Reviews of Dark Before Dawn

Dark Before Dawn was a great read, perfect to take my mind off things and slip into the world that centered around Dawn. I loved the plot and the idea of a sixth sense.

From the first page I was excited to see the lifelike quality around the relationship between Dawn and her mother. It is definitely something that any teen age girl could sympathize with.

The feelings that Candance and Elaine had towards the boys they like are very much like crushes I've had. Even though I wouldn't have killed over it, I can definitely understand. On the flip side of that, when I started the book, I thought that there would be a lot more romance to the novel. So I was sad when everything stopped at the crush stage.

There are a lot of surprises and twists that kept me interested and kept the pace of the novel just how I like it.

I enjoyed the fact that you got to understand where Elaine was coming from as well as Candance because so many novels out there don't give a reason behind why their bad guys are bad. No one just is bad, they become bad by choices they make and others make. So, I was excited to learn about their characters.

Over all, this was a great read and a worthwhile read for everyone!

I thought this was a well written book and would really suggest this to any young adults who are interested in the paranormal, but I would also suggest it to all readers of all ages.

Another home run by Stacy Juba

I so enjoyed this author's previous adult mysteries that when I saw that she was offering her latest ya book as a giveaway I just had to seek the opportunity to read it. Although the book is not in my usual genre I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Ms. Juba's writing style, plot development, and character development are wonderful. She draws you into the story emotionally so that you empathize with both the teenagers and adults. This is a must read for young adults and adults alike.

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I was truly taken with this book! Not only is it a real page-turner, but I had moments where I would stop and say to myself, “Oh no she didn’t!” Dawn may have psychic powers but there are parts of her personality and situations that everyone can relate to. As the plot came together I found myself on the edge of my seat trying to figure out what would happen next, and guess what? I couldn’t guess! It takes a great plot to really stump and throw the reader off and Juba did an awesome job of keeping me interested. This author is going on my favorites list and I can’t wait to read more of her books.

Ms. Juba has nailed the high-school voice of her characters in "Dawn Before Dark". Dawn Christian gets transferred to a different school and becomes part of a blended family in a small town in Maine, a far cry from her life in Boston. With a new family, new friends and a connection with the town's psychic, Dawn finds that her own psychic ability is getting stronger, with some frightening effects. Ms. Juba has drawn a spot-on portrait of high school cliques and angst set against growing paranormal events! This is a taut story with a whiff of deja vu that will keep you turning the pages!

While geared toward YA readers, this book easily crosses over to older adults. Dawn is a teenager struggling to find her place in life. She doesn't quite fit in at her high school and is adapting to a new stepfather and stepbrother. To complicate matters, she is a powerful psychic with no guidance and her mother wants her to ignore her abilities. Another psychic teen, a mentor and Dawn's desire to fit in soon lead her into the kind of trouble she'd never dreamed possible.

The characters are well crafted and easy to relate to. The story moves at a good pace, with the mystery and suspense becoming more intense as the plot unravels. The writing style is Stacy Juba at her best. I loved everything about this book!