Pretty Dark Nothing by Heather L. Reid

I can't figure out what's going on with this book. It seems to be part teenage angst (a valid genre in itself - especially for teens) and part paranormal.

You see, Pretty Dark Nothing is about Quinn, a cheerleader (captain), who's going through a bad patch. Her boyfriend was stolen from her, another cheerleader is going around spreading rumors and she's on academic probation. Oh, and her dad left her and her mom, and her mom is never around. With all these, I wasn't sure if the nightmares Quinn had were just her daily life manifested in dreams or something more. (hint: the answer is the second option)

But here to the rescue is Aaron, this guy who just can't keep away from Quinn. And he really did try. He seems to have this bond with Quinn, and he can't help but come to the rescue whenever she's in trouble. Too bad she's still hung up on her ex-boyfriend.

This alone would make for a pretty interesting book (especially if you're into unrequited love), but add in that sneaky "is something bigger going on" element and I was really just racing through trying to figure out what was going on. Personally, I think the mix of elements, combined with plot was the book's strongest point.

Character-wise, I'm kind of torn. I liked Quinn, I liked her friend Reese, I even quite liked Aaron, ok fine, I liked most characters. But it was a meh like, like "hmmm.... you're not annoying me, so I suppose I like you as a character".

And I know this is just a book, but I'm quite disturbed by the fact that Quinn is left largely alone. I know people can develop coping mechanisms and all, but her grades are dropping, she's fainting, and her school doesn't seem to be doing much. In fact, her coach seems to be more concerne with the team advancing for regionals (which require Quinn to be in top form) rather than Quinn's mental health (think of it, what captain will willingly give away her spot and help her successor? Especially since the friction is so obvious). But ok, plot purposes, I'm keeping that in mind.

This is actually a good book. It's dark, and there's quite some swearing and crude language, but if you're a little older and you want something darker, you should give this a try.

Disclaimer: I got this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a free and honest review.