Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Appropriate For: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 320 Pages
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Narration: First Person: Ari
Genre: Paranormal/
Dystopian Setting
Paranormal Type: Vampires/Mythology/Witches

Gods & Monsters Series
Book One: Darkness Becomes Her
Book Two: A Beautiful Evil
Book Three: The Wicked Within

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Goodreads Synopsis:

Ari can't help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can't be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is. 

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it's impossible to protect herself when she doesn't know what she's running from or why she is being pursued. 

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her. 

Ari won't stop until she knows why. 

But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

My Review:

Wow, I'm slow. Even from all the distinctive covers and the emphasis on snakes, I was still surprised when Ari figured out what she was. I haven't read about Greek Mythology for quite awhile, so this storyline was enjoyable and intriguing. In this book, Kelly didn't delve very deep into the history of all the gods and how everything came to be, but I'm guessing things will be better explained further along in the trilogy.

Ari was a great character who had strengths as well as weaknesses. She had a snarky, comedic inner voice that made me laugh, and it didn't hurt that she could kick some major ass. However, despite her martial art skills, she's insecure. Growing up in her environment, tossed from family to family, knowing she was different, feeling isolated with her Targaryen colored hair and teal eyes...it's got to mess with someone's self-confidence. She tried to hide everything that made her different and blend in with normal society, but to no avail. Unfortunately, even in a sea full of paranormals, she was the odd one out. I'm hoping that throughout the next two novels, she'll gain confidence in herself and be proud of who she is. Seeing the scene in the end when Violet told her she was beautiful despite the changes to her person made me tear up a bit. As for weaknesses, Ari is a bit prone to not thinking things through and running away from situations she doesn't want to face. However, even if she does find herself in a pickle, she takes it into her own hands to save herself. No need for a knight in shining armor to save the day.

The romance was a bit.....ehm..shall we say sudden? Even she admitted it to herself that she barely knew the guy before she was quote "sucking on his face." There wasn't any slow build-up of feelings whatsoever. It was: You're cute. I feel this intense neediness when I'm around you. Broody? Even better. Let's make out?

Darkness Becomes Her was short and action packed, so the time flew by fairly quickly. The writing style was pretty good: things made sense and sentences flowed smoothly. I will be looking forward to the next two in this trilogy!

Heroine- 3.5/5
Strong character, but her sudden attraction to the love interest irked me.
Romance- 2.5/5
Don't get me started.
Action- 4.5/5
World-Building- 3/5
Wasn't phenomenal, but that's ok considering it's the first book in a series. Would take this over an info-dump any day.
Writing-4/5
Humor- 4/5
Oodles of sarcasm.
Overall- 3.5/5