Welcome to my stop on the Dark Metropolis blog tour! Today I have an excerpt from the book to share along with my review - and don't forget to enter the tour-wide giveaway at the bottom of the post!
Dark Metropolis (Dark Metropolis #1)
Author: Jaclyn Dolamore
Genre: YA Dystopia/Horror
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Description:
Cabaret meets Cassandra Clare-a haunting magical thriller set in a riveting 1930s-esque world.
Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder's mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. With no one else to contribute, Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules.
Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets-even while he hides secrets of his own.
Together, they find a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. And if they're not careful, the heartless masterminds behind the growing disappearances will be after them, too.
Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, this is a chilling thriller with a touch of magic where the dead don't always seem to stay that way.
Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder's mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. With no one else to contribute, Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules.
Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets-even while he hides secrets of his own.
Together, they find a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. And if they're not careful, the heartless masterminds behind the growing disappearances will be after them, too.
Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, this is a chilling thriller with a touch of magic where the dead don't always seem to stay that way.
Nan woke in an unfamiliar place, with an unknown panic racing through her. Her head hurt, and her right shoulder, too, as though she'd wrenched something, but she couldn't move. She was strapped down, under bright, sterile light. It looked like a hospital.
A sign was posted to the ceiling, obviously intended for the occupant of this bed. It said "Industry Is the Backbone of Civilization; Work the Joy of Mankind."
What had happened? Where had she been?
The more she struggled to think, the more confused she felt. She remembered commonplace things: words and numbers and streetcar schedules and how to bake a loaf of bread. But she couldn't remember where she lived or whom she lived with. She remembered the world but not her place within it, which made it all seem hollow.
When she looked at herself, she saw only a white sheet, but underneath the straps restrained her to the bed. She didn't seem to be wearing much, maybe a hospital gown. Something papery. A glance around revealed bare walls with lights shaped like triangles pointing downward to linoleum floors. Rows of cabinets and a sink. No clues.
She started tugging her arms from her bonds by inches. The straps scraped her skin, but she hardly noticed any pain. She was bony enough to work her way free, and strong enough to keep trying as long as it took, which felt like a long time. Once her arms were free, she flung the sheet onto the floor - just as the door opened.
"Don't do that, please." The woman marched across the room, picked up the sheet, and spread it over Nan once more. "Please relax."
"Where am I?"
The woman smiled in an automatic way. "You're in a safe place now. Can I ask you a few questions?" She started asking them without waiting for permission. "What is your name?"
"Nan Davies."
"And where are you from?"
"I don't remember."
"Where do you live?"
" I don't remember that, either."
"Do you remember anything?" Her tone was so blank Nan couldn't tell if the woman expected her to remmeber anything or not.
"My name, clearly."
"Anything else?"
"No," Nan said. At least, she didn't remember anything that seemed to matter.
"Count to ten for me, please."
Nan did.
"Very good." The woman turned back the sheet - Nan wondered why she'd bothered to replace it just for a brief line of questioning - and unfastened the straps from Nan's waist and legs.
"I'm going to give you some medicine." The nurse poured a little liquid into a cup and handed it to her.
"Where am I?" Nan asked before drinking.
"You're in recovery at the hospital here. You tried to kill yourself, Miss Davies."
Dark Metropolis is a gripping mix of horror and dystopian thrills that had me eagerly turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. The author did a fantastic job of weaving together a story full of magic, dystopian worlds, revolutions, zombies to create a unique first novel in a series that will have readers begging for more. I loved the characters in the story - especially that of our leading lady, Thea. She's a tough chick at 16 - working as a waitress at an upscale club, taking care of her sick mother, and then attempting to figure out and put an end to the atrocities going on in her city. She's a complex character with quirks, flaws, and virtues. I loved watching her character grow and mature throughout the story and hope that we get to see more of that happen in the following books.
The plot was wholly original - I've never read anything quite like it before. It breaks down any genre labels that try to attach themselves to it. The author blends a wide variety of genres together to create her dark world - action, adventure, horror, fantasy, dystopia, science fiction, and even some romance. There's a bit of something for everyone in the book, which appeals to a huge reader base. I loved the way that the story line intertwined to piece together this horrific puzzle. We get viewpoints from a few characters aside from Thea, which gives the reader an inside look at various situations that are happening simultaneously in the story. This approach at storytelling along with the detailed imagery and vivid descriptions easily pulled me into the world the author built early on - and refused to let go until well past the last word. I'm definitely fascinated and intrigued by this new world and I am eagerly awaiting the next time we get to return. Very highly recommended for fans of all genres, especially horror, paranormal, and dystopias.
Jaclyn
Dolamore was homeschooled in a hippie sort of way and spent her
childhood reading as many books as her skinny nerd-body could lug from
the library and playing elaborate pretend games with her sister Kate.
She skipped college and spent
eight years drudging through retail jobs, developing her thrifty
cooking skills and pursuing a lifelong writing dream. She has a passion
for history, thrift stores, vintage dresses, David Bowie, drawing, and
organic food. She lives with her partner and plot-sounding-board, Dade,
and two black tabbies who have ruined her carpeting.
Buy Link: Amazon
Great excerpt and review. Thanks for participating!
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