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Dark Warning
Ever since Taney was four she’s known she could see things before they happened. She also knows that she must keep her gift a secret—at all costs. Teased and isolated by the local children for being strange, as Taney grows older, she has more and more questions. Why is her father so terrified of her gift? What happened to her mother?
Then she meets the mysterious Billy, an outsider just as she is. Charming and attentive, Billy is the first person with whom Taney can simply be herself; with whom she can share her strange burden, and begin, instead, to feel proud of her ability.
But then the visions come—lone girls attacked as they walk home at night. And as Billy begins to withdraw further into himself, Taney must ask herself who to trust—her only friend, or the visions that torment her dreams. . . .
Then she meets the mysterious Billy, an outsider just as she is. Charming and attentive, Billy is the first person with whom Taney can simply be herself; with whom she can share her strange burden, and begin, instead, to feel proud of her ability.
But then the visions come—lone girls attacked as they walk home at night. And as Billy begins to withdraw further into himself, Taney must ask herself who to trust—her only friend, or the visions that torment her dreams. . . .
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 5, 2012
4 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick
37 books43 followersI am an illustrator and a writer. I create picturebooks for kids and write novels – middle grade and YA. I love to travel but, so far, my books have travelled more than me - they've been translated into many languages, including Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Persian and Finish.
I'm Irish, a Dubliner, born, bred and buttered. I run on coffee and chocolate. My most recent novel, On Midnight Beach, is a YA reimagining of the legend of Cúchulainn, and it has been shortlisted for several awards, including the 2021 Carnegie Medal.
I'm Irish, a Dubliner, born, bred and buttered. I run on coffee and chocolate. My most recent novel, On Midnight Beach, is a YA reimagining of the legend of Cúchulainn, and it has been shortlisted for several awards, including the 2021 Carnegie Medal.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
November 5, 2015
Taney was about 4 when she 1st experienced 2nd sight. She didn’t know what is was, just that a boy was going to be bitten by a dog. When she tells her father (Da), he doesn’t say much at first. When it happens again she can see he’s not happy and he tells her not to tell a soul. When she learns from her neighbours that her mother had 2nd sight Taney finally has a name for it.
But the local children do find out and begin to call her a witch. One day as she is being taunted, an unlikely rescuer comes to her aid. Billy the Bowl is 17 and was born without legs and gets around in a wine barrel made into a wheeled cart. They become good friends as he tells her to celebrate her differences.
But something awful is happening in their city. Someone is strangling girls and robbing them - and Taney can 'see' them do it. How can she stop them, and who is the strangler?
A great story set in Georgian Dublin. I loved the language and voice of Taney.
But the local children do find out and begin to call her a witch. One day as she is being taunted, an unlikely rescuer comes to her aid. Billy the Bowl is 17 and was born without legs and gets around in a wine barrel made into a wheeled cart. They become good friends as he tells her to celebrate her differences.
But something awful is happening in their city. Someone is strangling girls and robbing them - and Taney can 'see' them do it. How can she stop them, and who is the strangler?
A great story set in Georgian Dublin. I loved the language and voice of Taney.
April 6, 2022
I was surprised to find myself liking this book. It was a good read even though it was though to read sometimes because of the language.
August 28, 2013
I was intrigued by the premise of this book, which takes place in Georgian Dublin. It’s not a setting I’ve often come across in fiction, and I was immediately interested. The novel is steeped in the language, slang and geography of that period, including places and streetnames (like the wonderful Thundercut Alley and Smithfield Market) and is extremely well written from that point of view. This is helped by the fact that Ms. Fitzpatrick chooses to take a real-life Dublin character of that time, ‘Billy-the-Bowl,’ as a major character in her story, weaving events from his life through the tale of her protagonist, young Taney Tyrell. If you’re going to read this story, and you don’t already know the legend of ‘Billy-the-Bowl’ (sometimes ‘Billy-in-the-Bowl’), then don’t Google him beforehand and spoil the surprise for yourself. Let the story unfold as it should, is my advice.
Taney lives in Smithfield, in the city centre, with her Da, her stepmother Mary Kate, and her (extremely cute-sounding) little brother Jon Jon. Her mother died when Taney was a child, but despite this she is a living, breathing presence throughout the story. Her mother’s life, and aspects of her character, live on in Taney; she resembles her, and shares some of her otherworldly talents. From our first meeting with Taney, we realise that she has gifts which transcend the ‘norm’ – she can see things before they happen, and has the potential to read fortunes, though this is a talent we see her develop as the book goes on. Most frighteningly, she sometimes loses control of her ‘spirit’, drifting away from her body with a sense of tempting freedom, and must struggle hard to control this. Taney is often told how dangerous her gifts are, and is told only that they ‘destroyed’ her mother – she isn’t told why or how. Also, she must keep them secret, though this proves difficult. Ella’s fate is darkly hinted at throughout, though Taney doesn’t find out exactly what happened to her mother, and how it’s connected to their shared gifts, until the end of the story.
I was gripped by ‘Dark Warning’ from the first page to the last – it is very well written, and the voice is engaging and fresh. Taney is a wonderful character, and I particularly loved that the book is told in her first-person perspective, so we learn along with her about her talents and their uses, and about the other major events within the novel, including identity of the fearsome Strangler, who is preying on girls and young women in her area. I found her to be believable, warm, and realistic, no doubt helped by the setting and my own familiarity with Dublin city, but also because of Ms. Fitzpatrick’s use of language and dialogue to describe her, and bring Taney and her family to life. ‘Dark Warning’ is a historical novel which wears its history lightly, a supernatural novel which doesn’t overdo the paranormal aspects, and primarily a story about a young girl finding her way in the world and learning to come out from under her mother’s shadow. It’s a great book, and I hope you check it out.
For a fuller version of this review, plus lots more reviews and plenty of stuff which is kidlit/YA related, check out my blog: http://sjohart.wordpress.com
Taney lives in Smithfield, in the city centre, with her Da, her stepmother Mary Kate, and her (extremely cute-sounding) little brother Jon Jon. Her mother died when Taney was a child, but despite this she is a living, breathing presence throughout the story. Her mother’s life, and aspects of her character, live on in Taney; she resembles her, and shares some of her otherworldly talents. From our first meeting with Taney, we realise that she has gifts which transcend the ‘norm’ – she can see things before they happen, and has the potential to read fortunes, though this is a talent we see her develop as the book goes on. Most frighteningly, she sometimes loses control of her ‘spirit’, drifting away from her body with a sense of tempting freedom, and must struggle hard to control this. Taney is often told how dangerous her gifts are, and is told only that they ‘destroyed’ her mother – she isn’t told why or how. Also, she must keep them secret, though this proves difficult. Ella’s fate is darkly hinted at throughout, though Taney doesn’t find out exactly what happened to her mother, and how it’s connected to their shared gifts, until the end of the story.
I was gripped by ‘Dark Warning’ from the first page to the last – it is very well written, and the voice is engaging and fresh. Taney is a wonderful character, and I particularly loved that the book is told in her first-person perspective, so we learn along with her about her talents and their uses, and about the other major events within the novel, including identity of the fearsome Strangler, who is preying on girls and young women in her area. I found her to be believable, warm, and realistic, no doubt helped by the setting and my own familiarity with Dublin city, but also because of Ms. Fitzpatrick’s use of language and dialogue to describe her, and bring Taney and her family to life. ‘Dark Warning’ is a historical novel which wears its history lightly, a supernatural novel which doesn’t overdo the paranormal aspects, and primarily a story about a young girl finding her way in the world and learning to come out from under her mother’s shadow. It’s a great book, and I hope you check it out.
For a fuller version of this review, plus lots more reviews and plenty of stuff which is kidlit/YA related, check out my blog: http://sjohart.wordpress.com
November 17, 2011
Struggling with the dialect at times but it does add to the realism
The ending was quite obvious.
Reviewed for We Love This Book
Written in first person narrative from the perspective of Tanney a young Irish girl with ‘special’ abilities. The beginning of the book starts with Tanney’s childhood and the initial manifestations of her ‘gift’: being able to see the future.
There is a mystery surrounding Tanney’s mother from the beginning. Tanney has inherited her ‘gift’ from her mother who died when she was very young. Tanney is made to feel that her ‘gift’ is something to be afraid of and must be kept hidden. Her father’s reaction was quite surprising and his change in attitude to Tanney was a little shocking.
The book is full of Irish colloquialisms and dialect that did take a while to get used to but added to the scene setting and sense of realism to the story. The sensory encompassing descriptions brought the historical setting to vivid life. The sense of class divide and poverty was clearly depicted within the narrative.
All of the characters are extremely well developed. I especially liked the character of Billy, born without legs, having to beg for a living and how many of the people help him even in small acts of kindness. His self-depreciating humour was fun for a while but became tainted as the story developed. Billy’s relationship with Tanney showed a form of co-dependency and even from the beginning I had my doubts as to whether this was healthy for either of them. They banded together due to their common status as outsiders. Later developments made me question whether Tanney’s relationship with Billy influenced the outcome.
They way in which relationships alter as we grow to adulthood were poignantly portrayed. The shift in how we are perceived from childhood via the trauma of adolescence to adulthood and in the same respect how we perceive others and understand their actions better as we mature ourselves.
I have to say that on the whole I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I was expecting to. I guessed the plot twists and found Tanney a little self-absorbed. I don’t think that the continual use of colloquialism and dialect written into the story aided it as a whole. It would have probably benefitted from progressing the speech alongside the increased maturity of the characters. A lot of information is divulged at the end which could have been introduced earlier in order to give better understanding of certain characters.
An interesting read if only for the powerful depiction of Irish life at the time and people’s attitudes to anyone ‘different’.
The ending was quite obvious.
Reviewed for We Love This Book
Written in first person narrative from the perspective of Tanney a young Irish girl with ‘special’ abilities. The beginning of the book starts with Tanney’s childhood and the initial manifestations of her ‘gift’: being able to see the future.
There is a mystery surrounding Tanney’s mother from the beginning. Tanney has inherited her ‘gift’ from her mother who died when she was very young. Tanney is made to feel that her ‘gift’ is something to be afraid of and must be kept hidden. Her father’s reaction was quite surprising and his change in attitude to Tanney was a little shocking.
The book is full of Irish colloquialisms and dialect that did take a while to get used to but added to the scene setting and sense of realism to the story. The sensory encompassing descriptions brought the historical setting to vivid life. The sense of class divide and poverty was clearly depicted within the narrative.
All of the characters are extremely well developed. I especially liked the character of Billy, born without legs, having to beg for a living and how many of the people help him even in small acts of kindness. His self-depreciating humour was fun for a while but became tainted as the story developed. Billy’s relationship with Tanney showed a form of co-dependency and even from the beginning I had my doubts as to whether this was healthy for either of them. They banded together due to their common status as outsiders. Later developments made me question whether Tanney’s relationship with Billy influenced the outcome.
They way in which relationships alter as we grow to adulthood were poignantly portrayed. The shift in how we are perceived from childhood via the trauma of adolescence to adulthood and in the same respect how we perceive others and understand their actions better as we mature ourselves.
I have to say that on the whole I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I was expecting to. I guessed the plot twists and found Tanney a little self-absorbed. I don’t think that the continual use of colloquialism and dialect written into the story aided it as a whole. It would have probably benefitted from progressing the speech alongside the increased maturity of the characters. A lot of information is divulged at the end which could have been introduced earlier in order to give better understanding of certain characters.
An interesting read if only for the powerful depiction of Irish life at the time and people’s attitudes to anyone ‘different’.
July 1, 2012
Dark Warning is a great read from author Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick. From page one I was intrigued by protagonist Taney Tyrell. Taney is a young girl growing up in Dublin in the late 1700's. Taney from a young age noticed she was different. She saw things before they happened, she has the gift of second sight.
Taney doesn't know what to make of her second sight. Her father is scared of her abilities and tells her they are wrong and her stepmother thinks its the work of the Devil. Only her new friend Billy the Bowl thinks its a great and wonderful gift to have and she should embrace it and use it.
When servant girls start to be strangled and robbed and Taney bares witness to this when she floats (She leaves her body behind) she must decide if her second sight is a gift or a curse.
Dark Warning is an intriguing read. It's not only about the mystery of the strangler but of a young girl growing up and trying to find herself, wanting to better herself and overall about a friendship between two people. In Billy, Taney see's someone who is liked by everyone, he is fun and he doesn't judge her ability or be scared of it. He is her friend.
Billy has had a hard life, being brought up by nuns who then sent him to the House of Industry, an awful place where the poorest of the poor live and work. They are virtually "owned" by the House of Industry and Billy has survived it and is making the most out of life. All this would be hard for anyone but for Billy it was harder, he had no legs. Thus his name was Billy the Bowl as he travels around in a special bowl made for him. Billy really cares for Taney as does Taney for Billy. Even when Taney finds out that Billy used her in a way, she still cares for him and wants to help him. Taney is a really likeable character.
Overall Dark Warning is full of great characters from all walks of life, from the poor to the rich. They all play a part in the story. The writing takes you back to the old streets of Dublin which seems like a world away and immerses you into the lifes of the characters. The mystery of the Strangler kept me wanting to turn the pages and Taney as the main protagonist kept me hooked. Dark Warning is a book I would highly recommend!
Taney doesn't know what to make of her second sight. Her father is scared of her abilities and tells her they are wrong and her stepmother thinks its the work of the Devil. Only her new friend Billy the Bowl thinks its a great and wonderful gift to have and she should embrace it and use it.
When servant girls start to be strangled and robbed and Taney bares witness to this when she floats (She leaves her body behind) she must decide if her second sight is a gift or a curse.
Dark Warning is an intriguing read. It's not only about the mystery of the strangler but of a young girl growing up and trying to find herself, wanting to better herself and overall about a friendship between two people. In Billy, Taney see's someone who is liked by everyone, he is fun and he doesn't judge her ability or be scared of it. He is her friend.
Billy has had a hard life, being brought up by nuns who then sent him to the House of Industry, an awful place where the poorest of the poor live and work. They are virtually "owned" by the House of Industry and Billy has survived it and is making the most out of life. All this would be hard for anyone but for Billy it was harder, he had no legs. Thus his name was Billy the Bowl as he travels around in a special bowl made for him. Billy really cares for Taney as does Taney for Billy. Even when Taney finds out that Billy used her in a way, she still cares for him and wants to help him. Taney is a really likeable character.
Overall Dark Warning is full of great characters from all walks of life, from the poor to the rich. They all play a part in the story. The writing takes you back to the old streets of Dublin which seems like a world away and immerses you into the lifes of the characters. The mystery of the Strangler kept me wanting to turn the pages and Taney as the main protagonist kept me hooked. Dark Warning is a book I would highly recommend!
February 21, 2017
This story captures the language, the lives and times of the battlers in olden-days Dublin, as a young girl tries to understand her own "gift" and come to terms with her mother's death. It'd be worth a sequel to see how she manages afterwards.
May 7, 2014
Dark Warning The reason I picked up this book is because at that moment, I had this wonderful idea in my mind. I was thinking of writing a story of a girl who could see the past and the future of objects. Thus, it intrigues me to see the line "I see things that haven't happened yet. I know things I shouldn't know" on the cover page of Dark Warning.
Taney Tyrell is a red-headed girl who can see things before it happens. The folks called it second-sight. To Taney's father and stepmother, Taney's ability is not something to be praised for. However, to other people, it is a special ability. Taney soon discover the wonderful and the not-so-wonderful things she could do. Her ability may save people, and it may also be harmful. Is her ability a curse or a gift?
Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick's writing is indeed brilliant. For this story is set in Dublin, the storytelling is filled with slangs and actual places. It truly makes the reader feel as if he or she is at Dublin with Taney.
Dark Warning is a story that is packed with wonder, mystery and human connection. The world in which Taney lives is incredible, and it wouldn't harm anyone to travel to this world. Every time I read this book, I find myself in Dublin, feeling Taney's emotions and the adventure she leads.
Overall, Dark Warning is an adventure not to be missed.
Taney Tyrell is a red-headed girl who can see things before it happens. The folks called it second-sight. To Taney's father and stepmother, Taney's ability is not something to be praised for. However, to other people, it is a special ability. Taney soon discover the wonderful and the not-so-wonderful things she could do. Her ability may save people, and it may also be harmful. Is her ability a curse or a gift?
Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick's writing is indeed brilliant. For this story is set in Dublin, the storytelling is filled with slangs and actual places. It truly makes the reader feel as if he or she is at Dublin with Taney.
Dark Warning is a story that is packed with wonder, mystery and human connection. The world in which Taney lives is incredible, and it wouldn't harm anyone to travel to this world. Every time I read this book, I find myself in Dublin, feeling Taney's emotions and the adventure she leads.
Overall, Dark Warning is an adventure not to be missed.
January 13, 2012
Dark Warning is the story about a young Irish girl, Taney, with a special gift. She has to keep this a secret for fear of being seen as a witch, but as her powers grow stronger this becomes harder and harder for her to do. Especially when she starts picking up signals from a killer on the loose in her neighbourhood and she has to chose between saving the next victim's life and revealing what she can do or continuing to hide what she is capable of.
The novel is written beautifully and depicts the era it's set in really well. There's a wealth of interesting characters such as Billy-the-Bowl (a beggar with no legs), the Misses living in the house with Taney, and not in the least the girl herself. It's a shame that the reader is unable get truly invested in any of them. Particularly main character Taney is hard to relate to as she comes across as a bit of a whiny brat (the lower classes do have it hard, but she is for instance unnecessarily hard on her stepmother who's really not all that bad).
Furthermore, the conclusion to the story was incredibly predictable which ruined the reading experience and made the main protagonist seem unrealistically stupid. She should've known all along because of her powers, but even if she didn't have those to guide her, the signs were obvious from the start.
The novel is written beautifully and depicts the era it's set in really well. There's a wealth of interesting characters such as Billy-the-Bowl (a beggar with no legs), the Misses living in the house with Taney, and not in the least the girl herself. It's a shame that the reader is unable get truly invested in any of them. Particularly main character Taney is hard to relate to as she comes across as a bit of a whiny brat (the lower classes do have it hard, but she is for instance unnecessarily hard on her stepmother who's really not all that bad).
Furthermore, the conclusion to the story was incredibly predictable which ruined the reading experience and made the main protagonist seem unrealistically stupid. She should've known all along because of her powers, but even if she didn't have those to guide her, the signs were obvious from the start.
June 3, 2012
I loved it. But I suppose I am partial... It truly evokes a Dublin I've come to know since moving here four years ago. I even lived in the actual Stonybatter/Smithfield neighborhood of the city where the story takes place. The historical details, particularly about class structures of the time the book is based in - the Georgian period/ late 1700's - fascinated me. Also the use of a real historical figure in Billy, a character right out of a Dickens tale but real. The jacket and title give the impression it is more of a romance novel, but I feel it is more an historical coming of age story, with adventure, friendship, and a touch of ESP in the form of second sight. I'd recommend it for a broad range of readers
January 13, 2012
Received a pre published copy to review. I quite liked the story of Taney and her strange gift of seeing dark & chilling visions. Taney has to keep this a secret from her Dad as this frightens him. Her mum had the same gift but disappeared one day when Taney was very young. She manages to keep her visions private until one day she helps out her neighbour and the cat is out of the bag. Taney also discovers her mums dark secret and through some soul searching has to decide whether her gift is a blessing or a curse to family and friends. Set in Dublin of olden times , the language and dialect is different but sets the scene well. You can almost smell the old marketplace.
February 6, 2012
Taney Tyrell has a gift (or a curse?) that makes her different but she's not special. Her gift has to be a secret or she will be labelled a witch. Her gift has it's uses though and there is quite a build up of where and how she uses it and how it affects Taney and those around her. Having read the synopsis I must admit I thought the attacks on lone girls would occur sooner in the story and I feel more could have been made of this. It's predictable but I enjoyed the tale of Ireland of old and could picture all the events happening within a few streets. Overall a good story with some great characters.
February 17, 2014
The story of Taney, who has psychic abilities that she inherited from her long-dead mother. Taney is both fascinated with and wary of her ability to 'float' from her body to see things happening, or to see into the future. As her ability becomes known, she struggles to make and keep friends, but becomes popular with the 'quality' of her community.
This was an easy-to-read, enjoyable story with a nice sense of mystery. The Irish slang used was endearing and added to the sense of place. That said, it wasn't particularly original and it would have been more enjoyable if there had been more complexity to the mystery.
This was an easy-to-read, enjoyable story with a nice sense of mystery. The Irish slang used was endearing and added to the sense of place. That said, it wasn't particularly original and it would have been more enjoyable if there had been more complexity to the mystery.
December 17, 2014
I found it very slow to get going. The blurb speaks of attacks but these don't start until halfway through and the culprit was too obvious. I was also confused by the setting and language, I didn't know it was Dublin until specifically mentioned. The time period confused me also and I didn't find out it was the Georgian period until I came across a note in the back. The fact that Billy is based on a real person fascinated me though.
December 6, 2015
I don't normally read youth fiction, and to be fair I didn't realise this was youth fiction until I started reading it. But it was a fun wee book, the characters were engaging enough, the settings nicely described, and the plot rattled on at a fair pace. I read it on one rainy, going-nowhere day, and it was absolutely fine.
April 29, 2012
It was so suspensful and the twist at tge end was good! poor billy the bowl! D: I thought it was him then I thought it was her dad and then i thought it was him again! very good and I enjoyed reading it!
August 17, 2013
I really didn't like it. To me it just didn't go anywhere and the ending was really bad.
I wouldn't recommend it to ANYONE.
I wouldn't recommend it to ANYONE.
August 8, 2013
I'm not sure why I didn't love this book. Fitzpatrick's language is spot-on, obviously. The mystery would be surprising for a YA. However, the book just felt meh. It's probably my misreading.
January 14, 2015
I devoured this be looking out for more of this author.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews