By Tera Kinsman
Dark Hope by Monica McGurk is a YA fiction book about Hope Carmichael, a teenager who was abducted as a child. Her father had raised her in a religious, overprotective environment, until she was 15. Hope’s mother gained custody, and she finally has a chance to be a normal teenager in Atlanta, Georgia.
At school, Hope makes her first real friend, Michael. He’s every girl’s dream, and Hope can’t believe he even noticed her. But there is more to him than meets the eye, and strange things begin to happen to Hope. She is dragged into an ancient conflict, centered on her.
Hope is the Bearer of the Key, the one destined to open the Gate of Heaven and unleash the fury of the Fallen Ones, a fate worse than Armageddon, unless Michael and Hope find a way to stop them.
I actually found myself liking this book. It wasn’t what I would’ve normally picked out for myself, especially considering the length of my TBR (to be read) list. I thought it would be overdone, another cheesy gothic romance. But the plot was actually exciting, and it opened my eyes to the sinister and disturbing underworld of human trafficking, which plays a major role in the events of the story.
The romance isn’t insta-love or any of the other usual YA themes. While Michael and Hope quickly fall into “like” with each other, their relationship is complicated. Hope is never sure whether she can really trust Michael, or if she is just a pawn in a battle much bigger than herself. She wants to be close to him, to pretend like they’re just friends (or more than friends) back in Atlanta, but her own inner voice, and that of her Guardian Angel, Henri, keeps her doubting.
Dark Hope is the first of a trilogy, so I think it will be interesting to see how their relationship changes in the next books.
A portion of the profits from the book will be donated to organizations to combat human trafficking, especially sexual trafficking of minors, which is super cool.
To learn more about Monica McGurk, please visit her website or follow her on her social channels.
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Please share in comments: What is your favorite YA book?
Disclosure: I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. Our thanks to Clever Girls for sponsoring this post today. While we received a copy of Dark Hope and compensation, all opinions are 100% our own. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
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