Hi everyone! Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Come, the Dark by Rebecca Hamilton. Today I have my review of the book to share with you - and don't forget to enter the giveaway! To follow the rest of the tour, click on the banner above.
Come, the Dark (Forever Girl #2)
Author: Rebecca Hamilton
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy
Release Date: January 6, 2015
Description:
TRIGGER WARNING: This book deals with the sensitive subject of sexual abuse.
Rose
desperately wants to escape the abuse of the father who impregnated her
and the dark spirits that haunt her life. Being thrust from Georgia
1961 into the era of Salem’s infamous witch trials isn’t what she had in
mind, and now her daughter is left hopelessly out of reach.
The
only way to return to her daughter is by facing certain death to banish
the dark spirits that plague Salem. If she doesn’t eliminate these dark
spirits in time, they will destroy civilization and trap her in this
strange new place, ages away from her daughter.
Even if she can
complete the task in time to return home to save her daughter, there’s
still one problem: she’s falling in love with a man who can’t return
with her. Achieving her goals will force her to choose between the only
man who has never betrayed her and a daughter she can’t quite remember
but will never forget.
A heart-wrenching tale of a mother’s love
for her daughter, this romantic paranormal fantasy underlines the
depravity of both historical and modern society while capturing the
essence of sacrifice and devotion.
Come, the Dark is a compelling mix of fantasy and the hard realities of life. The story begins in 1960's Georgia, with our main character Rose getting ready to give birth to her little girl - the product of years of abuse from her father in the flesh. Rose doesn't blame her baby for what her father did, and she's ready to run away with her as soon as she's strong enough. When Rose discovers that her father has taken Anna, her newborn daughter, she runs desperately after him with the hope she can still save Anna. As she's chasing them, Rose suddenly discovers that she's not in Georgia anymore - she's somewhere where it's cold and is snowing. She knows everyone's name and their histories - but doesn't know how she knows it. Rose finally figures out that she's been transported back in time to the Salem Witch trials - and the only way she can possibly return to Georgia and her daughter - is to face the Darkness that's been following her for as long as she can remember, even if it means she must die to do so.
This was a great concept for a story, and since I'm a huge fan of anything to do with witches and magic, I knew I had to read it. To be honest, I knew about the difficult issues that are talked about in the book - how Rose is abused in basically every way by her father, which is how she ends up pregnant - but I don't think I was as prepared as I thought when I actually read the story. The very beginning of the book - where Rose is still in 1960s Georgia - broke my heart. It was hard to read about, even though there wasn't anything too blatantly graphic. I was immediately empathetic to Rose's character, which continued throughout the rest of the book. Considering her circumstances along with the absurd situations she faces during the course of the novel, she undergoes a lot of character growth. She's already had to mature much faster than normal, but not all of the changes she encounters are negative. Rose is able to know how life is supposed to be, how it feels to be actually loved (in the right way), and she definitely discovers how strong she truly is. I was definitely cheering her on throughout the book and was glad whenever good things happened for her. It was an emotional roller coaster for both her character and for the reader - I found myself tearing up one minute and then smiling the next. Rose's character is very realistic and it's her character that shines throughout the novel, making it such a remarkable read.
With my love of all things witches and witchcraft, I loved the part of the book where Rose is transported back in time to the Salem Witch trials. The author did a fantastic job of creating that world and I loved feeling like I was actually there while everything was happening. It was exciting, scary, and wholly fascinating for me. I loved this section of the book the most and I'm glad that the author payed so much attention to detail in order to recreate those times. I have to admit that the book took awhile to get going for me. I couldn't get into the writing for a bit, which didn't allow me to fully immerse myself inside the story for a few chapters. The writing at the beginning was emotional and well done, but it was slow-paced and didn't flow right for me. Once the pace picked up, I found it easier to slip inside the story. Overall, Rose's story is both remarkable and emotional. The book discusses deep topics like incest, abuse, the unconditional love a mother has for her child, and the strength each person has inside themselves - even if it's buried deep down. I recommend this book for fans of YA fantasy and paranormal fiction, along with those who enjoy historical fiction and contemporary/realistic novels. Definitely pay heed to the trigger warning before opening the book though!
Rebecca Hamilton is a USA Today Bestselling
Paranormal Fantasy author who also dabbles in Horror and Literary
Fiction. She lives in Florida with her husband and four kids. She enjoys
dancing with her kids to television show theme songs and would love the
beach if it weren’t for the sand. Having a child diagnosed with autism
has inspired her to illuminate the world through the eyes of characters
who see things differently. She is represented by Rossano Trentin of
TZLA and has been published internationally, in three languages. You can
follow her on twitter @InkMuse
To learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder, please visit the website below.
http://www.autisticadvocacy.org
Author Links:
Tour Wide Giveaway: $20 Amazon Gift Card - Open INT!
New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Hamilton writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance for Harlequin, Baste LΓΌbbe, and Evershade. A book addict, registered bone marrow donor, and indian food enthusiast, she often takes to fictional worlds to see what perilous situations her characters will find themselves in next. 
