I just love Courtney Alameda's books so much. She was already an insta-read after Shutter and even more so now. ( )

Literary Merit: Good
Characterization: Good
Recommended: Yes
Level: High school

Summary:

I enjoyed the majority of this book, though it did tackle an almost unmanageable number of plots: it jumps in at some point 400+ years in the future, when humanity has had to evacuate Earth. Tuck is one of a group aboard the John Muir, a ship that has kept its crew in some kind of stasis for hundreds of years. The novel somewhat explains why they were in this situation, but it’s not entirely clear. However, it IS clear that the John Muir is full of monsters that somehow evolved from crew members and move based on sound. I did like how Alameda created an incredibly eerie environment aboard this ship, with well-described, vile creatures and a world where the crew has to be incredibly silent or face death.

Along with this complicated plot line, the novel jumps to Laura Cruz, who is of the current time and aboard the Conquistador, a ship traveling through space to find humanity’s history. I truly enjoyed Laura’s character, as she is strong, sassy, and independent. While Laura and her family search through space, she is somehow being controlled by her ex-boyfriend and his mother with a device implanted in her throat. This gets a bit confusing, and is one of the many side-plots pulled in that felt like a bit much. The ex’s family serves as a villain, but there are enough of those in this story between the monsters on the John Muir and the radical group (“Pitch Dark”) that thinks humanity had its chance and plots to destroy everyone on both ships before they can use the John Muir’s cargo to start a new “Earth.”

Once the two ships collide and the storylines weave together, the book really moves with suspense and action that would be a bit gory for anyone younger than a high school age. The writing felt a bit forced at times, especially when Alameda brings in Tuck’s “old school” language (words like “bruh”). However, overall, I found the story unique and generally recommend it! ( )

This is one of those kinds of books that goes in all kinds of unexpected directions, and I really liked that about it. It can be kinda hard to get into at first, but it grew on me as the narrative developed and I really caught on with what was going on. But, that's something best left totally unspoiled. Suffice it to say, both POVs are extremely relevant. ( )

Student Review by: Anita O (Grade 12)
Book Grade Level: 9th+
Library Merit: Mediocre
Characterization: Mediocre

When a dangerous and anonymous hacker crashes the Conquistador and USS John Muir starships together, our main characters, Tuck and Laura’s worlds literally crash into each other. These two young and quick-witted teenagers must work together to fend off enemies such as the hacker that got them into this mess, the Smithsons, and the dangerous creatures known as mourners that use their voices as weapons of mass destruction. Even though they fear for their lives and safety, our main protagonists are willing to put up with these horrifying dangers to not only save their families but also to save all of humanity.

I feel as though I may have been too picky with this book, but a lot of things were just too unrealistic and fast-paced for me. First of all, the events that happened in this book all occurred in about 2-3 days. There was too much going on in this book for it all to take only a few days to resolve. Maybe I’m just being a stick in the mud, but I think it should take at least more than a week to possibly save all of humanity. This brings me to my next point, which would be the romance between Tuck and Laura. Contrary to popular belief, I actually do not hate romance novels. In fact, I can be a sucker for romance, that is, if it’s done right. The romance in this book--while not being the worst that I’ve read--was just too rushed. Literally within a few minutes of encountering each other, Tuck is practically proclaiming his love for Laura and talks about how much he cares about her. There’s nothing wrong with caring about someone, especially in a time of danger, but this was just ridiculous. They could literally be killed at any time by a crazy monster and all Tuck could think about was how beautiful some chick he just met a few seconds was. Before this turns into a full-on rant, I would also like to discuss the description of the book’s setting. I honestly could not picture what the starships looked like from the way it was described in the book, and this made it a little difficult for me to fully immerse myself into the story. The John Muir is supposed to have a piece of Earth with it but it was difficult to conjure up an image of a starship with Earth on it or something. Although, to try to end this review on a lighter note, I liked some of the banter/interactions that the characters had with each other. Sarcasm is practically a second language for me, so it’s refreshing to see other characters that are almost as fluent as I am. ( )

4.5

As a horror buff, I don't understand why I haven't heard of Courtney Alameda until now but I certainly will not forget her after reading this book. The entire time that I was reading this book, I visualized the scenes playing in my head as if I was watching a movie. That doesn't happen very often and that's how you can tell when you get your hands on a great book. That and the fact that I had to read this book in one sitting because I absolutely could not put this book down.

With two strong, and equally likable (you won't be able to pick a favorite) main characters, killer aliens, suspense, betrayal, and an action-filled plot that keeps you guessing from start to finish, "Pitch Dark" is an outstanding read! ( )