Darkside

Darkside #1

by Tom Becker

Jonathon's home has been attacked. His dad's in an asylum, he's running for his life, and there's nowhere to hide. He's stumbled on the city's greatest Darkside. A place where nightmares walk the streets, incredibly dangerous and unimaginably exciting, Darkside is ruled by Jack the Ripper's children. You think you're in trouble now, but your problems have just begun... This supernatural suspense thriller, full of unforgettable characters and a dash of gothic horror, comes complete with fabulous die-cut glow-in-the-dark cover!

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Young Adult, Vampires, Adventure, Supernatural, Urban Fantasy

Paperback

First published January 8, 2007

About the author

Tom Becker grew up in a market town in the northwest of England, dreaming of becoming a writer. He won the 2007 Waterstones' Children's Book Prize with his first novel, Darkside, and has continued to blur the lines between history and fantasy in brooding adventure and horror stories such as The Traitors and While The Others Sleep. He has also published an adult novel, The Cold Tap, on Kindle under his real name, Tom Beckerlegge. Tom lives in London with his wife, baby son, and a horde of shadowy creatures that he keeps confined within the pages of his notebook. He can be found on Twitter at @Tbeckerlegge.

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jonathon has always had a life that was on the edge of normalcy. He is 14 years old, and he would be more than happy to have a boring life that is shared by other London teens. You see, his father Alain has a bit of a dark addiction. It is a little mysterious, but it has a habit of making him sick. So much so that Alain ends up in a coma for long periods of time.

Now, his father is once again suffering from a coma, and someone is hunting down Londoners. It all starts when Ricky Thomas is kidnapped by a mysterious trio from the Darkside, a mirror London that developed when Queen Victoria and her forces pushed out all of the seedy and unwanted citizens into it. It is filled with werewolves, vampires, bounty hunters, and murderers.

It turns out that Jonathan and Ricky have been targeted by Grimshaw, and important denizen of Darkside who is hoping to use them in a gladiator-style fight with some wolves. Jonathan is able to use his father's research to get a better understanding of what is happening and finds help in the form of Carnegie, and old friend of Alain's who is a werewolf.

Thanks to Carnegie, Jonathan learns that he and Ricky were targeted because their mixed heritage allows them to pass back and forth between Lightside and Darkside more easily and allows them to feel at home in both locations.

The story is fast-paced and will be sure to keep many younger readers on the edge of their seats with this interesting and well-designed suspense work. The character development is not strong, but it never is in this type of work. The tale is plot driven, and it is a great ride. Think Goosebumps, but much better drawn.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dystopian version of London. with a boy from contemporary London discovering, Darkside. A place founded in the 19C, as a dumping ground for undesirables - similar to Victorian London, but ruled by descendants of Jack the Ripper and occupied by werewolves, vampires, etc. I felt it had a lot of potential and was an enjoyable read but that it was building up for further novels, leaving questions unanswered, rather than being a stand alone work of fiction.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Starling stumbles upon an alternative world of vampires and the underground horrors of Darkside. Discovering his own heritage as partially Darkside, Jonathan becomes hunted by some evil power-hungry villains. Mostly guided by a gruff werewolf detective, Carnegie, Jonathan will uncover some dark secrets about himself and Darkside....

For fans of Darren Shan, this series is catered more for the tween audience...Only comparison that may make sense is how some people feel that the first 3 books of Harry Potter are younger reader friendly versus the last ones. The same holds true for Becker's series versus Darren Shan. The characters are equally developed, the plot is very action-packed, featuring a lot of perilous situations for Jonathan and the scary parts are scary. The other cool part I forgot to add about Becker's story that sets it apart from other horror, is it's unique tie-in that...Darkside is ruled by the descendants of Jack-the-Ripper. Let that sink in....

Overall, a good read. I will be reading at least the sequel.

[Horror Sickness · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jonathan is not your typical teenager. left alone living with his dad that is always in and out of the hospital has not been easy for him. Used to do as he pleases one day he ends up running from some bounty hunters coming for him.

He does not know why they are after him and what other secrets his dad has been keeping from him regarding his mom and his background. Suddenly he finds himself in this other world called Darkside where he will meet creatures, monsters, friends, foes and discover more about his own life.

A great first book introducing us to the different worlds and characters. This series does feel really promising with the next books possibly expanding on the world, creatures and taking us in a new adventure.

[Lindsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I reread this book so I could finish off the series. This is a children’s book that I taught at my last school and I always enjoyed reading it with my yr 7s. There is a good atmosphere built up, with lots of action and really great descriptions - lots for students to get their teeth stuck into and enjoy. A great children’s book for both boys and girls of around 9-13.

[CatNg ChoiEn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished reading this book instead of studying for finals, that's how much I enjoyed the book. Tom Becker's works have always been some of my personal favourites. Clearly, this series is gonna be another one as well.

[Shannon Bunch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the world building and I want to get the other ones in the series now!

[Manogna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, quick read. Had a few nice twists ,but didnt generate enough interest in me to continue with the series. Would recommend it for middle graders though.

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jonathan Starling likes being invisible. It allows him to sneak off whenever he wants, usually without getting caught. But when his home is attacked and a strange trio start pursuing hum, Jonathan finds he’s not as invisible as he’d like to be. There are some people—or things—extremely sinister hinting through London for Jonathan, connecting far back into his family’s past with secrets he never knew existed. It all leads back to Darkside, a dangerous place for otherworldy creatures like vampires and werewolves, a place of Jonathan’s heritage and where he must find refuge with his sick father’s old friend. But is coming to Darkside really any safer than the London Jonathan already knows?

Fast-paced and full of danger and excitement, Darkside is an enthralling read. The story is mostly plot-driven, but that isn’t a bad thing since Becker creates action exceedingly well. There is something so thrilling about Darkside, partially because of its sinister atmosphere and inhabitants and partially because it’s hidden nearly in plain sight in the middle of London. I love how Becker expertly sets the coexistence of Darkside and Lightside, or the world as Jonathan used to know it; it open up realms of possibilities for trouble. As with many action novels, the characters could’ve been better developed; in fact, with the descriptiveness of Becker’s writing, I’m surprised Jonathan and the other characters didn’t feel more real because despite Jonathan’s central role, the most that can be understood about him is his sheer determination. Also, I would’ve appreciated learning more of Jonathan’s and Darkside’s histories since disappointingly little was revealed. Still, I found Darkside a highly entertaining read and one with lots of potential for a sequel.

This action-filled story will be enjoyed by fans of Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer and Foundling by D.M. Cornish. I look forward to reading Darkside’s sequel, Lifeblood.

reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com

[Paige Y. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jonathan Starling has not had an easy life. He’s never known his mother, and his father is frequently ill, suffering from what he calls the Darkening. Jonathan has basically raised himself, with the help of a friendly neighbor. So when his father yet again is placed in a mental hospital in London, Jonathan see an all-familiar pattern restarting. But while he’s visiting his father, the man in the next room is murdered and Jonathan finds a mysterious dagger in the room. All of a sudden people are chasing him and Jonathan learns that there is another, untalked about part of London. A part where more than 100 years ago the worst of the worst were condemned to live. Jonathan must travel to Darkside in order to save himself and his father.

I must admit to having a hard time getting in to this book. I just never really connected with the characters. I read a review of it quite some time ago and was really excited when it came in to my library, but it never really clicked for me. I do wonder how the next book in the series will be – Becker will not have to spend so much time setting up his two worlds and can concentrate on character development.

[Tristan Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book looked interesting, so i decided to read it. And i can say i was actually sucked deep into this book, Because it conveys a dark, deep, and mystical feeling. The book starts when a boy named Jonathan Starling's father is admitted to a hospital. When Jonathan's father is in the hospital, he decides to investigate his fathers study, a place his father had been holed up for years. He rarely talked to Jonathan and kept to himself. He finds a book there about "Darkside". That is where the story starts, now the review. The book honestly surprised me. I thought it was going to be a mediocre book, but it turned out to be a well written story and really made the reader keep turning the pages. It had a good mix of good and bad in the book, But overall i would give it a 8.5/10.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, it wasn't the most artsy and meaningful writing style, but heck! The story caught me from the first pages! All the mystery and all these disappearings and all these creatures... man, that was one hell of a good story. Tom Becker did a great job creating Darkside, because with the help of all the description and all these things happening in there he set up the perfect dark atmoshpere. Robbers, suspicious shadows, dangerous people walking around freely...
AND HECK, I KNEW IT! I IMAGINED CARTER ROBERTS AND VENDETTA LOOKING THE SAME AND I. WASN'T. WRONG. HA! IN YOUR FACE, EVIL VAMPIRE!
P.S: Am I the only one who imagined Raquella as a Little Red Riding Hood but with really ruby red curly hair?

[Meg Eagles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lets just say this book never seems to disappoint me. I have loved this series for so many years but was a lot younger when I first read this series therefore, when re-reading the series now I become quite sceptical as to weather I will enjoy the series as I did the previous time.

Throughout the story you are forever finding new parts of the Darkside world and of the character's personality's.

These books are so easy to read and can easily be read in one session. Tom Beckers writing is not the most creative or poetic way of writing but it works so well for this plot line and the world he has built!

I would definitely recommend this series of books for anyone who is interested in any other middle grade books! It is definitely a series you can sink your teeth into.

[Hallie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was certainly creepy and atmospheric, and generally well-done except for odd clumsy bits, and I might have been more appreciative another time. There's lots more to come, with Vendetta, Marianne and possibly others still around and out to get Jonathan and all the mystery about Jonathan's mother too. I'm not planning on reading it now, but it might happen.

[Chetgardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that Darkside was really creative book and had an excellent concept behind there being a entire, evil side of london hidden behind the regular side of london. So overall i thought this book was really really good and i would recommend it to anyone that likes horror, suspense, or creative novels.

[Samantha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yawn.

BIG yawn.

This concept has been done to death, and every other time I've read it, it's been done better. While the story, though unoriginal, is compelling enough to be good, the writing is so awful and there are so many inconsistencies in the plot that I was barely able to get through the book. Don't waste your time or your money.

[Coki · Rating 4 out of 5]

TOTALLY creepy! Like Coraline creepy - like I had to put it down creepy - why do we have this cataloged in JF?!?!? But then the action took off which took down the creepiness. But solid YF for scary stuff/urban fantasy. can't wait for the next installment.

[Corey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good read for people who like horror and suspense stories.It's pretty much about two kids who get kidnapped and get taken to the other side of London and throughout the book they are trying to save one kids dad and escape.

[Reagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting in the beginning and end but boring in the middle

[Klaudyna ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF at 75%, the story was becoming a snoozefest.

[Larissa Washington · Rating 2 out of 5]

My son checked this book out over a month ago but has not read it. So, I decided to read it before sending it back. The beginning of the story is captivating; immediately, trouble brews while Ricky Thomas--not the protagonist--is on a field trip. He is being pursued by two beings that only he can see; but after he flees to a church, a place he thinks is safe, his problems worsen. Ricky is just a small piece in a larger puzzle.

The protagonist is Jonathan Starling, son of Alain Starling. Alain is not well and is back in the hospital. He keeps talking about the 'Darkness' coming for him. Jonathan is mostly estranged from his father. They have a lack of emotional connection and it appears to stem from Jonathan's mother, whom he has been led to believe 'left' him with his father. Questions about his mother go unanswered and cause Jonathan to withdraw. Anyway, while Alain is in the hospital, Jonathan decides to enter his father's office--a place that has been forbidden. Not long after he finds a picture of the mother he has never met, there is a break-in. He escapes, only to seek answers from his father who can barely speak but manages to apologize. A family friend realizes that Jonathan must leave and find Carnegie in Darkside.

Darkside is a place where one can find vampires, werewolves, descendants of Jack the Ripper, trolls, and all other sorts of creatures. Think of beings that have no qualm about consuming/collecting humans. But Jonathan is determined. He is being pursued and also wants answers and believes Carnegie--wereman--can assist him. He can and cannot. This is moreso where the story unravels. Jonathan learns that he is part Darksider, yet he does not receive much more. Why? The focus changes and is so annoying. Instead of learning more about his mother, Jonathan is helping Ricky and unraveling a cover-up by a Darksider who is also functioning in Jonathan's world (Lightside). By the end, neither the reader nor the antagonist are anymore aware of where, who, or what Jonathan's mother is, which leads to another book. However, the preview chapter does not mention Jonathan's mother.

I do not foresee going down the rabbit hole to find out. While I enjoyed the fact of two opposing places like Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, this book is not worth the fees that may have accrued for its nearly month long departure.

[Isaac Dozier · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is called Darkside, by Tom Becker. The overall genre of this book is more of a horror fiction and is part of a series with this being the first book of it. Darkside is a novel by Tom Becker, about a boy named Jonathan Starling who discovers a world hidden in London; a world run by Jack the Ripper's family. Only the worst of the worst live here, and all too quickly Jonathan gets mixed up in a world full of murders, thieves, a werewolf and a vampire. The overall tone of this book This novel is written in third person with the main character being Jonathan Starling. There are multiple characters in this novel. Vendetta – An evil vampire from Darkside. Ricky Thomas – A normal bullied student that was hunted and kidnapped. Mrs. Elwood – Jonathan's helpful and slightly overprotective neighbor. Humble and Skeet – The two freaky, and also weird sidekicks to Marianne. Something I didn't really like about this book is that it starts off pretty slow and at the beginning, I was kind of confused because to me, the story didn't really make any sense even though I was reading the first book of the series. And it somewhat took a little bit for me to better understand the plot and continue reading. Another thing I didn't really like about this book was that it sometimes would get boring and it was sometimes long and drawn out in general. But something I did like about the book was that it does eventually get better and more interesting as the story continues. I wasn't really able to connect or relate to any of the characters in this book. And I never really connected to the book emotionally and never really could relate to anything that was happening in the plot. I would recommend this book to anyone that is just looking for a book to read for fun. I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone that would be reading it for some kind of project or report just because some of it just isn't really that interesting at times. Overall, I think that this novel is a decent book to read for anyone that's interested in reading a horror fiction novel.

[Eric]

In modern-day London, a perfumed woman with fluorescent hair abducts 13-year-old Ricky. The narrative then switches to Jonathan, an independent 14-year-old whose father suffers bouts of mental illness or “darkening.” As the kidnappers pursue Jonathan, he pursues his father’s obsession, a place called Darkside that “ ‘tears pieces of your soul away.’ ” Fluorescent Marianne and her goons follow Jonathan to Darkside, where he finds a friend of his father’s who happens to be a werewolf. Darkside, reached by damp pipe or abandoned tube station, is a grisly and fetid alternate London. Ghoulish figures in stovepipe hats throng the sidewalks, kicking and elbowing; screams puncture the night; murder is ubiquitous. Two separate people have put a price on Jonathan’s head, one to place him in a death menagerie with Ricky. Becker switches threads rarely but with perfectly timed precision. Revenge upon those who escape immediate harm looms large for the next installment, as does Jonathan and Ricky’s mysterious Darkside heritage. At the end Ricky escaped from the darkside and saved his dad.

[Garret Haug]

The book Darkside is one of those books where when you first look at you think it doesn’t look like you want to read it. But it is actually pretty good. It's like Stranger Things with the upside down without all the creatures in the movie. It all starts out with a troubled kid just not a regular family this kid doesn’t like to attend school. He is constantly skipping but one day he goes home and he is up in his room then he hears someone come inside the house he isn’t sure what it is or who it is. The suspense in this book keeps you wanting to read more and more every day. I don’t want to give anything away thats for you wanting out figure out how good this book is. You should take the chance to read this book and learn what this book has to offer shows you both the good and the bad side of what really goes on in a troubled kids life. I’d suggest putting this book in your library or reading it on your free time. This one of the many books i would recommend if you need a book to read this is the book. I loved this book from cover to cover.

[Vj · Rating 2 out of 5]

Darkside is a suspenseful novel about friendship and despair. The book starts when frightened Ricky Thomas is kidnapped by a band of misfits. Johnathan was lucky enough to not be kidnapped first but it doesn't stop Johnathan always being on the lookout. Shorty after Johnathan Starling's dad ends up in a psychiatric hospital once again he ends up on the run in the streets of London. Chased by kidnappers and bounty hunters Jonathan seeks asylum in Darkside, a land of criminals hidden out in the middle of London. There he finds old family friend Carnegie; a Wereman detective who struggles to understand what is right and wrong. Throughout this gothic novel, Johnathan finds himself discovering finding out things he wishes he doesn't know. It turns out that Darkside is full of a lot worse than Carnegie as Monsterous animals and Vampires are out for him as well. Johnathan has to rely on his own wits and Carnegie if he is going to survive. As commotion goes on back at home everyone is trying to solve the mystery of the two missing boys.

[GenGens-23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darkside, written by Tom Becker, is a gothic novel that always keeps you on the edge of your seat. When teenager Jonothan Starling gets kidnapped along with a boy called Ricky Thomas he will stop at nothing to get back to Lightside. He finds out that nothing is as it seems and if you look hard enough you will find the Darkside, a world of crime, vampires, poverty & werewolves. Jonothan the boy that would usually be invisible is now on the run discovering that his dad who is frequently sick has secrets...like everyone right and that his mother that he never knew was not what he had thought she would have been. Jonothan goes on an adventure to a new world meeting new friends and mortal enemies. Some of them threaten to end his life. This book was a truly exhilarating book that I could barely put down. I personally enjoyed this book for many reasons but the main fact was because it's a really good page-turner. I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading fantasy or adventure novels.

[Oliver Sobieraj]

Vampires werewolves, massive bats, everything you would want in a gothic novel. This book is filled with mysteries and twists on every corner. The book is very intriguing with Jonathon Starling getting chased all over the two worlds by a gang of kidnappers. Jonathon hides out with a friend in the world founded by Jack the Ripper and Ricky Thomas sits helplessly for the end.
This book has so many plot twists and incredible scenes within the book that makes you never want to stop reading. Plenty of descriptive writing and engaging relations, for example, Jonathon's relationship with his father. His father is suffering from some sort of illness that makes him unable to speak a single sentence properly. This illness has caused Jonathon to like appearing visible and have almost no relationships with anyone besides his father and Mrs Elwood, who is a sort of mother figure for Jonathon. This book is very entertaining and definitely a must read for anyone who likes Gothic fiction or any sort of action packed books.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becker, Tom Darkside, 288 Pgs. Orchard Books. Language-G; Sexual Content- G; Violence- PG;

This is a story about Jonathan Starling, a 14-year-old boy stuck in a broken world where is father is almost always in the hospital sick and when he's not he's stuck up in his home office. Jonathan's Biggest form of excitement is usually running from the police. But when three strangers start coming after him, his world is turned into a horrible horror story. When he crosses over to another world he makes werewolf friends, makes vampire enemies, and has to save his fathers life before it's too late.

This is a fun story that had me on the edge of my seat a lot of the time. It took me quite a few chapters before I really got into it but once I did, it was awesome. I recommend it to anyone looking for a new series with vampires, werewolves and other creatures.

MS-ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer:AR
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2008/...

[Isla Burrow]

Jonathan has been through a lot considering his father in the hospital and the richest person in Darkside named Vendetta is trying to kill him and Johnathan. And when Humble feel into the Pool of Pain I nearly died of laughter. But there is still Lifeblood, Nighttrap, Timecurse and Blackjack. Blackjack is gonna be a hard one to not cry over. Everything that Tom Becker wrote in this book blew my young mind. And it has to the kids in my class. When we finish the second book I hope that we can get ahold of the others. The saddest part is when we say Goodbye to a sad Ricky Thomas. So far he hasn't shown up in the second one but maybe he will make a comeback in books to come. When he does, me and my class will be ready to pick up a book and read that damn thing till out eyes hurt. We love this series, it means everything to us. Johnothan’s full fledged story has blown our minds and we love and thank Tom Becker for writing these books.

[Thomas Fang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vampires, were wolfs, massive bats, everything you would want in Gothic novel. The story line is very interesting as Jonathan Starling gets chased around the two worlds. One normal world, one full of criminals and evil beings. His father insane, brain dead and being fed on. As his protector is hired to find him. Hunted by a bounty hunter, a circus owner, a vampire and the police. Two boys trying to find home. Two missing cases linked. Desperate to bring his father back, desperate to find who his mother his. Jonathan must go through the challenges that Darkside brings.

This book is one of the best i have read in a long time. It's scene making and description really gives you the picture of the part of London that no one knows about. This book is very original and I like how the different the two world are.