REVIEW: Dark Eyes by William Richter

Name: Dark Eyes

Author: William Richter

Publisher: Razorbill

Release date: August 2nd 2012

Pages: 383

Source: Publisher (for review)

Rating: 5 stars

Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child and grew up in a wealthy New York City family. At fifteen, her obsessive need to rebel led her to life on the streets.

Now the sixteen-year-old is beautiful and hardened, and she's just stumbled across the possibility of discovering who she really is. She'll stop at nothing to find her birth mother before Klesko - her darkeyed father - finds her. Because Klesko will stop at nothing to reclaim the fortune Wally's mother stole from him long ago. Even if that means murdering his own blood. But Wally's had her own killer training, and she's hungry for justice.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for teens, this debut thriller introduces our next big series heroine!

[summary taken from Goodreads]

My Review

I wasn't entirely sure what I'd make of Dark Eyes to begin with as it's not the type of book that I'd usually go straight for.  The fact that it was written by a Hollywood screenwriter and the intriguing synopsis won me over and I'm glad I didn't turn down the chance to read it.

What I loved most about this book was Wally.  She's so tough and kick-ass and the way she doesn't go down without a fight left me with so much admiration for her.  We need more strong female protagonists like her!  Although I didn't agree with some of the decisions she made, you can't help but support her in the end.  I soon felt like I was 'part' of the crew and I fell for her friends, Tevin, Jake and Ella too.  I adored the way they stuck by each other through thick and thin and were like family to each other.

Another factor that I can't not mention is that it moved at such a thrilling pace, with twists and turns slapping me in the face along the way.  I have never read a book so dark and so gritty before which only made me love it more.  The plot completely engaged me and I was never left bored at all.  The action and the thrill that came with it was dealt with superbly by Richter, weaving in and out, casting doubts and leaving my heart racing.  There were many parts of the book that had me staying up past midnight, just as desperate as Wally to find answers.

Because of the rush of action and combat, I was surprised to find myself loving the book nonetheless despite the lack of romance.  It only featured lightly and disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, although I think a heavy emphasis on romance would have detracted from my enjoyment of the book.  Instead, it focussed on family love and the love formed between friendships which was just as enjoyable to read as a hot romance, surprisingly.

And the ending... oh my, the ending.  It took me completely by surprise as loose ends were tied together in a heart-stopping, edge-of-the-seat fashion.  The shock, the heartbreak, the confusion... just WOW.  You need to read it for yourself to experience the sheer horror as events unfold in the book.

Overall, Dark Eyes is a hauntingly thrilling rollercoaster of a read which will have your heart racing as quickly as the fast pace at which the book moves.  If you're looking for a book with endless action and  a generous supply of twists and turns, look no further.

5 teacups for Dark Eyes!

*Thank you to Penguin (Razorbill) for the review copy!*