[Review: This Darkness Mone by Mindy McGinnis

"This Darkness Mine"
Author: Mindy McGinnis
Series: None
Pages: 352
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Thriller, Horror
Date Published: October 10th, 2017
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Format Read: eARC provided by the publisher (via Edelweiss) for honest review

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Summary:

Sasha Stone knows her place—first-chair clarinet, top of her class, and at the side of her oxford-wearing boyfriend. She’s worked her entire life to ensure that her path to Oberlin Conservatory as a star musician is perfectly paved.

But suddenly there’s a fork in the road, in the shape of Isaac Harver. Her body shifts toward him when he walks by, her skin misses his touch even though she’s never known it, and she relishes the smell of him—smoke, beer, and trouble—all the things she’s avoided to get where she is. Even worse, every time he’s near Sasha, her heart stops, literally. Why does he know her so well—too well—and she doesn’t know him at all?

Sasha discovers that her by-the-book life began by ending another’s: the twin sister she absorbed in the womb. But that doesn’t explain the gaps of missing time in her practice schedule or the memories she has of things she certainly never did with Isaac. As Sasha loses her much-cherished control, her life—and heart—become more entangled with Isaac. Armed with the knowledge that her heart might not be hers alone, Sasha must decide what she’s willing to do—and who she’s willing to hurt—to take it back.

Edgar Award–winning author Mindy McGinnis delivers a dark and gripping psychological thriller about a girl at war with herself, and what it really means to be good or bad.

-Goodreads

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My Thoughts:

If you've ever wondered what it would be like if Mindy McGinnis wrote a magical realism book, This Darkness Mine is the answer to your question. And yes, it's just as twisted, uncomfortable, and utterly fucked up as you'd expect it to be. Honestly, this book isn't for the faint of heart. This book is brutal... in all the best ways.

Mindy McGinnis is one of the few authors who are on my instant buy list, and she hasn't let me down yet. Even though this is the weirdest book in her catalogue so far, I dig it. This Darkness Mine is one of those books that's hard to review, because you don't want to give anything away, and you honestly can't put your finger on how to review it. 

I'm sure that some people are going to say that the plot isn't realistic, and I think that that's what makes it work. I mean the main character absorbs her twin in the womb, and that's just the beginning of the messed up things that "perfect" Sasha Stone has done to the people around her. Is Sasha the only one living in her body, or is her dead twin still around? McGinnis explores this idea in ways that can't be medically verified, but like I said, this book feels like a messed up, magical realism novel, so it worked for me.

Sasha starts out as this perfect angel, and it's fun to see who she truly is. Some might call her an antihero, some might call her a villain, and truth be told, she's not a good girl, that's for sure. 

On one side, it feels like you're watching Sasha's life unravel, but if you look closely I think that this book is about Sasha finding herself. She's not nice, she's not a reliable narrator, and if you're looking for a cute story about a girl finding out who she is, this isn't going to be the book for you. McGinnis is unflinchingly real with her narrative, and even though you'll be disturbed, you won't be able to look away.

Rating:

4 Unicorns = Close to perfect!