Nocturnal Book Reviews

4.5/5
Simply put, Dark Companion is an enchanting Gothic read, deliciously reminiscent of Jane Eyre.

There is this young orphan girl, who is given a magic ticket out of a hellhole she is living in to go to a posh privileged all-girl school. She is damaged, desperately in need of being loved and has a very cynical view of life.

It's marvellous to see Jane growing as a character throughout of the book. She meets someone who we, readers, think will be perfect for her, - Jack. Charming, kind, full of wit and eccentricity, talented musician with a strong moral code of what's right or wrong...

...and instead she falls for a totally selfish, childish, needy jerk slash golden boy of Birch Grove - moody, mercurial, slightly cruel and weak Lucky. Why? Because he needs her, and poor unstable, angry, vulnerable Jane falls into a trap of every abusive relationship that ever happened. She equals selfish need to love.

Marta Acosta manages to show this sense of wrongness really well, and I was struggling through most of the plot with Jane's choices, but still I could understand why she was making them.

*SPOILER ALERT*

When at some point Jane runs away from the Academy, and we see the stark reality of the streets she comes back to, the similarities with Bronte's work ends, because Jane comes back on her own terms, and stronger for it. This is the breaking point of her change. Everything after that makes her see her situation as it is. She is being used and abused and it's up to her to make the right choices.

Secondary characters in Dark Companion are to die for. Mary Violet very much reminded me of Nancy, - another character from Marta's adult series.

Grandmere calls me Marie-Violette and she‘s always asking me about my beaux, which is French for sleazebags with trust funds.

She is full of spark and incredible wit, crazily funny and writes poems about everyone. Most of the girls in Birch Grove are fantastic characters, and the banter between them and Jane is fabulous to read.

Jack is an absolute cutester, and my heart was with him from the very beginning. The book itself is spooky and full of dark undertones reminiscent of Morganville Vampires and Incubus by Carol Goodman.

Also, Ian Ducharme makes a cameo appearance. SQUEEEEE! I love him. If you haven't read Marta's hilarious Casa Dracula series, you MUST. He is gorgeous, insightful charmer with a dangerous reputation of an executioner among the vampires, and his nickname is Dark Lord *snorts*

Overall, Dark Companion is a complex and beautiful read full of shades of gray and uneasy moral choices, charming and haunting.