The Dark Divine - Tapa blanda

"Three years ago, Grace's brother Jude stumbled home covered in blood. The next day Grace and Jude's best friend, Daniel, disappeared without a trace. The family never spoke again of the events of that night, leaving Grace in the dark completely, but now Daniel is back, suddenly showing up in Grace's art class and putting the whole family, particularly Jude, on edge. Stranger still are the mysterious disappearances and animal maulings that have started back up again with Daniel's return. Unable to resist her attraction to her long-lost friend and convinced only she can put the broken pieces of her family back together, Grace embarks on a search for the truth, discovering a centuries-old secret that threatens to make her choose between love and loyalty. An intriguing mystery, a rather little-known legend, and some serious chemistry between the two main characters make this an innovative and satisfying addition to the paranormal romance shelf. Grace's narration rings true with a simple eloquence, and her retellings of events past provide a believable motive for her connection to Daniel and her obsession with the truth. While some of the secondary players are essentially stock characters, Jude is compelling both in his role as the supposed 'good son' and his complicated relationship with Grace. The final scene in which Jude and Daniel finally have it out is as heart-pounding as any action scene and the bittersweet conclusion is satisfying and uncontrived. Hand this to fans of Stiefvater's Shiver (BCCB 10/09) or Alyson Noel's Immortals series." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"With its eye-catching cover (pale, slender legs with purple toenails entwine with purple chiffon on a black background), intriguing title, and the hook of werewolves in love, comparisons to Meyer's Twilight series are inevitable. However, Despain roots her story firmly in the faith of her protagonist's family. Sixteen year-old Grace Divine is a pastor's daughter and has heard every joke possible about her name. But her family practices what her father preaches: community, caring, and forgiveness, including taking in a neighbor's abused child and raising him as their own. That boy, Daniel, and Grace fall in love, and when Daniel reveals that he is a werewolf, Pastor Divine searches for remedies while trying to keep his family safe. Though the romantic passages are predictable and characterization sometimes weak, Despain raises complex issues of responsibility and forgiveness and offers no easy answers. Atmospheric and compelling, Despain's first novel will be popular, and a sequel eagerly anticipated." --Booklist

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood—but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held. The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes. The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.