lorathelibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
Typical YA read. Interesting and suspenseful. However, it was hard to sympathize and relate to the main character, because she really was a spoiled brat. Fans of other Gail Giles book will enjoy this. A good realistic fiction read, but definitely high school level.
hopeylope's review against another edition
3.0
Disturbing and compelling. I can't believe I liked Marc at first...Ames was a wonderfully unreliable narrator. I completely fell into the trap of her way of thinking, and to be honest it was half true which made it all the more believable. But as her choice and thoughts became darker I began to realize that her conclusions and truths were not reliable. It was a fascinating read because of her character. Definitely the sort of book that provokes discussion and examination of life, it will stick in my head for a while. Though probably not the smartest choice to read just before Christmas...
Dark Song's Theme Song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v-H--dq-Z4
Premise - 2/5
Characters - 4/5
Writing Style - 3/5
Story - 4/5
Realistic(the plot made sense) - 4/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Average Rating - 3.3
My Rating - 3
Recommend? If you are looking for a suspenseful thought provoking read with an interesting unreliable...definitely!
Cover - Gorgeous. Though I don't think it really portrays the book well...
Dark Song's Theme Song - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v-H--dq-Z4
Premise - 2/5
Characters - 4/5
Writing Style - 3/5
Story - 4/5
Realistic(the plot made sense) - 4/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Average Rating - 3.3
My Rating - 3
Recommend? If you are looking for a suspenseful thought provoking read with an interesting unreliable...definitely!
Cover - Gorgeous. Though I don't think it really portrays the book well...
kricketa's review against another edition
3.0
sooo...here's a creepy one.
ames ford is living a charmed life with her parents and little sister, chrissy. they're rich and reasonably happy until mr. ford loses his job under mysterious circumstances. as the money dwindles, ames' former friends start whispering and she discovers that neither of her parents are being honest with her. she responds by sneaking out to smoke weed & shoplift.
after complete financial collapse, the ford family relocates to texas in an effort to start over. there ames meets marc, a 22 year old passing as 17 who helps the fords settle in a flophouse-turned-rental. the stress has transformed ames' parents into disasters: her father drinks & gambles, her mother bitches and slaps her. marc can see how betrayed ames feels and offers her romance, protection (he collects guns), and statutory rape. when mr. ford finds out marc is 22, he forbids the relationship. marc concocts a dangerous plan that will allow them to be together. will ames go along with it?
personally, i thought the ending came too quickly and creeper old boyfriends aren't my thing. not all of the behavior here is entirely realistic. but it's fast-paced and suspenseful. this will appeal to reluctant readers looking for a bit of a shiver. i'll order it for the collection.
ames ford is living a charmed life with her parents and little sister, chrissy. they're rich and reasonably happy until mr. ford loses his job under mysterious circumstances. as the money dwindles, ames' former friends start whispering and she discovers that neither of her parents are being honest with her. she responds by sneaking out to smoke weed & shoplift.
after complete financial collapse, the ford family relocates to texas in an effort to start over. there ames meets marc, a 22 year old passing as 17 who helps the fords settle in a flophouse-turned-rental. the stress has transformed ames' parents into disasters: her father drinks & gambles, her mother bitches and slaps her. marc can see how betrayed ames feels and offers her romance, protection (he collects guns), and statutory rape. when mr. ford finds out marc is 22, he forbids the relationship. marc concocts a dangerous plan that will allow them to be together. will ames go along with it?
personally, i thought the ending came too quickly and creeper old boyfriends aren't my thing. not all of the behavior here is entirely realistic. but it's fast-paced and suspenseful. this will appeal to reluctant readers looking for a bit of a shiver. i'll order it for the collection.
msethna's review against another edition
2.0
I will be honest. I did not like the actions of any of these characters in this book. They were disturbing and gave me nightmares. Sadly though, I also couldn't put it down. I can see why this is an Abe Lincoln nominee.
haysaruhh's review against another edition
5.0
oh my god. such an amazing book, could not put it down. the ending totally surprised me. and how she did that to the one she loved.....tragic. a must read, definitely.
librariann's review against another edition
2.0
Ages 13+ (sex, language, violence)
1. Spoiled bitch is so bitchy and unsympathetic.
2. Even worse, teaser bad boy doesn't appear until more than halfway through the book.
Lame, unsubtle, and cliche. At least Marissa Cooper had the good sense to pick Ryan Atwood when she went rogue. Plotwise, it kept me reading, but it had me rolling my eyes the whole time.
1. Spoiled bitch is so bitchy and unsympathetic.
2. Even worse, teaser bad boy doesn't appear until more than halfway through the book.
Lame, unsubtle, and cliche. At least Marissa Cooper had the good sense to pick Ryan Atwood when she went rogue. Plotwise, it kept me reading, but it had me rolling my eyes the whole time.
tigerkat's review against another edition
4.0
Ames has grown up in privilege. She's gone to fancy schools, and never wanted for anything. She thinks her family is perfect, and her father is her hero. Then...her family starts to change. Her father isn't going into work like he used to, and Ames's friends are starting to talk. Soon, her world is turned upside down. Ames learns that her perfect family isn't so perfect, and that her father is far from being a hero.
After Ames's family is forced to move from Colorado to Texas, Ames meets a boy, Marc, and she becomes increasingly alienated from her family and remaining friends, and ever more dependent on Marc for love and affection. But Marc is dark, that darkness attracts Ames, but will it also force her to do the unthinkable?
I really enjoy Gail Giles's work. I was thrilled to get this book in the mail, and couldn't wait to read it. Also, the cover is just awesome.
Ames was a character that I think a lot of teens will be able to relate to. She feels betrayed by her family, and is drawn to someone that makes her feel rebellious, but also someone she feels she can trust. I would have liked to have gotten to know Ames before the downfall of her family a bit more. We get a glimpse, but it mostly feels like a set up for what is to come.
I had a hard time not reading this book, and went through it pretty quickly. I am sure that teens will love it, and it continues Giles's tradition of gritty realistic fiction.
After Ames's family is forced to move from Colorado to Texas, Ames meets a boy, Marc, and she becomes increasingly alienated from her family and remaining friends, and ever more dependent on Marc for love and affection. But Marc is dark, that darkness attracts Ames, but will it also force her to do the unthinkable?
I really enjoy Gail Giles's work. I was thrilled to get this book in the mail, and couldn't wait to read it. Also, the cover is just awesome.
Ames was a character that I think a lot of teens will be able to relate to. She feels betrayed by her family, and is drawn to someone that makes her feel rebellious, but also someone she feels she can trust. I would have liked to have gotten to know Ames before the downfall of her family a bit more. We get a glimpse, but it mostly feels like a set up for what is to come.
I had a hard time not reading this book, and went through it pretty quickly. I am sure that teens will love it, and it continues Giles's tradition of gritty realistic fiction.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
4.0
Wow. Very compelling book. A disturbing psychodrama. A suspenseful pageturner. Rich spoiled girl loses her fancy house and wealthy trappings, but more than that, she loses trust in her parents-- and then along comes a bad boy... Man, I am still shivering from reading this.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
2.0
While I like Gail Giles's style, this one has some huge plot holes and lacks enough character development. A little disappointing.
Full review here: http://stackedbooks.blogspot.com/2010/09/dark-song-by-gail-giles.html
Full review here: http://stackedbooks.blogspot.com/2010/09/dark-song-by-gail-giles.html
cgarcia529's review against another edition
3.0
Ames's pretty rich life is falling apart. Her dad loses his job, she loses her private school and masion, and has to move to live in a run down house. With all the changes her parents start to treat her differently and Ames doesn't like it. Neither does Mark. Ames's new fast paced boyfriend, Mar, is dark and twisted and will do anything to keep them together.
This is an incredibly creepy story because it's so plausible. It's not about ghosts or vampires or things that hide under beds or in closets. It's about what happens when your whole life gets turned upside down and your family becomes a group of strangers and how easy it is to cling to something that's wrong when that's all you have to cling to.
I definitely wasn't expecting DARK SONG to end the way it did, but I liked the ending. If you're looking for a fast-paced, drama-filled read, then this is definitely the book for you.
This is an incredibly creepy story because it's so plausible. It's not about ghosts or vampires or things that hide under beds or in closets. It's about what happens when your whole life gets turned upside down and your family becomes a group of strangers and how easy it is to cling to something that's wrong when that's all you have to cling to.
I definitely wasn't expecting DARK SONG to end the way it did, but I liked the ending. If you're looking for a fast-paced, drama-filled read, then this is definitely the book for you.