Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolamore Review

Dark Metropolis by Jaclyn Dolarmore
(Dark Metropolis, #1)
Release Date: June 17, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion; 304 pages
Rating:

Cabaret meets Cassandra Clare-a haunting magical thriller set in a riveting 1930s-esque world.

Sixteen-year-old Thea Holder's mother is cursed with a spell that's driving her mad, and whenever they touch, Thea is chilled by the magic, too. With no one else to contribute, Thea must make a living for both of them in a sinister city, where danger lurks and greed rules.
Thea spends her nights waitressing at the decadent Telephone Club attending to the glitzy clientele. But when her best friend, Nan, vanishes, Thea is compelled to find her. She meets Freddy, a young, magnetic patron at the club, and he agrees to help her uncover the city's secrets-even while he hides secrets of his own.

Together, they find a whole new side of the city. Unrest is brewing behind closed doors as whispers of a gruesome magic spread. And if they're not careful, the heartless masterminds behind the growing disappearances will be after them, too.

Perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare, this is a chilling thriller with a touch of magic where the dead don't always seem to stay that way.

This cover is amazing. Actually, I take that back - the font is amazing. It totally sells the book, in my opinion. Whoever designed this bad boy did a fantastic job with it.

That being said, I wish the story was as good as my first impression based off the cover. I liked the beginning, I dived right in but then we added a third 'pov' character and I just wasn't feeling it. I wish we would've stuck with just Freddy and Thea, however, based on the story, that wouldn't have worked out.

I didn't feel much of a connection to these characters. I liked Thea well enough but I wasn't emotionally attached to her story or what happened to her or those she loved. I might have been a wee more attached to Freddy than her but that is still not saying anything. Nan, I didn't connect with at all. I just don't know, I'm disappointed because this is two books in a row with little to no character connection. I am such a character based reader that it makes me very hesitant on what I pick up next.

I also felt like this book gave me a bit a whiplash. The story was all over the place and I don't know, there was just no rhyme or rhythm to how it played out. The creation of this world we're supposed to see ourselves in just wasn't really there. I mean, it was there but it wasn't bursting at the seams, you know? I couldn't imagine myself there, with these characters and that, to me, is one of the most enjoyable things of reading. Being able to feel like you're truly apart of what you're reading.

What I loved was the idea behind this story. I feel like it had a huge amount of potential to be something brilliant but it just wasn't fully formed.

Plus this book had absolutely no romance. I'm sorry, there were a whopping TWO kisses from different characters. Two. That's all. I really wanted more and I never got it. Again, left me with lots of disappointment.

Thank you Disney for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.