I LOVE DARK YA BLOGFEST - The Demon's Lexicon

Kelley York, Heather McCorkle, Christa Desir, and E.R. King of YAtopia are hosting a month-long blogfest in November for anyone who loves their YA books on the darkside.

The rules are simple, they start by asking all participants to a promise to try to post before Wednesday of each week and to attempt each week’s activity. (They are understanding, if it doesn’t work for your schedule they will give  you a pass ;)

RULES:

1. Put the I LOVE DARK YA badge on your sidebar or at the top of each of the posts you do for the fest.  You might still be able to link to the YAtopia linky sign-up – even at this late stage.

2. Visit blogs of your hosts and other participants if you can. Interact. Make some friends. It’ll be more fun!

3. Your blog post needs to be up on Wednesday. You can post early if you want, but people will be hopping on Wednesdays.

The themes for this blogfest:

WEEK 1:

November 2nd: Blog about your favourite dark YA book(s)

WEEK 2:

November 9th: Write a 500-word or less flash fiction piece inspired by this picture:

WEEK 3:

November 16th: Music and Movie Fun—Take a dark YA book and build a soundtrack for it or cast characters for a movie version.

WEEK 4:

November 23rd: #YASAVES—Blog about how a dark YA book made an impact in your life.

WEEK 5:

November 30th: Waiting on Wednesday—What dark YA book are you most looking forward to?

DARK YA BOOK REVIEW

FOR WEEK 1

A leaky sink and Nick having to find a new place to hide his sword while Alan went to find him his tool box drew me into this book with a grin. 

Sarah Rees Brennan opened up a, seemingly, everyday world but one coloured with a seam of dark magic.

While taking this journey with Mae and Jamie who were also learning - the hard way - about the dangers that exist in this reality, I felt how heavy helpless fear could be.

Nick, who is about as sociable as my autistic teen, was the guide to this world. Although he was not a character I found easy to love I could recognise the potential and the complexities in the things he felt and in his actions.

Alan, Nick's brother, is a different sort of man. The depths of his humanity were obvious from the start: he doesn't need to help Mae or Jamie and doing it really messes up his already complicated life but he insists that he and Nick must help because they can.

I love this book: the dark, the danger and the sense of hopelessness that creeps in at regular intervals can't quite smother the determination and the drive shown as the characters try to protect and save each other. 

Sarah Rees Brennan reveals the characters' secrets one teasing layer at a time. It was that and the humour which kept me turning pages when sleeping would have been the more sensible option.

DO YOU LIKE YOUR YA DARK AND TWISTY?