Book Review: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

Synopsis from Goodreads

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

Book Title: Darker Still (Magic Most Foul,#1)
Author: Leanna Renee Hieber
My Rating:

BOOK REVIEW

I have never read any classic novels in my life, my closest encounter to classic novels is when i watched them on the big screen, so I decided to pick this one up cause as said by the synopsis it is mash up up by The Portrait of Dorian Gray (I have watched the movie and OMG BEN BARNES IS DORIAN GRAY! *Sighs*) , Pride and Prejudice and Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde, so i decided to give this one a try just to maybe have an idea on what's it's like having to read a classic novel, just maybe get a glimpse on what the story is like and still get comfy while reading it cause it is set in a genre for Young Adults.

We are introduced to a classic setting, In New York during the 1800's we are also introduced to a female lead character, Natalie Stewart. Natalie is actually mute i was a bit stunned,cause it is my first time to read a book that has a main character that has disability i never know what to expect from Natalie. Would she be any different from the other characters from some of the YA novels that I have read? well it turns out that she isn't any different and i daresay she is one special gal cause i really like her straight forward determination and she is a strong girl she doesn't let her disability interfere with her life, so in other words i really admire her character. I really like the scene wherein she got pissed in one of Maggie's friends and she wrote on her notepad: "I maybe mute, but I am certainly not dumb"

The writing is pretty decent you would really get this feeling that you are in a 1800's era, very classic indeed. the book is actually written in a journal kind of way from Natalie's Point of View.

The plot is good, lots of magic swirling from here and mystery is also present and i have to say even though the idea was adapted from some of the classic novels mentioned above, the story for me was somehow original. The romance aspect of the book is nice filled with sweet dialogues between Natalie and Jonothan, and my oh my i never thought people in the 1800's can be somehow bold and feisty, i have this idea in my head that men in 1800's are somehow chivalrous. (ohhh Lord Denbury! you are on naughty gentleman) LOL.

i gave the book 3 stars cause the ending is kinda flat, kinda fell short for my taste and to think that this book is a series, i have no idea what will the next book will be like, cause as far as i can say Natalie and Lord Denbury found their happily ever after. but nevertheless i enjoyed reading this book, *coughs* i devour reading this book is just i don't know 8 hours?? haha! kinda wish that the ending was different.