Sweetest Darkness

Gr 9 Up–This supernatural thriller opens on a dark night in Gypsum, TX. A shared recurring dream has drawn teenagers Quinn, Selena, and June to the abandoned Hotel Alvarado in search of answers. Once a stop for the rich and famous, it now draws thrill seekers and ghost hunters and pulses with disquieting energy. While the teens don’t have a clear idea of what they will find, what unfolds is a mystery that spans generations and links Gypsum to an ancient force that brings destruction to everything it touches. The story weaves in a number of supernatural elements that should appeal to fans of the genre: many characters have psychic or perceptive abilities that initially defy explanation, and the creepiness of the Hotel Alvarado is an immediate draw as a location. The supernatural being that Quinn and his friends encounter effectively builds tension, especially since the human mask it wears poorly conceals its true form. Unfortunately, character development and pacing are somewhat uneven: Quinn’s motivations, including his relationship with his brother Ollie, are expertly handled, but June and Selena feel like silhouettes by comparison. The last third of the book rushes to explain and tie everything together, and while there is resolution, it is a challenge to sort through it all.