ARC Review: Dark Star by Bethany Frenette

Dark Star 

Author: Bethany Frenette

Publication: Hyperion Book CH (October 23, 2012)

Description: Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it’s hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she’s lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human—something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile. 

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn’t fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers—livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape.  And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person’s memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers’ next move. But Leon, her mother’s bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won’t let Audrey out of his sight. 

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything—and everyone—she loves.

My Thoughts: This is the story of Audrey who is a perfectly ordinary girl if you overlook the fact that she has the ability to do something called "Knowing" which lets her read people and events some of the time and that her mother is a superhero. Audrey has good friends - Tink and Gideon - and she has the same interests as many high school kids. She wants to get her driver's license but has failed one part of the test a few times. She wants to hang out at clubs like Drought and Deluge. But things start changing for her when she meets some cousins she didn't know she had and finds out that she is part of a group of people called the Kin who are battling demons from Beneath.

Demons are currently making a resurgence in Minneapolis as they hunt for the human who is the Remnant - someone born with the abilities of the Old Race. Now Audrey is in a hunt for the Remnant and attracting more demons than anyone sane would want. She learns some startling things about her ancestry and about the people around her. 

I liked the strong friendship between Tink, Gideon and Audrey. I liked the relationship she has with Leon who she first knows as her mother's sidekick. The two of them have an almost sibling rivalry until Audrey learns something about Leon that changes her viewpoint. 

The story had enough adventure to satisfy most cravings. The demons were wonderfully evil. Audrey does border on the sort of heroine who is TSTL (to stupid to live) as she recklessly throws herself into situations that she isn't equipped to handle. What saves her are her good intentions and a timely rescue now and then by Leon.

I recommend this one to fans of the paranormal. 

Favorite Quote:

He moved closer, closing the distance between us. "So you sensed danger and your first impulse was to run directly into it. Again. That's really not the sort of instinct you want to trust."

I received this eARC from Hyperion via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. You can buy your copy here.