Yes this is a sponsored post and I was given the book as well as compensated for my review, but I promise I was only asked for my honest opinion! And I would never do otherwise. So feel free to skip this or check it out! You may like it.

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I agreed to review Dark Hope by Monica McGurk for three reasons:

1) I spent most of the summer reading Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry which is an epic western. It was awesome, but with something like that I always want to follow it with a completely different reading experience.

2) I am no stranger to some YA fantasy. In fact it’s probably one of my most beloved genres.

3) It was recommended for fans of Twilight and while that phenomenon certainly ran its course, I remember when I first read it (before the craze began) I was kind of obsessed with it for awhile, bad writing and all. Although I have changed a lot since then, I thought I’d give this one a try.

So this is the first book in a trilogy they are calling the Archangel Prophecies. It centers around a girl named Hope who was abducted when she was 3, but was then mysteriously rescued and only left with a Mark that no one seems to understand. Her parents’ marriage fell apart and she grew up in the home of her overprotective dad. Fast forward and she is now sixteen and living with her mom for the first time with some new freedom. She befriends an emancipated teen named Michael who is unusually interested in her.

The main plot, as I said, revolves around Hope and her involvement with a supernatural war for the keys to heaven. (Of course there is a dangerous romance as well.) But there is also a subplot regarding human trafficking of minors. It was a little strange and felt a bit cobbled in, but I do appreciate the awareness that it could bring to the subject.

I liked that in general, Hope was a strong character who wanted to give the benefit of the doubt to her parents and her friends. She was able to be appropriately afraid of her situation but never strayed into victimhood. For the most part she didn’t do or say anything completely idiotic.

But I know why it was said to be in the Twilight tradition. I could write an entire essay on all of the similarities between the two, but I’m not going to. Just know that this takes a lot of inspiration from the former, and it makes sense once you know that the author got her start in writing Twilight fan fiction. (Side note: I’ve never read any fan fiction, have you? I’m not against the idea of it. What kind would you read?)

You also have to be willing to suspend belief as far as religion and angels go, no matter what your faith (or lack of). The world here is built around a combination of sacred texts from all traditions – not just the Bible – as well as myths. I can go with it, although I found the “guardian angel” aspect a bit silly.

 

Overall I wouldn’t say that this was the right book for me at this point in my life, but it was a fast and easy read. The end of it left a lot to be resolved and I have found myself thinking about it a week later, wondering what will happen. If you are a YA fantasy fan, you might want to give it a try. Also check out the author, Monica McGurk, on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest – she is a big advocate for women and works actively against human trafficking.

As you might have guessed, I have a copy to give away! If you’d like to enter, just leave a comment stating that you want to be entered in the giveaway and I will pick a winner on Monday, September 1.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.