Title: Dark Metropolis
Series: Dark Metropolis, Book 1
Author: Jaclyn Dolamore
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Alternate Dystopian
Told: Third Person Multiple, Past Tense
Content Rating: Older Teen (violence, death, fighting, zombies, human mistreatment, suicide)
Format Read: ARC (trade)
Find On: Goodreads
Purchase On: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
Summary:
Cabaret meets Cassandra Clare-a haunting magical thriller set in a riveting 1930s-esque world.
Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder's mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. With no one else to contribute, Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules.
Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets-even while he hides secrets of his own.
Together, they find a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. And if they're not careful, the heartless masterminds behind the growing disappearances will be after them, too.
Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, this is a chilling thriller with a touch of magic where the dead don't always seem to stay that way.
* * *
Don't let the somewhat innocuous covers fool you - this book is a dark one of necromancy and night clubs, disturbing city secrets and revolution. An alternate historical dystopian with magic, the story follows three teens who mire themselves in suicide and the undead, government conspiracies and violent rebellion to master their powers and rescue loved ones. They were diverse characters with good motivations and intriguing magical gifts, and the take on zombies was different and interesting. But while the writing style was quick and easy, the action and emotion were disconnected and choppy which made it difficult to feel and follow the violently charged story. Also, the city setting was too self-contained and the description minimalistic, and coupled with a plot that didn't make a lot of sense due to little-explained reasoning on both sides the second half was rather a mess of cutaway movement and two-second magic that had little to no emotional impact. For the most part it was a relatively engaging read with decent magic and zombies, but I won't be picking up the sequel.
Scribble Rating:
3 of 5 Scribbles
