The Shadow Society

The Shadow Society - Yeah, The Shadow Society is definitely not going to be a book that everyone loves. Personally, I enjoyed it. It was flawed and I can agree that many will give up on it (and be right to do so), but I really did find that it was worth my time. And the thing is, I almost DNFed it. But because I had DNFed the book before it, I decided to stick with it, and I'm actually really glad I did that. It has some problems, but in the end, it was a lot of fun and I found that it was a valuable way to spend my time. There was a bit too much set up for me. Getting to know Darcy and the other characters was a little painful because the opening several chapters are just so slow. If you were going to stop reading the book at any point, this is probably when it would be. The writing was simple (which is not necessarily a bad thing) and I really found myself thinking, "When is this going to get going and is ANY of this information important?" And the answer to that is some of it is and some of it isn't. But I think around page 86 is when it really starts moving. That was when I updated my status that it had finally hooked me. So maybe be a little patient with this one if you want to read it. Like I said, there is nothing special about the writing. I would even go so far as to call it a little juvenile in places. But most of the character development worked for me, though I didn't find them as fleshed out as they could be. Everything about this book was good enough to get by. Not enough to make it really special, but enough to make it a decent read.Unraveling Darcy's story right along with her was a lot of fun. And the story moved fast enough, though there were sometimes lulls in the pacing that made me put the book down and do something else. Still, I read through this one pretty quickly (I've been reading slowly these days) and I did enjoy most of it. The ideas are original and I found them pretty fascinating even with the few inconsistencies that I found. At one point towards the end, Darcy mentions that she doesn't have eyes or a mouth when she is in shade form. So how can she see and talk? She doesn't actually speak in shade form until the latter third of the book, but she does talk. How is that possible? Also, she sees in shade form throughout the entire novel. This was sort of a problem for me because I couldn't make the leap in logic and I don't think I should have to. It wasn't explained well. Work out your plot holes before you publish. Sigh.But all in all, I really did enjoy Darcy's story. I liked the romance between Darcy and Conn but I still don't understand the beginning. Did he or did he not try to kill her and why did she forgive him so easily? I grew to love Conn though and I am one of those readers that hates controlling love interests. I feel that Conn redeemed himself enough to be a great character and a viable love interest. I do not understand, however, why there was a love triangle. There was no need for the second love interest to enter the picture.I was also disappointed by the ending. I felt it was lackluster and a little too neatly wrapped up. It just wasn't what I was looking or hoping for from the book. It's okay because that happens sometimes and even so I was still able to enjoy it. I wish I could say more, but you know...spoilers.I loved Darcy's friends and I loved a couple of the side characters. I loved the descriptions of Chicago and the different locations in the book. I think the author has a little skill to gain in the way she writes, but I do think this was a fun book and it was just one of those you could sit down and enjoy without thinking too much. It won't ever be a favorite, but in a genre that is mostly full of series these days, it was nice to find a standalone that kept my attention. I can recommend this one. I think there are other books I would pick up before it, but if you happen to be around it, I think it's entertaining enough for you to give it a chance.