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Dark Storm
Roped into a seance at the theatre, Ellie is the only one who actually sees a real ghost. Now a spirit is contacting her from beyond the grave - and as the dead boy's story unfolds, Ellie finds herself falling in love with him. But if she solves his mystery and helps release his soul, will he be lost to her forever?
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 29, 2012
6 people are currently reading
1870 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Singleton
36 books71 followersSarah Singleton was born in Thornbury in 1966. She was educated at the University of Nottingham and has travelled in Europe, India and Nepal. She has two daughters, Fuchsia and Poppy.
She worked as a reporter for local weekly newspapers, including the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, before becoming a writer and freelance journalist in 2007. A novella, In The Mirror (Enigmatic Novellas #4), was reprinted by Cosmos Books in 2001. Her first novel (for adults), The Crow Maiden, was published by Cosmos in 2000 and was short-listed for the IAFA Crawford Award. She has had short stories published in various magazines and anthologies, including Black Static, QWF magazine, Enigmatic Tales and Interzone.
She worked as a reporter for local weekly newspapers, including the Wiltshire Gazette & Herald, before becoming a writer and freelance journalist in 2007. A novella, In The Mirror (Enigmatic Novellas #4), was reprinted by Cosmos Books in 2001. Her first novel (for adults), The Crow Maiden, was published by Cosmos in 2000 and was short-listed for the IAFA Crawford Award. She has had short stories published in various magazines and anthologies, including Black Static, QWF magazine, Enigmatic Tales and Interzone.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
March 23, 2017
4.5 stars. A bit too much whiny teenage angst in some areas but the paranormal more than made up for that. I loved the story line though. A keeper this one.
January 27, 2015
Dark storm is a beautifully written ghost story set in an atmospheric setting with interesting characters and an engaging storyline.
I have come to expect beautifully written prose from Srarh Singleton. She is one of those authors that I really think it a bit under-rated because no one seems to have heard of her but her writing is very good.
Ellie feels abandoned. her mother died not all that long ago and she is stuck staying with her grandparents while her father is off in America with his new girlfriend. In order to not have to spend the entire summer alone Ellie decides to join a local theatre group. This decision is one that changes her summer and helps to make her start to feel better. There she meets other teens and starts to finally get over losing her mother by making new friends and moving on.
The second thing that change her life for that summer is a chance find of an old model theatre in a bookshop. She is fascinated by both it and the boy who made it. While in the process of making the theatre up something stirs the ghost of the boy who made it awake and from then on out Ellie helps him by researching more into who he was and finding out why he has unfinished business and in the process starts to fall in love with him
I loved the friendship Ellie had with Daisy, a local girl she meets at the drama club. I loved that they bounced off one another well and were quite expecting of each other despite that fact that Daisy is clearly in love with the Alex, the boy (and not ghost) who is falling in love with Ellie.
Coming from a small seaside town myself I really thought Sarah captured the feeling of living in one, the idea that, apart from the summer when the place is crowded with holiday makers, there's not that much to do and the frustrations of teens living there and the ways in which they find their own entertainment.
I won't tell you too much about the storyline except to say I thought it was really interesting and quite unique which is something I enjoyed because all too often of late I just feel like I'm reading the same book over and over again. A atmospheric and engaging read.
I have come to expect beautifully written prose from Srarh Singleton. She is one of those authors that I really think it a bit under-rated because no one seems to have heard of her but her writing is very good.
Ellie feels abandoned. her mother died not all that long ago and she is stuck staying with her grandparents while her father is off in America with his new girlfriend. In order to not have to spend the entire summer alone Ellie decides to join a local theatre group. This decision is one that changes her summer and helps to make her start to feel better. There she meets other teens and starts to finally get over losing her mother by making new friends and moving on.
The second thing that change her life for that summer is a chance find of an old model theatre in a bookshop. She is fascinated by both it and the boy who made it. While in the process of making the theatre up something stirs the ghost of the boy who made it awake and from then on out Ellie helps him by researching more into who he was and finding out why he has unfinished business and in the process starts to fall in love with him
I loved the friendship Ellie had with Daisy, a local girl she meets at the drama club. I loved that they bounced off one another well and were quite expecting of each other despite that fact that Daisy is clearly in love with the Alex, the boy (and not ghost) who is falling in love with Ellie.
Coming from a small seaside town myself I really thought Sarah captured the feeling of living in one, the idea that, apart from the summer when the place is crowded with holiday makers, there's not that much to do and the frustrations of teens living there and the ways in which they find their own entertainment.
I won't tell you too much about the storyline except to say I thought it was really interesting and quite unique which is something I enjoyed because all too often of late I just feel like I'm reading the same book over and over again. A atmospheric and engaging read.
June 30, 2012
I picked this up because I really liked Sarah Singleton's earlier books. They were good gothic, creepy tales in the style of Marcus Sedgewick. So I was a bit surprised by the narrative in this one. It read a bit like an Enid Blyton novel. Just a little bit twee and old fashioned in the dialogue, and really not what I expected. The basic plot is that a teenage girl called Ellie spends the summer with her grandparents in a sleepy seaside town after the death of her mother, and her father's decision to holiday with his new girlfriend in the USA. She is depressed, lonely, angry and bored until she gets roped in to take part in a summer production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the run-down local theatre. But Ellie's world is turned upside down when she starts to be haunted by a devastatingly hansome young actor who haunts the theatre - and also appears in Ellie's bedroom.
So far so good. But then it all just gets a bit shallow. Ellie and Harry the ghost fall completely and passionatley in love with each other for no more apparent reason than he's tall, dark and hansome and he thinks she's beautiful. They barely exchange more than few words to each other until much later in the story and his visits are fleeting and inconsequential. Even Bella in Twilight didn't fall so hard for Edward until he'd saved her life by diving in front of a truck for her. Harry does nothing at all to earn such undying love apart from show up in her room from time to time.
It's fine as far as it goes and there are some nice touches at the end when Ellie finds out how he died and then almost gets herself killed in the same way. There is of course also a real life babe magnet in the village who falls in love with Ellie too and she just can't see it. But, as with all good love triangles, it gets complicated before it gets better. I finished this book just to see how it would end. But, to be honest, I was just quite glad when it did.
So far so good. But then it all just gets a bit shallow. Ellie and Harry the ghost fall completely and passionatley in love with each other for no more apparent reason than he's tall, dark and hansome and he thinks she's beautiful. They barely exchange more than few words to each other until much later in the story and his visits are fleeting and inconsequential. Even Bella in Twilight didn't fall so hard for Edward until he'd saved her life by diving in front of a truck for her. Harry does nothing at all to earn such undying love apart from show up in her room from time to time.
It's fine as far as it goes and there are some nice touches at the end when Ellie finds out how he died and then almost gets herself killed in the same way. There is of course also a real life babe magnet in the village who falls in love with Ellie too and she just can't see it. But, as with all good love triangles, it gets complicated before it gets better. I finished this book just to see how it would end. But, to be honest, I was just quite glad when it did.
December 19, 2024
All I can say is this book is absolutely fucking amazing 😍
September 3, 2012
Sarah Singleton was an author who was new to me. I came across her book Dark Storm one day at the library. It was the premise of the book that caught my attention. The possibility of falling in love with a spirit; surely that would be the recipe for heart ache and disaster? It sounded unlike something I’ve read before. Paranormal yes, but perhaps this would be a new take on the popular, somewhat overcrowded genre? I was in the mood for something fresh, different. I began Dark Storm hoping it would deliver me just that.
Dark Storm centres on protagonist Ellie. Her Mother died not too long ago and her Father is in America with his new girlfriend. Ellie has returned to her Mother’s hometown for the summer and is stopping with her Grandparents. She’s finding it hard being back in the town she’d spent a lot of time in with her Mother. In an attempt to take her mind of her grief, she joins the local theatre group and makes some new friends. She also comes across an old model of the theatre in the local bookshop. This is when things start getting a bit weird for Ellie. Unsure of how or why, the creator of the model theatre begins to haunt her. The ghost in question is Harry, a boy who has a lot of unfinished business to resolve. Ellie wants to help him because she knows it’s the right thing to do but also because she has fallen in love with him.
I don’t know where to begin if I’m being honest. I wanted to love this book. Like I’ve said, the premise sounded great. I feel it could have been so much more than what it was. The plot was slow and although it did pick up a bit as it progressed, I can’t pinpoint a moment that I felt excited to read about. Sure, it was a nice enough story but it lacked in a lot of places.
The biggest gripe I have with this book is the characters and their relationships with one another. I do repeat this all the time, but characters make or break a book for me and the characters in Dark Storm just didn’t do it for me.
First of all, I couldn’t connect with Ellie. Don’t get me wrong, I understood her in the respects that she has been through some unpleasant experiences and I did sympathise with her for that. Yet, I couldn’t agree with some of her choices and in parts, she came across as a bit immature for her age. I guess all in all she seemed a bit ‘flat’ to me. I was neither intrigued nor particularly interested in her. This was a bit of a let down considering the plot centres around her. Her relationships with the other characters didn’t interest me at all. It seemed liked she formed this deep, amazing connection with her new-found best friends in an instant. There was no getting to know each other or build up. It was more of “Hello, we’re best buds now 4eva”. Her interactions with those around her made her come across immature. I found I was becoming frustrated with her character more and more as the book progressed. The one slight exception was Alex. I don‘t think he is the best character I’ve ever read about but in a book full of lifeless characters, he was the best of the bunch. I didn’t sigh with exasperation whenever he featured and he seemed the most mature.
Then there is Harry, the spirit. The relationship between Ellie and him was unrealistic. Once more, there was no build up or even common sense to it. This is your typical case of insta-love. He appears and BAM, Ellie is madly in love with him. No explanation is offered at all. I don’t get it. If I were in her shoes and a ghost popped up in my bedroom one night, yes I’d be interested and would like to know more about him but I wouldn’t fall in love with him for no reason whatsoever. This adds once more to the immature nature Ellie has. These two didn’t even communicate that much. There was no connection or chemistry, well at least none that I could see.
Overall, I felt let down by Dark Storm. I think it could have been so much more than what it actually was. I don’t like to be negative but there’s not too much I can say to compliment this book apart from that I guess the setting was ok. I understand why some might like, or even love this book but it just wasn’t for me. I know what I like in a book and Dark Storm didn’t offer me any of that. I’m not in a real rush to check out Sarah Singleton’s other works. I didn’t detest Dark Storm; I still read it all and not once did I think about throwing it at the wall. Me and Dark Storm didn’t connect, that’s all. Don’t let me put you off though, you may connect with it more than I did.
More of my reviews can be found here.
Dark Storm centres on protagonist Ellie. Her Mother died not too long ago and her Father is in America with his new girlfriend. Ellie has returned to her Mother’s hometown for the summer and is stopping with her Grandparents. She’s finding it hard being back in the town she’d spent a lot of time in with her Mother. In an attempt to take her mind of her grief, she joins the local theatre group and makes some new friends. She also comes across an old model of the theatre in the local bookshop. This is when things start getting a bit weird for Ellie. Unsure of how or why, the creator of the model theatre begins to haunt her. The ghost in question is Harry, a boy who has a lot of unfinished business to resolve. Ellie wants to help him because she knows it’s the right thing to do but also because she has fallen in love with him.
I don’t know where to begin if I’m being honest. I wanted to love this book. Like I’ve said, the premise sounded great. I feel it could have been so much more than what it was. The plot was slow and although it did pick up a bit as it progressed, I can’t pinpoint a moment that I felt excited to read about. Sure, it was a nice enough story but it lacked in a lot of places.
The biggest gripe I have with this book is the characters and their relationships with one another. I do repeat this all the time, but characters make or break a book for me and the characters in Dark Storm just didn’t do it for me.
First of all, I couldn’t connect with Ellie. Don’t get me wrong, I understood her in the respects that she has been through some unpleasant experiences and I did sympathise with her for that. Yet, I couldn’t agree with some of her choices and in parts, she came across as a bit immature for her age. I guess all in all she seemed a bit ‘flat’ to me. I was neither intrigued nor particularly interested in her. This was a bit of a let down considering the plot centres around her. Her relationships with the other characters didn’t interest me at all. It seemed liked she formed this deep, amazing connection with her new-found best friends in an instant. There was no getting to know each other or build up. It was more of “Hello, we’re best buds now 4eva”. Her interactions with those around her made her come across immature. I found I was becoming frustrated with her character more and more as the book progressed. The one slight exception was Alex. I don‘t think he is the best character I’ve ever read about but in a book full of lifeless characters, he was the best of the bunch. I didn’t sigh with exasperation whenever he featured and he seemed the most mature.
Then there is Harry, the spirit. The relationship between Ellie and him was unrealistic. Once more, there was no build up or even common sense to it. This is your typical case of insta-love. He appears and BAM, Ellie is madly in love with him. No explanation is offered at all. I don’t get it. If I were in her shoes and a ghost popped up in my bedroom one night, yes I’d be interested and would like to know more about him but I wouldn’t fall in love with him for no reason whatsoever. This adds once more to the immature nature Ellie has. These two didn’t even communicate that much. There was no connection or chemistry, well at least none that I could see.
Overall, I felt let down by Dark Storm. I think it could have been so much more than what it actually was. I don’t like to be negative but there’s not too much I can say to compliment this book apart from that I guess the setting was ok. I understand why some might like, or even love this book but it just wasn’t for me. I know what I like in a book and Dark Storm didn’t offer me any of that. I’m not in a real rush to check out Sarah Singleton’s other works. I didn’t detest Dark Storm; I still read it all and not once did I think about throwing it at the wall. Me and Dark Storm didn’t connect, that’s all. Don’t let me put you off though, you may connect with it more than I did.
More of my reviews can be found here.
June 26, 2012
You can find this review also on my blog: http://bianca2b.wordpress.com
First,a huge “THANK YOU!” to Sarah Singleton who sent me this book.Thanks,Sarah!
Well,I really loved this book!When I first saw it on Goodreads,I thought “WOW!What a stunning cover!” and then I read the blurb and I knew it will be a good book.But I never expected to be THAT good!I was like “OMG,this is AWESOME!LOVE IT!”
I liked this book because it it’s the weirdest love story I ever read!It’s a love story between a girl and…a ghost.Yup,a ghost.I thought this too.How could they love each other?Well,if you’ll read this story,you’ll understand that everything it’s possible,even a love between a girl and a ghost.
I enjoyed this book also because of the atmosphere.It was so romantic,and full of emotions and this things with the teather club was awesome.Also,the misterious element was always present in this book.Sara Singleton knows how to hook you so you love her books.I am very curious about her other book,I’d really like to read them.
I really liked the storyline.It was continous,and very easy to read.The pages were flying and I was unconcious about this.I read and I read and I was so hooked that everything around me disappeared and I was just me with my book.
Once again,through this book,I realized how much can someone’s death affect.The main character’s mom died by cancer and Ellie is now devastated.Her feelings were so well described that I cried every time she talked about her mother’s death and about how much It hurts and stuff like that.Same,when Ellie spoked about her feeling about Harry,it was so sweet and you felt that she really loves him.Awesome!
The characters were well portrayed.It was easy to like them,because they are like some normal teenagers.I appreciated that Alex,one of Ellie’s friend and a potentialy boyfirend wasn’t exactly the hot guy whom we were used to from the others books.He is sweet,protective and lovely.Also he wasn’t this tipe of bad guy who everone falls in love with.She was a normal guy in the middle of a strange story.
This book was also unpredictable.Always there was something that surprised me and that contradicted my expectations.The almost happy end was also unpredictable.I never expected that this book will have a happy ending.And even if I did,it wasn’t like I imagined.
Ellie’s life is turned upside down.Her mom died a year and something ago and her dad has a new girlfriend already.Because she hates the women that takes her mother place,she goes for holiday at her grandparents.
One day,Ellie is walking and she sees an adertise that says something about a theater club.While she was reading,a strange boy walks toward her and speaks with her.He says that this teather club is fun and that Ellie should join too.The boy knows about Ellie’s story,like everybody in the town.Alex-this is boy’s name- stalks her a little,and trying to “escape” from him,she get in a second-hand bookship.There,she discoveres a weird folder.When she and the bookshop man look at it,Ellie knows that this folder,which is a model theatre with a script in it,must be her and she buys it.And that’s when the story begins.
In that night,after many examinations of the model theatre,she sees a name of an actor:Harry.The play is Romeo and Juliet.Anyway,after she fell asleep,a special scent floods her room.She’ll never forget that scent.It wil mark her life.The scent it seems like is coming from nowhere…strange.But more strange is when she finds in her notebook words that she didn’t write.The words say :
“You are beautiful.What is your name?”
Ellie writes her name there and she is scared and excited and confused.She is thrilled when she finds more word written on her notebook.She lerns that the one who writes in her notebook is Harry,the actor who played in Romeo and Juliet,Harry.But he is dead,how could he write in Ellie’s notebook?If you want the answer,just read the book.
Soon,Ellie falls in love with Harry.A deep love.She’ll find out a lot of things about him,about her mother and even maybe about herself.And if you ask,yes,she joins the theater club.And she really likes it,because she makes friends.
If you want to find more about Harry,Ellie and their beautiful love story,read the book because oh boy,I already told enough.
A delightful ride through history,a stunning love story between a ghost and a girl.You can’t miss this!
First,a huge “THANK YOU!” to Sarah Singleton who sent me this book.Thanks,Sarah!
Well,I really loved this book!When I first saw it on Goodreads,I thought “WOW!What a stunning cover!” and then I read the blurb and I knew it will be a good book.But I never expected to be THAT good!I was like “OMG,this is AWESOME!LOVE IT!”
I liked this book because it it’s the weirdest love story I ever read!It’s a love story between a girl and…a ghost.Yup,a ghost.I thought this too.How could they love each other?Well,if you’ll read this story,you’ll understand that everything it’s possible,even a love between a girl and a ghost.
I enjoyed this book also because of the atmosphere.It was so romantic,and full of emotions and this things with the teather club was awesome.Also,the misterious element was always present in this book.Sara Singleton knows how to hook you so you love her books.I am very curious about her other book,I’d really like to read them.
I really liked the storyline.It was continous,and very easy to read.The pages were flying and I was unconcious about this.I read and I read and I was so hooked that everything around me disappeared and I was just me with my book.
Once again,through this book,I realized how much can someone’s death affect.The main character’s mom died by cancer and Ellie is now devastated.Her feelings were so well described that I cried every time she talked about her mother’s death and about how much It hurts and stuff like that.Same,when Ellie spoked about her feeling about Harry,it was so sweet and you felt that she really loves him.Awesome!
The characters were well portrayed.It was easy to like them,because they are like some normal teenagers.I appreciated that Alex,one of Ellie’s friend and a potentialy boyfirend wasn’t exactly the hot guy whom we were used to from the others books.He is sweet,protective and lovely.Also he wasn’t this tipe of bad guy who everone falls in love with.She was a normal guy in the middle of a strange story.
This book was also unpredictable.Always there was something that surprised me and that contradicted my expectations.The almost happy end was also unpredictable.I never expected that this book will have a happy ending.And even if I did,it wasn’t like I imagined.
Ellie’s life is turned upside down.Her mom died a year and something ago and her dad has a new girlfriend already.Because she hates the women that takes her mother place,she goes for holiday at her grandparents.
One day,Ellie is walking and she sees an adertise that says something about a theater club.While she was reading,a strange boy walks toward her and speaks with her.He says that this teather club is fun and that Ellie should join too.The boy knows about Ellie’s story,like everybody in the town.Alex-this is boy’s name- stalks her a little,and trying to “escape” from him,she get in a second-hand bookship.There,she discoveres a weird folder.When she and the bookshop man look at it,Ellie knows that this folder,which is a model theatre with a script in it,must be her and she buys it.And that’s when the story begins.
In that night,after many examinations of the model theatre,she sees a name of an actor:Harry.The play is Romeo and Juliet.Anyway,after she fell asleep,a special scent floods her room.She’ll never forget that scent.It wil mark her life.The scent it seems like is coming from nowhere…strange.But more strange is when she finds in her notebook words that she didn’t write.The words say :
“You are beautiful.What is your name?”
Ellie writes her name there and she is scared and excited and confused.She is thrilled when she finds more word written on her notebook.She lerns that the one who writes in her notebook is Harry,the actor who played in Romeo and Juliet,Harry.But he is dead,how could he write in Ellie’s notebook?If you want the answer,just read the book.
Soon,Ellie falls in love with Harry.A deep love.She’ll find out a lot of things about him,about her mother and even maybe about herself.And if you ask,yes,she joins the theater club.And she really likes it,because she makes friends.
If you want to find more about Harry,Ellie and their beautiful love story,read the book because oh boy,I already told enough.
A delightful ride through history,a stunning love story between a ghost and a girl.You can’t miss this!
March 22, 2012
Dark Storm appeared in my pigeonhole at work after my annual leave as an unexpected (and wholly lovely) advance copy treat from Simon and Schuster. Inside, along with the book, was a cutting of a review of the book from SFX. I can't find a link for it on the internet anywhere though so unfortunately I can't share it with you. The long and short of it is that the final paragraph was highlighted for my attention and says: "In the end, this isn't a shallow love story but an exploration of all sorts of love, and loss." [Miriam McDonald - SFX] I don't completely agree with this view point, but I'll get round to that.
Dark Storm did catch my attention almost immediately; Ellie, the main character, finds a package behind the shelves of a secondhand bookshop at the same time that a mysterious breeze slams the shop door. (With me yet? This is the stuff a bibliophile's dreams are made of!). When she finally gets the package home she finds a deconstructed model theatre and a script for an historic version of Romeo and Juliet. Storyline-wise, it began to shape up as a great tale. I loved the settings of the beach, the sea, the cliffs and even the multiple designs of the theatre (I don't want to give too much away by explaining that). It really did make me want it to be Summer so I could have my coastal holiday. I loved its atmosphere and the ease of the prose, but the only thing I didn't like was most of what happened after the promising beginning.
I don't enjoy being negative in reviews but I felt this story could have worked without her being in love with a ghost. Harry's story is interesting, I love the multi-dimensional feeling that delving into and reliving his past gives. This could have been achieved in another way, and the front of an exhibition for the Marine theatre would actually have been enough for this reader.
Don't get me wrong, even though I didn't necessarily agree with the premise of the book it didn't stop me from reading; I didn't feel like I hated it so much I wanted to stop. Nevertheless there were a couple of other things that irritated me. Take Ellie for instance, the story's main character. I'd like to say that Ellie is a complicated character but I really don't think that she is. Her premise is that her mother has recently died, her father has gone on holiday with his new woman and she is currently bunking up with her Grandparents. To an extent I did understand this, and to a point I even sympathised with her, but she is her own worst enemy. She is blinded by an absolute and selfish love for a ghost that she can't have, and although the real point of this is that she is trying to find comfort in something, that something is not really conceivable. It might not be a "shallow love story" as McDonald points out, but it is an obsessive love, overruling and verging on violent.
I do have some nice things to say about this story though. Alex is probably the character I loved the most, beautiful, loving, laid-back Alex - the exact type of guy you want to have a holiday romance with. It was because of him that I wanted desperately to shake Ellie and tell her to open her eyes.
Finally, if I had to sum this book up in a few words it would be: a great summer read. It's not difficult, it won't tax you and it has enough intrigue to keep your attention away from the ice-cream van. I would still encourage people to read it if they want something light, I did actually enjoy it, as negatively as I might come across.
Also -- Has anyone any idea why it is called Dark Storm? Just a query.
Dark Storm did catch my attention almost immediately; Ellie, the main character, finds a package behind the shelves of a secondhand bookshop at the same time that a mysterious breeze slams the shop door. (With me yet? This is the stuff a bibliophile's dreams are made of!). When she finally gets the package home she finds a deconstructed model theatre and a script for an historic version of Romeo and Juliet. Storyline-wise, it began to shape up as a great tale. I loved the settings of the beach, the sea, the cliffs and even the multiple designs of the theatre (I don't want to give too much away by explaining that). It really did make me want it to be Summer so I could have my coastal holiday. I loved its atmosphere and the ease of the prose, but the only thing I didn't like was most of what happened after the promising beginning.
I don't enjoy being negative in reviews but I felt this story could have worked without her being in love with a ghost. Harry's story is interesting, I love the multi-dimensional feeling that delving into and reliving his past gives. This could have been achieved in another way, and the front of an exhibition for the Marine theatre would actually have been enough for this reader.
Don't get me wrong, even though I didn't necessarily agree with the premise of the book it didn't stop me from reading; I didn't feel like I hated it so much I wanted to stop. Nevertheless there were a couple of other things that irritated me. Take Ellie for instance, the story's main character. I'd like to say that Ellie is a complicated character but I really don't think that she is. Her premise is that her mother has recently died, her father has gone on holiday with his new woman and she is currently bunking up with her Grandparents. To an extent I did understand this, and to a point I even sympathised with her, but she is her own worst enemy. She is blinded by an absolute and selfish love for a ghost that she can't have, and although the real point of this is that she is trying to find comfort in something, that something is not really conceivable. It might not be a "shallow love story" as McDonald points out, but it is an obsessive love, overruling and verging on violent.
I do have some nice things to say about this story though. Alex is probably the character I loved the most, beautiful, loving, laid-back Alex - the exact type of guy you want to have a holiday romance with. It was because of him that I wanted desperately to shake Ellie and tell her to open her eyes.
Finally, if I had to sum this book up in a few words it would be: a great summer read. It's not difficult, it won't tax you and it has enough intrigue to keep your attention away from the ice-cream van. I would still encourage people to read it if they want something light, I did actually enjoy it, as negatively as I might come across.
Also -- Has anyone any idea why it is called Dark Storm? Just a query.
November 15, 2012
What drew me to this book was mainly the cover, but also the synopsis. I liked the mix of contemporary with a slight bit of paranormal and was interested in where the story might go. My journey with this book was very different from ordinary, but not exactly in a good way. After having read the first 30 pages I was so amazed by it that I was tempted to run and tell everyone I know about it and make them read it. I read further, discovered something and experienced the main part of the novel to be pretty disappointing.
First, though, I want to talk about why I loved the book in the beginning. The author had this great talent of jumping right into the story without overwhelming the reader. Really, I started this book five minutes before I had to get out of the bus and by the time I threw it into my backpack to get up, I was already completely into the story and couldn't wait to continue reading. This fast pacedness leads the reader through the whole book, so on the one hand this is a huge plus.
On the other hand, this plus became smaller for me with every page. What made me dread this book after a while was mainly the absolutely stiff dialogue. Usually, I don't even pay much attention to dialogue and I don't think I've ever mentioned it in any of my reviews, but I found the way the characters talked to each other just straight up annoying. I felt like they started a conversation, told each other the story of their lives although they had known the other person for no longer than two minutes and then they were like "bye" and Ellie literally ran anywhere. She was running to so many places, never stayed anywhere for long and when she did, the author turned to summarising everything that happened so as if she just wanted to get it over with.
Another thing that really annoyed me was how simple everything the author wanted to happen just happened. Ellie got to know people in this book, they became friends and that was the end of it. They had barely ever talked, but Ellie told everyone immediately how she felt about the loss of her mother. Somehow, though she doesn't seem to be able to talk about that - or anything other than food - with her grandparents.
Same with the love interest, Harry the ghost. Ellie falling in love with him is a fact not a process. You turn the page and from one moment to the other she just goes on and on how she can't live without him. By the way, the fact that he is a ghost does not seem to be a problem at all. She's not turned off by it or scared or finds it weird or anything. She just goes with it.
The only thing I continued liking a LOT was the general plot of the novel. Just how everything happened and how Ellie developed throughout the novel was totally reasonable and there were some things in the story I just didn't expect at all.
To put it in a nutshell, I was turned off by this book pretty fast and almost considered not finishing it. I'm afraid I can't even say I'd recommend it to anyone. Except maybe, if someone doesn't care much about language and storytelling but only about the plot, because as I said before that was what I liked very much. Overall, a disappointing read for me.
First, though, I want to talk about why I loved the book in the beginning. The author had this great talent of jumping right into the story without overwhelming the reader. Really, I started this book five minutes before I had to get out of the bus and by the time I threw it into my backpack to get up, I was already completely into the story and couldn't wait to continue reading. This fast pacedness leads the reader through the whole book, so on the one hand this is a huge plus.
On the other hand, this plus became smaller for me with every page. What made me dread this book after a while was mainly the absolutely stiff dialogue. Usually, I don't even pay much attention to dialogue and I don't think I've ever mentioned it in any of my reviews, but I found the way the characters talked to each other just straight up annoying. I felt like they started a conversation, told each other the story of their lives although they had known the other person for no longer than two minutes and then they were like "bye" and Ellie literally ran anywhere. She was running to so many places, never stayed anywhere for long and when she did, the author turned to summarising everything that happened so as if she just wanted to get it over with.
Another thing that really annoyed me was how simple everything the author wanted to happen just happened. Ellie got to know people in this book, they became friends and that was the end of it. They had barely ever talked, but Ellie told everyone immediately how she felt about the loss of her mother. Somehow, though she doesn't seem to be able to talk about that - or anything other than food - with her grandparents.
Same with the love interest, Harry the ghost. Ellie falling in love with him is a fact not a process. You turn the page and from one moment to the other she just goes on and on how she can't live without him. By the way, the fact that he is a ghost does not seem to be a problem at all. She's not turned off by it or scared or finds it weird or anything. She just goes with it.
The only thing I continued liking a LOT was the general plot of the novel. Just how everything happened and how Ellie developed throughout the novel was totally reasonable and there were some things in the story I just didn't expect at all.
To put it in a nutshell, I was turned off by this book pretty fast and almost considered not finishing it. I'm afraid I can't even say I'd recommend it to anyone. Except maybe, if someone doesn't care much about language and storytelling but only about the plot, because as I said before that was what I liked very much. Overall, a disappointing read for me.
October 22, 2012
(Source: I borrowed a copy of this book.)
18-year-old Ellie is staying with her grandparents for the summer, in a small coastal town in the UK. Her mother died 18 months ago and her father has gone on holiday to the US with his new girlfriend who Ellie doesn’t like.
On her first day in town she goes into a second-hand book store, and finds an old model theatre which she buys for only £5. That night she smells a strange scent in her room, and finds a message written to her in her journal. The message turns out to be from Harry – a 19-year-old boy who played Mercutio in a showing of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at the small theatre in the town in 1896.
Ellie has signed up to do a show in the exactly same theatre as part of a youth theatre project, and when she is at the theatre begins to be able to see and talk to the mysterious Harry.
How did Harry die though? Why can’t he remember his death? Why is he still hanging around the old theatre? And is Ellie really falling in love with a ghost?
This was an enjoyable read, but did have its flaws. There was some mystery as to who Harry was, and why he was still around, and Ellie made a point of trying to puzzle together information from over 100 years ago.
I have to say I don’t really see why she fell in love with him though. I mean, Yes – he told her she was beautiful, and Yes – she liked that nobody else knew about him, but I really didn’t get why she was supposedly in love with him. If anything he was a little abrupt with her at times and even tried to convince her that SHE was the ghost, not him!
I also thought that the way that Harry died turned out to be a bit silly, and I still don’t really get why Ellie went on the witch hunt she went on, trying to find out more about Harry’s family. Sure there was some mystery there, but I personally would not go all the way to Paris, on the off chance that my ghost boyfriend’s sister’s granddaughter might possibly know something about her great-uncle’s death, who died years before she was even thought of, never mind born.
There was a side storyline about Ellie’s new friends (who weren’t ghosts), and their love lives, but I found that a bit shallow really. Ellie’s new best friend claimed to have feelings for her best friend Alex, who seemed obviously into Ellie (damn love triangle), and then said new best friend is suddenly dating someone else!
I have to say that I think this is the poorest book I have read by this author, I have loved her other books such as ‘Century’, ’Heretic’, ‘Sacrifice’, and ‘The Amethyst Child’, but this just fell really short.
Overall; an interesting contemporary YA, but not up to the author’s usual high standards.
6.5 out of 10.
Summary:
Did I like this: It was okay
Would I read it again: Probably not.
Would I recommend it: Probably not - the authors other works are better, and there are better ghost love stories out there too (eg: Ever by Jessa Russo
)
18-year-old Ellie is staying with her grandparents for the summer, in a small coastal town in the UK. Her mother died 18 months ago and her father has gone on holiday to the US with his new girlfriend who Ellie doesn’t like.
On her first day in town she goes into a second-hand book store, and finds an old model theatre which she buys for only £5. That night she smells a strange scent in her room, and finds a message written to her in her journal. The message turns out to be from Harry – a 19-year-old boy who played Mercutio in a showing of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ at the small theatre in the town in 1896.
Ellie has signed up to do a show in the exactly same theatre as part of a youth theatre project, and when she is at the theatre begins to be able to see and talk to the mysterious Harry.
How did Harry die though? Why can’t he remember his death? Why is he still hanging around the old theatre? And is Ellie really falling in love with a ghost?
This was an enjoyable read, but did have its flaws. There was some mystery as to who Harry was, and why he was still around, and Ellie made a point of trying to puzzle together information from over 100 years ago.
I have to say I don’t really see why she fell in love with him though. I mean, Yes – he told her she was beautiful, and Yes – she liked that nobody else knew about him, but I really didn’t get why she was supposedly in love with him. If anything he was a little abrupt with her at times and even tried to convince her that SHE was the ghost, not him!
I also thought that the way that Harry died turned out to be a bit silly, and I still don’t really get why Ellie went on the witch hunt she went on, trying to find out more about Harry’s family. Sure there was some mystery there, but I personally would not go all the way to Paris, on the off chance that my ghost boyfriend’s sister’s granddaughter might possibly know something about her great-uncle’s death, who died years before she was even thought of, never mind born.
There was a side storyline about Ellie’s new friends (who weren’t ghosts), and their love lives, but I found that a bit shallow really. Ellie’s new best friend claimed to have feelings for her best friend Alex, who seemed obviously into Ellie (damn love triangle), and then said new best friend is suddenly dating someone else!
I have to say that I think this is the poorest book I have read by this author, I have loved her other books such as ‘Century’, ’Heretic’, ‘Sacrifice’, and ‘The Amethyst Child’, but this just fell really short.
Overall; an interesting contemporary YA, but not up to the author’s usual high standards.
6.5 out of 10.
Summary:
Did I like this: It was okay
Would I read it again: Probably not.
Would I recommend it: Probably not - the authors other works are better, and there are better ghost love stories out there too (eg: Ever by Jessa Russo
)
March 28, 2012
This was a fun book to read. It was the first ghost story that I've read and I really enjoyed it. Having it set in a small sea side town in England, Sarah Singleton managed to create a creepy dark vibe to it. Where else in the world would a ghost haunt a small theatre? Except in Lyme-on-Sea in England. Having grown up in a seaside town myself, I was able to connect with the atmosphere, the small town, the holiday makers.
Initially the book itself was a slow starter. It was just Ellie moping about for a long time, not really doing anything. It's not until she enters a small book shop, where she discovers a replica model of the small theatre that lies in the town that strange things start to happen. At that point, you're completely sucked into Ellie's world, and you're with her through out, and you literally can't wait to find out more about the mysterious and beautiful ghost that is Harry Weatherstone. You want to know so much more about him and his tragic death that happened over 100 years ago in the same town. With all that said, Sarah Singleton has a unique writing style that keeps you engaged through out with a mix of suspense and she certainly knows how to write dark stories.
Her characters were all realistically portrayed as older teenagers (18years) and are all easy to like and empathise with. Ellie, our protagonist is likeable from the start, although there were times where I wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up and smell the real world, she didn't bug me. Her friend Daisy, was great, pretty much the typical best friend. And Alex, ah Alex, other than have you falling for Harry as well, Sarah added Alex to the mix, Alex is the typical male love interest (Even though Ellie is completely oblivious to him), strong, handsome, understanding. Harry is an intriguing character. Although he's a ghost, there was something about him that leaves you falling head over heels for him. He's the gentleman from the 1890's who died tragically. His and Ellie's relationship wasn't healthy, it was very much a modern tale on Romeo & Juliet, which is a big recurring theme in the book. It's a love that you know isn't going to work, he'd dead, she's alive; that's the sad tragic thing. Two people who would have obviously been (if times were different) made for each other, just can't be.
There isn't a lot more I can say about this book without giving too much away, except that it's an intriguing dark story that will leave you wanting more. Dark Storm is a stand alone book and the ending it pretty perfect, and doesn't leave it open to interpretation or for a sequel. This has been a very engaging read, and one that you should all experience upon the books' release.
Initially the book itself was a slow starter. It was just Ellie moping about for a long time, not really doing anything. It's not until she enters a small book shop, where she discovers a replica model of the small theatre that lies in the town that strange things start to happen. At that point, you're completely sucked into Ellie's world, and you're with her through out, and you literally can't wait to find out more about the mysterious and beautiful ghost that is Harry Weatherstone. You want to know so much more about him and his tragic death that happened over 100 years ago in the same town. With all that said, Sarah Singleton has a unique writing style that keeps you engaged through out with a mix of suspense and she certainly knows how to write dark stories.
Her characters were all realistically portrayed as older teenagers (18years) and are all easy to like and empathise with. Ellie, our protagonist is likeable from the start, although there were times where I wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up and smell the real world, she didn't bug me. Her friend Daisy, was great, pretty much the typical best friend. And Alex, ah Alex, other than have you falling for Harry as well, Sarah added Alex to the mix, Alex is the typical male love interest (Even though Ellie is completely oblivious to him), strong, handsome, understanding. Harry is an intriguing character. Although he's a ghost, there was something about him that leaves you falling head over heels for him. He's the gentleman from the 1890's who died tragically. His and Ellie's relationship wasn't healthy, it was very much a modern tale on Romeo & Juliet, which is a big recurring theme in the book. It's a love that you know isn't going to work, he'd dead, she's alive; that's the sad tragic thing. Two people who would have obviously been (if times were different) made for each other, just can't be.
There isn't a lot more I can say about this book without giving too much away, except that it's an intriguing dark story that will leave you wanting more. Dark Storm is a stand alone book and the ending it pretty perfect, and doesn't leave it open to interpretation or for a sequel. This has been a very engaging read, and one that you should all experience upon the books' release.
March 24, 2012
'Dark Storm' is a ghostly love story about a lonely teenage girl called Ellie who while visiting her grandparents for the summer discovers a secret from the past. She falls in love with a handsome vision who appears to her after she finds a theatre model in an old bookshop. The model connects her with Harry - a ghost from the past who she sets out to discover more about.
I initially found the story a little slow to start but as it progressed I was sucked into Ellie's quest to find out more about the mysterious Harry and who he really was. I actually really enjoyed reading about the historical research that she embarks upon and the way in which she gradually begins to connect all the dots together to find out the truth about him. It's like a puzzle which she has all the pieces for but it won't make sense until they're all put in the right place.
British author Sarah Singleton has an engaging writing style. Her characters are realistically and truthfully portrayed like typical teenagers and they're easy to empathise with. I liked Ellie, the central protagonist, in particular She feels displaced and alone after the death of her mother and resentful of her father's new girlfriend. She's drawn to Harry's presence and there's a definite connection between the two but I didn't necessarily feel the sense of love which develops. I far preferred the solid and dependable Alex, a local boy who Ellie becomes friends with and who's always there when she needs him.
There's also local girl Daisy who Ellie befriends when she joins the local theatre group. Daisy is quirky and cool and their personalities seem to compliment each other. While Ellie is often sad and confused, Daisy is a happy person to be around and she seems like a great friend to have.
I liked the symmetry which developed between Ellie's mother's romantic past and Ellie's present relationships. The second half of the book in which many of these secrets come to light was extremely good. Overally this was an enjoyable read and probably my favourite of Sarah Singleton's books so far.
I initially found the story a little slow to start but as it progressed I was sucked into Ellie's quest to find out more about the mysterious Harry and who he really was. I actually really enjoyed reading about the historical research that she embarks upon and the way in which she gradually begins to connect all the dots together to find out the truth about him. It's like a puzzle which she has all the pieces for but it won't make sense until they're all put in the right place.
British author Sarah Singleton has an engaging writing style. Her characters are realistically and truthfully portrayed like typical teenagers and they're easy to empathise with. I liked Ellie, the central protagonist, in particular She feels displaced and alone after the death of her mother and resentful of her father's new girlfriend. She's drawn to Harry's presence and there's a definite connection between the two but I didn't necessarily feel the sense of love which develops. I far preferred the solid and dependable Alex, a local boy who Ellie becomes friends with and who's always there when she needs him.
There's also local girl Daisy who Ellie befriends when she joins the local theatre group. Daisy is quirky and cool and their personalities seem to compliment each other. While Ellie is often sad and confused, Daisy is a happy person to be around and she seems like a great friend to have.
I liked the symmetry which developed between Ellie's mother's romantic past and Ellie's present relationships. The second half of the book in which many of these secrets come to light was extremely good. Overally this was an enjoyable read and probably my favourite of Sarah Singleton's books so far.
October 9, 2014
If you need an easy read, this is it, really not complicated to follow, a so called no brainer book and bit predictable...but I was in the mood for a book like this just a quick read.
Spoiler alert so don't read if you havent read it!
So I was most of the time annoyed with the main character Ellie, because she was not just in love but she was literally obsessed by Harry, which was so annoying and he was not even that great, I mean why did she not see how great Alex was in the beginning?
I felt sorry for her loss and I was totally on her side with her dad issue of having a new girlfriend, I mean what is that I just don't get why old people who have lived their life need to marry again, I mean a year ago he just lost his wife and moving on a,ready, I mean I don't mean ever but a year is too soon it is really as if he did not love her mum enough and he is already talking about marriages?! What!!!!
No way...of course Ellie should be angry about that.
Daisy and Warren are cool and Alex is brilliant, Harry just annoyed me as well and I kept thinking that he had other motives such as wanting to come to her world by feeding of her energy or so haha...was not the case...
So all in all an ok book to read.
Spoiler alert so don't read if you havent read it!
So I was most of the time annoyed with the main character Ellie, because she was not just in love but she was literally obsessed by Harry, which was so annoying and he was not even that great, I mean why did she not see how great Alex was in the beginning?
I felt sorry for her loss and I was totally on her side with her dad issue of having a new girlfriend, I mean what is that I just don't get why old people who have lived their life need to marry again, I mean a year ago he just lost his wife and moving on a,ready, I mean I don't mean ever but a year is too soon it is really as if he did not love her mum enough and he is already talking about marriages?! What!!!!
No way...of course Ellie should be angry about that.
Daisy and Warren are cool and Alex is brilliant, Harry just annoyed me as well and I kept thinking that he had other motives such as wanting to come to her world by feeding of her energy or so haha...was not the case...
So all in all an ok book to read.
March 31, 2013
DNF I got to about page 83 and it was the same teen angst and no horror.
I Was so not impressed with this book. It was suppose to be scary? Yah. No.
Ellie the main character was just this rude annoying protagonist who just wanted to wallow in her own self pity. And no one wants to confront her because they feel sorry for her. Well you can't act like a bitch and expect people to like you.
And the ghost story was not scary at all. A few ritten passages in a journal and the smell of insence in the dark does not qualify for horror. I've seen scarier things come out of my bathroom sink.
April 6, 2012
There isn't a fair lot I can say about this book without giveaway spoilers, except that overall this book was an entertaining read and a delightful little ghost story that will certainly appeal to a lot of readers longing for a quick book. DARK STORM as far as I know is a standalone novel and towards the end of it it quickly delivers an ending that ties up all loose ends, and I would definitely recommend giving it a go when you get the chance to because it's something great to read for a one sitting read!
Full review: http://talesoftheinnerbookfanatic.blo...
Full review: http://talesoftheinnerbookfanatic.blo...
April 11, 2012
I live in Lyme Regis where this book is set so it made a big difference to my enjoyment.
It's a book for young adults but I still found it entertaining and I liked the characters who I found very convincing and liked, I cared what happened to them. It's a ghost story and I thought the concept was very plausible, the love interest was great I liked it now and i would have really really loved it when I was a teenager, very romantic.
It's a book for young adults but I still found it entertaining and I liked the characters who I found very convincing and liked, I cared what happened to them. It's a ghost story and I thought the concept was very plausible, the love interest was great I liked it now and i would have really really loved it when I was a teenager, very romantic.
May 3, 2012
Dark Storm creates a haunting and suspending feeling, that will compell you on to read it. It'll make you fall over the edge of the cliffs, and there wouldn't have been a way for you to stop. It's just that irresistable.
December 22, 2015
The description in this book is some of the best I've ever read.
It feels as if I've really been to the beach for a few weeks in high summer when really it's only a few day until Christmas.
Brilliant!
It feels as if I've really been to the beach for a few weeks in high summer when really it's only a few day until Christmas.
Brilliant!
Want to read
April 12, 2012March 29
February 14, 2012
DS is a great offering from Ms Singleton. It's dark though, which is her speciality. The romance is too sad for words and I sobbed like a girl when I finished it. Longer review coming soon on MFB.
January 23, 2013
I really enjoyed this book. The second ghost story I've read and it didn't disappoint. Alot of emotion running wild, characters you grow to love. Most definitely a fun read. :-)
May 15, 2013
Dark Storm, is full of suspense and romance, grabs your interest and keeps you wanting more.
Want to read
April 6, 2012Oooooooooooooh what a beautiful cover!
Read
September 24, 2012a wonderful story. very heart wrenching and tear jerking though. Ellie makes a perfect example growing not knowing who you are in your heart
June 7, 2015
Its a really good book.
June 2, 2014
this book was alright
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