REVIEW: DARK INSIDE

Dark Inside

Author: Jeyn Roberts

Series: No, standalone

UK Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books

UK Release date: September 2011

Genre: Dystopian

Kindly sent by the publisher for an honest review

When the world is ripped apart by earthquakes, a terrible evil pours out and infiltrates the minds of the weak. The rest of humanity must fight to survive against these hunters who will stop at nothing to kill everyone left alive. Clementine, Aries, Michael and Mason go on their own journeys across North American finding friendship and love in a world that is filled with violence and darkness.

Review: In post-apocolyptic aftermath four young people face the changing side of humanity, and the resulting destruction and death. I honestly couldn't put this book down despite the fact that I was ridiculously scared when reading it. Each page was filled with violence and pure terror. This is truly a book for the strong of heart, and stomach. As each of the characters is faced with the horrifying baggers (killers), it's like being right there with them feeling the heart-stopping fright and unnerving suspense of whether they will be caught or survive. 

What I found really interesting was how each of the characters dealt with this violence and death - did they run away or stand and fight? Do they put their own life at risk for others or protect themselves at all costs? I liked the fact that each of the characters had their strengths and weaknesses and would react differently depending on the context. None of us knows how we would react in similar situations - I can only hope that I would be brave, but after three weeks surviving I'm not sure I could keep it up! In Dark Inside they can't hide behind normal everyday life, but their inner fears and true characters are bared for all to see.

Each chapter is written from the point of view of the four different characters Clementine, Aries, Michael and Mason, which helps move the story along and keep the fast pace flowing. I did struggle to remember which character was which at the start of each chapter, because so much happens to each of them. This is really just a small niggle though.

The 'disease' that infected the weak turning them into killers was pretty ambiguous. There is the implication that this has happened before to other cultures, but I'm still unsure what it is and why it happened at this precise point in time. I did like the concept of Nothing, able to give us an insight into the 'dark inside', and whilst I liked the ending I still what to know what will happen after. That little extra element of clarity would have really helped me get a better grip on the bigger picture.

Gripping and terrifying, Dark Inside is a compulsive read that will make you afraid of the dark and what lurks within.

Rating: 4*