore them.
I found that with the exception of Dawn and her step-brother Ken, I didn't get attached to any of the characters. I liked Vicky but I felt that I liked her and then thought she was snobby but then liked her again. I didn't really like Candace and felt that maybe she was more in control than what we think.
Still a good book and I will read the author again.
wilovebooks's review against another edition
5.0
Dawn is adjusting to a new home, new school and new family. Her mom doesn't want anyone, including her new step-father and step-brother to know about her abnormality. Her psychic ability has kept her from having friends in the past and she is hoping to start over. Events occur that once again make her an outcast, but she is able to find some friends that have the same type of talents. Finally she fits in, but her inner voice is telling her to stay away. And for good reason. There are some very common teen issues in this book, but with a paranormal spin. There were a couple of twists that surprised me. An intriguing and mysterious story. I recommend for anyone who enjoys YA paranormals, including older adults.
lostlenore_'s review against another edition
3.0
I recieved an ebook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Okay...This book was nothing like other ESP books I've read. It was a flat story, with no surprises and it didn't thriled me. I felt obligated to finish this. After some chapters, I kinda liked it.. but that was it. The plot was less interesting than I thought. The characters were nice... The setting captured my mind though; sometimes (not often) I was inside the book, because of this atmosphere. The writing was simple and that's the main reason , I read it (somehow) pleasantly.
This book didn't work for me as I thought it will be. I don't know, I'm just disappointed about this book. I wanted it to be a BADASS! But, I guess, everyone has different tastes.
However, I might read some other books from Juba as well, I liked her writing style a lot (this is the reason I give this book 3 stars).
Okay...This book was nothing like other ESP books I've read. It was a flat story, with no surprises and it didn't thriled me. I felt obligated to finish this. After some chapters, I kinda liked it.. but that was it. The plot was less interesting than I thought. The characters were nice... The setting captured my mind though; sometimes (not often) I was inside the book, because of this atmosphere. The writing was simple and that's the main reason , I read it (somehow) pleasantly.
This book didn't work for me as I thought it will be. I don't know, I'm just disappointed about this book. I wanted it to be a BADASS! But, I guess, everyone has different tastes.
However, I might read some other books from Juba as well, I liked her writing style a lot (this is the reason I give this book 3 stars).
beckymmoe's review against another edition
4.0
An enjoyable read with a touch of suspense and a dollop of paranormal, this audiobook was nicely read by the narrator, who has a very pleasant voice and brings life to teenagers well.
Even though Dawn made quite a few bad choices along the way (which yes, made me keep arguing with my audiobook while I drove to and from work...this is perfectly normal, right?) it wasn't at all out of character for a sixteen-year-old who's adjusting to a new home and school/family situation AND is just starting to get a grip on her paranormal powers. Ms. Juba definitely knows how to portray realistic teenagers!
Annoying teenaged tendencies aside, I did like Dawn a lot. She (eventually) wised up and made better choices, and grew in positive ways by the book's end. The antagonist ended up being a bit one-dimensional, but the other secondary characters were solid, and it was easy to find yourself caring about what was going to happen to them.
I'm also 100% convinced that mind control is not a power anyone should have. Ever. Especially not teenaged girls whose mothers tell them no... (but the hall pass incident was kind of funny. Wrong, of course, but funny.)
I'm not sure if there's going to be more to the series, but I'd definitely be interested if there were. Ms. Juba's style of writing made Dark Before Dawn an easy and fun read.
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
Even though Dawn made quite a few bad choices along the way (which yes, made me keep arguing with my audiobook while I drove to and from work...this is perfectly normal, right?) it wasn't at all out of character for a sixteen-year-old who's adjusting to a new home and school/family situation AND is just starting to get a grip on her paranormal powers. Ms. Juba definitely knows how to portray realistic teenagers!
Annoying teenaged tendencies aside, I did like Dawn a lot. She (eventually) wised up and made better choices, and grew in positive ways by the book's end. The antagonist ended up being a bit one-dimensional, but the other secondary characters were solid, and it was easy to find yourself caring about what was going to happen to them.
I'm also 100% convinced that mind control is not a power anyone should have. Ever. Especially not teenaged girls whose mothers tell them no... (but the hall pass incident was kind of funny. Wrong, of course, but funny.)
I'm not sure if there's going to be more to the series, but I'd definitely be interested if there were. Ms. Juba's style of writing made Dark Before Dawn an easy and fun read.
Rating: 4 stars / B+
I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.
condygurl's review against another edition
5.0
Stacy Juba has created a fabulous story for kids and adults. We begin this story with Dawn a young girl with psychic abilities that her mother wants her to hide. She has a premonition that something horrible is going to happen on her first day of school. And boy was she right!
What happens next is the stuff of nightmares. I can’t go into too many details because it would give away the story. But I will say that Juba has created a character family that is so wonderful in all its crazy familial intricacies. The fear Dawn’s mother feels at each and every new psychic awakening. The struggles of a young girl in a new family with a new step-father and step-brother and going to a new high school are all so very believable. The “mis-fits” who Dawn finds and fits in with and the mysterious psychic who is willing to teach children to awaken their inborn talents make this mystery a true page turner.
The twists and turns that this story takes were relatively straight forward and whether it’s my instinctual abilities to deduce what’s going to happen next or a psychic ability I just knew all was not as it seemed. And so I knew something would happen with the psychic but even I never truly expected who she was and why things were happening.
Stacy Juba really needs to continue on with this saga because I feel that there is so much more to be done with Dawn. But it is a strongly written piece and I do recommend this book to children aged 10 and up. I really believe that young and old alike will love this tale and as a woman whose own children are different I can say that this is a wonderful story of how children treat their peers and a good lesson on how to treat those that are different than you. And while it wasn't written to be a lesson on acceptance of others it is indeed a story about accepting who you are regardless of your differences. So please do go out and grab a copy of this book because it is well worth the read and will keep you flipping those pages to find out what happens next.
Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
What happens next is the stuff of nightmares. I can’t go into too many details because it would give away the story. But I will say that Juba has created a character family that is so wonderful in all its crazy familial intricacies. The fear Dawn’s mother feels at each and every new psychic awakening. The struggles of a young girl in a new family with a new step-father and step-brother and going to a new high school are all so very believable. The “mis-fits” who Dawn finds and fits in with and the mysterious psychic who is willing to teach children to awaken their inborn talents make this mystery a true page turner.
The twists and turns that this story takes were relatively straight forward and whether it’s my instinctual abilities to deduce what’s going to happen next or a psychic ability I just knew all was not as it seemed. And so I knew something would happen with the psychic but even I never truly expected who she was and why things were happening.
Stacy Juba really needs to continue on with this saga because I feel that there is so much more to be done with Dawn. But it is a strongly written piece and I do recommend this book to children aged 10 and up. I really believe that young and old alike will love this tale and as a woman whose own children are different I can say that this is a wonderful story of how children treat their peers and a good lesson on how to treat those that are different than you. And while it wasn't written to be a lesson on acceptance of others it is indeed a story about accepting who you are regardless of your differences. So please do go out and grab a copy of this book because it is well worth the read and will keep you flipping those pages to find out what happens next.
Details/Disclaimer: Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
chymerra's review
4.0
This was a pretty interesting book. Dawn is a psychic and has learned to keep her secret to herself. Always the outsider because of her abilities, Dawn is thrilled when she finds like minded souls in Candace and Jamie and a mentor in Serina. But when teenagers start dying and Sylvia starts teaching the girls how to control people with their minds, Dawn starts having her doubts. I will read this again.
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