I loved this book so much. I read it with my hubby, who's into Sci-Fi, Coroline, and Marvel. We both enjoyed it and were not expecting that ending. Eilem was so sweet and warm with Hylee. I loved how he was always there with a cup of coffee, trying to help Hylee. I found myself getting creeped out but also swooning at times. I highly recommend it. Britney handles the topic of grief in such a unique and beautiful way.

This book was so good. I mean look at the cover... ✨SHE IS STUNNING✨. It reminds me so much of Coraline, which also does tie in with the book's plot since the vibes were very much a darker Coraline with an older protagonist who is black with time travel. Also perhaps a little Stranger Things.

Honestly if I hadn't already picked it up since I was interested in Britney S. Lewis ever since hearing so much great reviews about her debut, which I still have to read💀, I would've still picked this one up since I love a little YA horror. Especially with the new wave of bipoc authors making the most amazing YA horror/mystery/thrillers, which makes my inner child very happy.

And this one will now be added to that list. I saw so much of myself in the protagonist. It deals with grief, friend breakups, mental health and moving to a new school, but in a very accessible thrilling way.

I also did enjoy the trope of the little romance that was going on, but especially that it was not at the forefront of the story. I did think that some of it (the romance) could have been worked out a little better, for me. But that's literally all I have for criticism.

I didn't hate this book, but I also didn't like it. I feel like this book didn't know what it wanted to be. From the description, I was expecting a creepy dark step into another world, but those tiny glimpses are almost more like blips in this book. This book is foremost a exploration of family tragedy and grief. If it was just that, it would be fine. However, the inclusion of the dark place ends up making the who story feel disjointed. We jump between the past, the present, and the dark place, pulled along through Hylee's every thought and emotion and for most of the ride, we have no idea how it connects. I usually like a book when it features twisted strands that only come together at the end, but ultimately this book messy.

This book felt like it was trying to be a few different types of books. Sometimes horror, sometimes mystery, sometimes romance, but they did not blend together very well. I was curious about how she was "disappearing," but it wouldn't hold my attention enough for me to get through, because I felt like it jumped around too often to keep track of what was happening.

thank you to britney s. lewis and netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. as a sophomore follow-up, a dark place is an intriguing continuation on grief. very atmospheric!

There were parts that I immensely enjoyed while also being parts that I simply did not care for or could stay engaged during. There were parts where I was drawn in and others where I was reminded that perhaps I am no longer the kind of person this book was intended for. The story was interesting and the plot was decent but at times, everything else felt incredibly underwhelming

This book is a case of “cool premise but I am not the intended audience”. I will say that I have students that will love this book. It’s fast paced, a bit of horror, time travel, and some romance tossed in. The concept is interesting (girl constantly getting zapped back to a memory she doesn’t want to relive) but I found the writing…lackluster. I didn’t care for the dialogue (again, I know my students will love it), and I found that the pacing for me was off. It lagged at times, and then went supersonic. I felt like it was a bit jumbled.

"My problem is that even though I shouldn't, I believe that perfect moments can exist in time and space, even if we're flawed"

Nine years ago after her brother's disappearance after a home invasion, Hylee Williams's life changed forever. Since then, Hylee has struggled against her body's reaction to the event, disappearing into a darker and twisted version of her family home, and back to the evening her brother disappeared. She feels isolated and terrified, never sure when the darkness will envelop her next, and send her back to the place of nightmares, and when and where she'll pop back out into the present. However, when she meets tall, handsome and compassionate Eilam at a party she's dragged to, she finally finds a kindred spirit, someone who listens completely without judgement or fear, and is determined to help her with this incessant nightmares.

Hylee spends her time feeling alone in her life, gripped by a darkness so absolute it sends her to a twisted version of the night that destroyed her family. Struggling to be heard by those she holds closest who fear for her safety, and being constantly forced into a world so dark and terrifying it plagues her every thought, Hylee is completely isolated in her battle. Exasperated and frustrated with the lack of support or help offered to unlock the memories of the event that haunt her, she desperately turns to a stranger to get the answers she craves.

This was so lyrical and haunting. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and completely compelled throughout, I found it difficult to put this book down from the second I delved into this world. It was so astounding and moving to see Hylee finding a kindred spirit, someone who wants to listen to what she's going through, and help in anyway they can. Eilam was a beautiful soul who deserved the entire world, and I will DIE on this hill. Spine tingling, this story is a complete emotional rollercoaster, with a beautiful and profoundly moving ending that shocked me to my core.

The Dark Place follows Hylee as she starts ‘disappearing’ - finding herself travelling from the present and stuck in a replay of one tragic night in her childhood. With all of her family refusing to mention it, Hylee reaches out to a new friend for answers about where she goes to and why it happens to her.

I enjoyed the exploration of grief in this book, and the depiction of a close brother-sister relationship. However, I felt the pacing was too slow, the explanation was messy and not fully thought through, and the use of Hylee’s grandmas avoidance of conversation as a plot device was lazy and annoying to read. This had great potential to be very special but unfortunately for me the execution was a bit off.

I loved this book. A wonderful story from Britney S Lewis. The story itself is engaging and it's full of creepy elements, exactly what I was looking to get out of it. Can't wait to see what Britney Lewis has in store for us next!

I loved this book! Honestly it was not what I was expecting. I knew what summary was about but somehow still did not see his being the story. The main character wanting to hide what she can do, and her family kind of burying the secret was something I feel many families would do if put in that situation. While it was romance in the story I feel like it flowed with the storyline rather than took away from it. I enjoyed the plot twist involving the two main characters. I knew it was something he was keeping but did not think it was that!

Another wonderful story from Britney S Lewis. The storytelling is engaging and the characters full of life. In this new take on slipping into unknown times and places Britney takes us on a journey of self discovery, growth, grief and coming to terms with life. I absolutely loved getting to know Hylee and the people around her. I'm just sorry I took so long to get this written.

It was very promising for the first 100 pages or so. Then it all went downhill. Character arcs were just dropped. The explanation for the time travel was almost laughable. It had some interesting ideas, but they weren’t developed properly.

oh this was proper creepy and unsettling (in the best way!) it made me rethink everything i know about time and life in general, and i was desperate to figure out the truth around her brothers disappearance and the dodgy circumstances. reality now doesn’t feel real.

A haunting story likes behind the eerily beautiful cover of this book. Nothing is scarier than secrets, and those who keep them. This book brings to life that very fear. No matter how old you are, you will finish the book covered in goosebumps and go to bed with the lights on. A masterfully crafted spooky tale perfect for any horror fan.

3.5 rounded to 4.

I couldn’t quite gauge if this was time-travel or magical realism, but I enjoyed it all the same. I liked the character development and it had a hauntingly eerie approach. I enjoyed the romance aspect and I found the book easy to read. It’s YA and it was a nicely written book.

I grateful for the eARC for this novel in return for an honest review. I did not read toonmuch about the novel before starting it so I could go in blind. Based off the cover I assumed it was going to be very dark and spooky and in some aspects it was (the sewed up mouths reminded me of Coraline) but I was pleasantly surprised when time travel was introduced. I also really loved the relationship btw Lee & Eilam, super sweet and truly star crossed. One of my favorite characters was Eilams grandfather and wish that him and his knowledge was better explained. Overall it hit all the YA feels for romance, and teen angst, I just wish the pacing and overall explanation of time travel was more fleshed out. I was left with a beautiful teen love story but alot of family secrets unanswered.

This book was really interesting. It took me some time to really get into it. Time travel YA is a fascinating genre to me...it can be done convincingly, or it can be done very poorly, and there really isn't any in-between. For a while, I thought this was a spin on a similar thing to Get Out, but the book does come into its own.

Hylee disappears when she begins to think about the most traumatic thing that's ever happened to her. Her parents don't know what to do with her, her best friend can't deal with it, and so, very lonely, she goes to live with her grandmother, who doesn't seem to want much to do with her either. There's some mystery going on...more than Hylee knows, and nobody will talk to her about it. She becomes close with a young man who has a similar trait, and they work through her trauma together.

I do think the time travel thing was an apt metaphor for processing trauma. It was well-written, and the characters developed throughout the story. I docked it one star because it shouldn't have taken me as long to really get into the story, but that might have been a "me" thing and not a "book" thing. The cover was also misleading...I really wanted this to be a much darker, spookier book than it was.

A very different take on the time-travel trope. Was it caused by trauma? Was it genetic? Was is scifi? There were some questions left open at the end for me, which I won't get into without spoiling the story! I really liked the relationship and connection between Hylee & Eilam, and with her new friendship with Sarah. Sarah just went with the flow and that's why Hylee needed after all the craziness in her life. This is a half horror/half scifi book for me. It would be interesting if the author wrote more about these characters in another book.

Though intrigued by the premise of this story, I found the execution of the story to not be my vibe. I did not complete my read of The Dark Place and am not sure who I would recommend pick up this story.