Jordan Dane

This young adult novel is darker than most with an intense edge that left me with three unforgettable characters that will be burned in my mind for many moons to come.

Written from Brenna's point of view, one quickly becomes involved with her pain and guilt over her decision of calling the police when she found her boyfriend, White Bird, standing over a girl, holding a knife and covered in blood. Then the understanding of what happened when Brenna and her mother left that small town to start show more over, only to have to return two years later with her mother to fix and sell her grandmother's house after her grandmother's death. One finds that her anger is justified, as when Brenna arrived, she is met with a hatred that is unjustly deserved. Being back also awakened more guilt and self-doubt when she went to visit her old boyfriend in the mental hospital. There is no way that the reader cannot get involved with Brenna as she is so "raw".

This story is filled with so many emotions: guilt, terror, sadness, love, shame, anger and forgiveness. It is a powerful story that makes one think about it long after they are finished. It makes one look at life and think all is not always as it seems - from the murder to Joe Sunne, a man Brenna finds that links White Bird to some interesting events.

This highly charged, dark and intense work is a book worth devouring, not only for young adults, but for anyone who enjoys an unforgettable story. show less

I was in the mood for some light reading, but by "light" I didn't mean brainless nonsense. This is a horrible novel, filled with shallow, clichéd characters, ridiculous, inane dialogue, and a host of destructive stereotypes to round it out.

The protagonist of this novel is a female detective - who is so good at her job, as soon as she meets a halfway attractive suspect, she falls into his deep, dark eyes and forgets she's supposed to question him. I can't believe this drivel was written by a show more woman. Way to reinforce negative stereotypes, Ms. Dane! I guess I should lump that in with the other prejudices this author wears on her sleeve, like the one whereby the Mexican family in her story has a beat down pick-up truck parked on their lawn, and their house smells like jalapeños and bell peppers. Is this woman for real?

Not recommended even for the lightest of readers. show less

On a Dark Wing is told from various points of views as needed to keep the plot moving. There's our heroine Abbey's viewpoint, and I really enjoyed being able to look through Nate and Tanner's eyes. It made me appreciate them more. Especially Tanner. Nate may be the golden boy, but Tanner's the cool one. He's one heck of a Silver Scorpion (for lack of a better expression)!

Initially, I didn't like Abbey. She doesn't get along with her dad, she's overly sarcastic, and she says things to him show more that really sting. Even when he's nice, she gives him a hard time. It irked me that she asks to leave for their trip early and then goes and makes sure he knows that she doesn't care about the trip. I also couldn't understand her obsession with Nate Holden (though I can't question her choice in guys).

Abbey grows tremendously over the course of the novel. I am glad that I didn't stop reading because of her attitude because I grew to love her spunk, especially after she finally begins to open up to her dad (and stops being sarcastic all the time).

Funny story about the romance. I was wondering why Abbey obsesses over Nate Holden, and then I saw this really great guy and asked why she couldn't like him when... voilà! She opens her eyes to the right guy. And they are so cute together! I am sorry for the first guy she kisses. He isn't a bad guy, and I wish there could be a happy ending for him. Who knows? The ending is left open for musing, and I'm going to believe that there is hope for a guy like him.

I didn't guess who the pretty boy of cloud and skies was until Abbey asked him who he was. He is a really special boy and, in a roundabout manner, gives Abbey the strength to heal and grow to appreciate her second chance at life. I love how the story played out. On a Dark Wing is an amazing story about death, life, and healing. Jordan Dane is a brilliant writer who took me on an emotional ride where I empathized with the characters, cheered for them, and cried my heart out for them. show less

When Rayne’s younger brother, Lucas, escapes from an institution, the last thing she can do is let it go, even though Lucas left her a message warning her against looking for him. According to Lucas, their older sister, Mia, had him committed to the church-run institution and the people running the place have a questionable reputation. Rayne doesn’t trust her sister either, but she can’t let Lucas wander the dangerous streets of L.A. alone.

Rayne sets out to find Lucas, only to get show more mixed up in some trouble of her own. Lucky for her, she happens upon a mysterious boy named Gabriel. Unknown to Gabriel, he is tied to Lucas. One night Rayne witnesses Gabriel slipping into a trance-like state, drawing furiously in a sketch pad. The picture he sketches is of Lucas. Despite Gabriel’s insistence that he is dangerous, Rayne refuses to let him go. She needs him to find her brother.

What they soon learn is that Lucas and a group of other kids are being hunted by a religious organization, out to destroy what are known as Indigo Children. The church sees them as a threat to the future of humanity and wants them destroyed. It’s up to Rayne and Gabriel to find the group of kids before the church’s henchmen do, but what Rayne doesn’t realize is that the boy who’s helping her may be even more dangerous than the men they are running from.

I have to say that I MIGHT be a little partial to this book because I am a character in it — well kind of. The character has the same name as me, and Jordan hooked him up with a bunker, an endless supply of Chinese takeout and a fear of snakes — all things I love (or fear). I loved seeing what an evil incarnation of me would be like, and I have to say I’m quite the nasty weirdo. I loved it.

With that said, I also very much enjoyed the rest of the book. It’s no secret that I am a fan of Jordan’s. In the Arms of Stone Angels was one of the first books I reviewed on the blog and was one of my top picks of 2011. When I found out about this book, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. These Indigo Kids sounded a little bit like super heroes in the making and if there’s anything I love, it’s people with super powers.

What I liked about this is that the story never faltered, nor did it feel like it fell into the typical super-hero origin formula of doom. Even though it’s the first book in a series, I felt like it started at the perfect place and all of the details were filled in nicely. While Lucas is the main focus (who is he? what are his powers? why does the church want him?), the real leader of the story is Rayne. I found her very strong and likable. She’s a survivor and she loves her brother. I also really liked Gabriel, and his backstory. I can’t wait to read more.

This is a fast-paced read, and I never felt as if I was fed a lot of unnecessary back story. Jordan does a great job of diving in, telling the story, and then getting out. I didn’t feel there was any fluff mixed in to give the book extra padding. The pace is perfect, the characters are great, and while I did want to know more about the powers of all of the kids, I’m sure we’ll get to that in future installments.

I will patiently await the next book – or at least pretend to be patient. show less