{Review} of Dark Star by Bethany Frenette

Dark Star by Bethany Frenette
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Science Fiction
THEME: Superhero/Romance
RECEIVED: Disney Hyperion ALA
BLOG: Bethany Frenette's Site

BLURB:

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.

REVIEW:
As a long time comic book lover I absolutely loved this book, the backstory, the powers, the villain and of course the romance. Everything I love about superhero stories was put into Dark Star along with character I just couldn’t get enough of.

Dark Star follows Audrey Whitticomb who has probably the coolest mother in the world. Why? Because she’s the superhero (Guardian) known as Morning Star, she fights crime in their city and always makes Audrey feel safe. But soon enough Audrey discovers that her mother isn’t just fighting the regular bank robber, but actual demon like creatures…and they are after Audrey. She too has powers like her mother and along with her mother’s overprotective sidekick; her life is starting to become a lot more dangerous.

Audrey is not your typical teenager, even though she might think and acts like it sometimes; she’s a tough girl. With her mother being a superhero and Audrey herself having some sort of power, her life has been like a comic book. I loved her relationship with her mother and how much she looks up to her. I liked how their mother daughter relationship is tested not only with the dangers come after Audrey but from the secrets about her father. She also has a normal side of her life, which are her two best friends Gideon and Tink, they know she’s different and help her feel normal even though they two are a bit different.

Leon is the sidekick of her mother and a guy who really knows how to push Audrey’s buttons. He too is also a Guardian like her mother but is chosen for a specific job. He frustrates her through out the book and starts to become super overprotective, of course he has his reasons and some secrets of his own. I loved his character and his growing relationship with Audrey, it’s definitely a love hate to begin with. I hope in the following books we learn more about his past as well.

The Kin, they are like Audrey and her mother, consisting of people who have power and grew up in a close-knit family. Audrey’s mother has some history with them, good and bad, but now that her daughter has met them she most deal with the past again. I liked the background behind who the Kin are and how they connected to Audrey’s father. I also enjoyed learning about her mother’s superhero past and how she constantly has to deal with the local police and try not to expose who she is.

The Demons, they are on a mission to find a girl known as “The Remnant” in which Audrey can help them find her. She wants to help her mother and The Kin find the girl first and keep her safe, before it’s too late.

Overall I loved the concept behind the Kin (people with powers), Guardians, The Knowing (abilities) and the Remnant. I do wish there was a bit more details about these earlier in the story, but it all comes together once Audrey gets more information about her family. There will definitely be a second book; the readers still have a lot to learn along with Audrey and her growing powers.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult novel that will suck the reader into a comic book like world. Fans of Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson and Poison Princess by Kresley Cole will love Bethany Frenette’s unique superhero novel Dark Star.

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