The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.


This book caught me by surprise. I loved the cover, and the synopsis sounded alright, so I was anticipating it for a while. When I started reading, it was a little overwhelming, just because you're dropped right into the story, and there isn't a lot of back story, because most of it is revealed later. It took me a few pages to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't stop. Oh, and let me just say, The Dark Divine has one of the best first pages I have ever read in a book. I had no idea where the story was headed, and the characters are well developed and believable. The book does have a satisfying ending, but it also leaves a little wiggle room for a sequel, although I hope that it's just a standalone. I think it just works better that way.

Recommended if you like Shiver, Blood and Chocolate, Beautiful Creatures