Scent of Darkness

by Margot Berwin

Deep in the bayous of Louisiana exists a world of fortune-tellers, soothsayers, and makers of potent elixirs. Among them is Evangeline's grandmother, Louise, a master of scent-making and perfume. And when Eva is eighteen, Louise leaves her the ultimate gift--a scent created just for her. However, the bottle comes with a warning: do not remove the crystal stopper unless you want everything in your life to change.



From the moment she places a drop on her neck, Eva is the object of intense desire to everyone around her. Strangers follow her down the street, a young boy appears at her door asking for a favor, and two men--one kind and good, the other dark and exciting--fall madly in love with her. As her greatest gift becomes an unbearable curse, Eva will be forced to wonder if it is possible to truly love someone evil and to question the true nature of her grandmother's legacy.

Genres: Fiction, Magical Realism, Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Margot Berwin earned her MFA from the New School in 2005. Her stories have appeared on Nerve.com, in the New York Press, and in the anthology The Future of Misbehavior. She worked in advertising for many years and lives in New York City.
Her first novel Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire was published in 2009 by Pantheon. Her new novel, SCENT OF DARKNESS, also by Pantheon is coming out on the 5th of February, 2013.

Reviews

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

I hate failing. I really do. From what I could tell, there was nothing wrong with this book. The idea was a good one and the writing was actually pretty good. For whatever reason, I felt like I had to drag myself back to reading every time I walked away. When I realized that I hadn't even made it to the halfway mark after trying and trying and trying, I finally decided to throw in the towel.

To try and gain some insight as to why I wasn't jiving with Scent of Darkness, I took a spin through some of the reviews for the book. It appears that there are multiple classifications and opinions of what exactly we were reading. I'd assumed that I'd picked up some sort of YA or NA paranormal magic book. It appears that other people have this classified across the board - everything from adult, to literary fiction, to magical realism. While I do read plenty of adult books of varied genres, I don't read much adult literary fiction or magical realism. Neither of those categories appeal to me very often unless it's the right author or right subject. So if this is the case, this might be the reason why I had trouble getting into the book.

I'd love to hear from someone who has read this and does enjoy literary fiction or magical realism. Maybe this would be a standout gem for them. I'd love to know who/if I should be recommending this book to. There must be a niche for this story. It makes me feel guilty to know that I walked into the book expecting one thing and had a hard time really giving the book a chance because I didn't get what I'd expected.

[MaryannC Victorian Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I was totally wrong about this book in the beginning when I first started it. I almost put it aside because I wondered at first where it was leading, but boy am I glad I saw it through! The majority of the story takes place in New Orleans, a city steeped in history,mystery and secrets. This is a story of the power of scent, it's almost magical qualities and the power to influence. Like the scent centered in this book, the author has found the right essence of intrigue, mystery, and sensuality to this story. Having been to New Orleans myself(and it's been a few years ago)I could feel the experience of the city come alive again through her descriptions. Margot Berwin definitely captured the essence of this wonderful city in her words.

[Wonda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yeah, sooooo YA cliché. Love triangle, one guys good, the other not so much...BUT it's so boring. And if you plan on trying this out, READ it. The audio makes the boring worse!!!

[Diayll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally Reviewed At: Mother/Gamer/Writer
Rating: 4 out of 5 Controllers
Review Source: Author/Blog Tour
Reviewer: AimeeKay

I’m torn. I loved the writing in Scent of Darkness; however I hated the main character.

Berwin’s writing was amazing. Her descriptions of the world, the people, their thoughts and emotions all were absolutely stunning. The way she put her words together was moving and kept me turning the page to read more.

However, I really disliked Eva. She was selfish and she just annoyed me. Maybe if the story hadn’t been told from her point of view and I didn’t have to listen to her thoughts I would have enjoyed the book more. She just seems to let things happen to her. She complains about the things that happen to her and she says she can’t stop them from happening. But she never seems to make a real effort to change anything; she just lets herself get dragged along.

I also didn’t seem to be able to connect with any of the other characters. They were all beautifully described, but the only one that seemed to be more than just a pretty shell was Michael. The problem with Michael is he was even more self absorbed than Eva. The only difference is he is supposed to be since he was the bad guy.

The writing was so beautiful though. I think if I had been able to connect with Eva I would have given the book the Royalty award along with 5 controllers. However all the beautiful writing couldn’t save that part, so I’m giving it 4 out of 5 controllers. I would recommend picking it up for the summer; maybe another reader can connect with Eva better than I could.

[Victoria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was certainly an interesting book. With its focus around scents, smells and a naturally beautiful body odor, it really reminded me of Patrick Suskind’s Perfume: The Story of a Murderer. The sensual descriptions of olfactory responses lent a certain amount of beauty to the novel - at times cartoon like scents almost washed out of its pages with the power of their description! Unfortunately, Evangeline was too passive of a character to be truly likable and with her narration, it was easy to become disconnected with her as she seemed so disconnected from her own reality. The love triangle at the heart of the book wasn’t a compelling one - which really struck me as strange since love triangles are inherently interesting. But Berwin captured New Orleans and its bayou magic wonderfully. I wished that the book would have focused more on that aspect and less on Eva’s oddly dispassionate romantic entanglements. The angelic names were an interesting choice, but none of the characters really came to life. Eva’s passivity made her difficult to even sympathize with and her age never felt very authentic, either. But it was certainly a unique and intriguing read with some moments of genuinely lovely prose.

[Danya · Rating 3 out of 5]

~3.5 stars. I don't exactly know what to make of this story. It was a strange read, and yet it kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen. I liked the writing style, which provided a good amount of atmosphere without falling into too much description (although I could have used more description of the characters, to help me visualize them). The characters were unusual, and I can't really say I particularly liked most of them; nevertheless, they certainly drew me into the story. There was an unsettling, foreboding edge to the writing from the get-go, although unfortunately in the middle the plot felt more stagnant. I felt like the ending revelation was not as spectacular as I'd been hoping for, although plot-wise it made sense ( the vial had contained her blood ). It left me with some practical questions that went unanswered ( if it was just her blood, then why did the scent stay on her skin constantly? Because she didn't smell like that before...). The "romances" in this book are both extreme insta-love, but then the point of this story is really not romance, since very little time is spent endearing either love interest (yes, there are two; the idea of a love triangle is introduced very early on so it's not a spoiler) to the reader. Instead, this is much more a story of superstition, obsession, and self-fulfilling prophecy. (And also, of course, the power of scent, which was an interesting idea to base a story's premise on, although I feel like it was not explored as fully as it could have been.)

Speaking of superstition, I must also point out that the author portrays nearly every person living in New Orleans/Louisiana as incredibly superstitious. While I'm sure there is a historical/cultural basis for traditions of superstition in the area (although I don't know details), it seems to be pandering to stereotypes to have all the major characters from Louisiana portrayed this way.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first heard of Margot Berwin's Scent of Darkness, I was instantly intrigued. It sounded different, very different, from my usual read, and I was especially curious about the whole scent aspect. Luckily, Scent of Darkness turned out to be a tantalizingly good book, one that had me hooked from the first page to the last.

Scent of Darkness begins the story of Eva, a seemingly ordinary girl. Raised by a single mother who never seemed to care, Eva always appreciated her summers in the New York countryside with Louise, her eccentric yet loving grandmother. However, everything changes for Eva when Louise dies suddenly the winter Eva turns 18. Suddenly, Eva doesn't know who she is or what she wants. What she does know is that she misses her grandmother terribly. Therefore, when she finds out Louise has left her house to her, Eva packs up her bags and heads up there, not looking back. This summer, the first without Louise, will be different from any summer before though. Eva's about to learn more about herself and her grandmother than she could have possibly ever imagined, and she's going to be caught between two boys, one good and one bad, both of whom may possibly cause her defeat.

Scent of Darkness had a lot of good things going for it, and one of those aspects was without a doubt the plot. From the start, I was hooked on finding about more about the different scents. It was such a unique and interesting idea, especially when Margot introduced the forbidden, life changing scent that Louise had made for Eva. It caused a lot of plot twists and turns as well as plenty of character development. Secondly, I enjoyed the romance between Eva and Gabriel. It was interesting to see how it all tied in with the scent dilemma. Plus Gabriel was pretty great.

I also really enjoyed the characters in this. Sure, Eva was a bit young, naive sometimes, but I still had no problem rooting for as the book progressed. Furthermore, I liked how Margot really managed to develop a "go girl power!" with Eva's character. I won't say to much but Eva learns a lot about herself in this as well as what inner beauty and self -confidence means. The addition of Eva's grandmother (she was such a nifty woman), the townspeople from New York, and the young boy Eva meets in New Orleans were done well too, in my opinion.

Lastly, the writing in this caused a lot of high points. I loved how greatly Margot developed both settings (the one in New Orleans and the one in New York). With the descriptions contained as well as Eva's adventures in both, I really felt like I was with her. Better yet, I really enjoyed how this book and its writing made me thing about different things in life. It has a lot of substance and thought to it, all of which I enjoyed greatly.

In all, Scent of Darkness is unusual book but an incredibly good one. It's perfect for fans of contemp with a little magic and darkness!

Grade: B+

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scent of Darkness: A Novel I'm really at a loss as to how to explain my feelings about Scent of Darkness now that I've finished. There are so many things that I completely loved about this book, and so many others that just won't sit right in my mind. If there was one thing I could say definitely at this moment in time, it's this: Scent of Darkness is more than what it seems to be. Let me try to break it down for you.
 
First off I have to praise Margot Berwin's writing. Without a doubt, this is what really kept me reading above all else. Her sweeping prose draws the reader into a world that is rich in color, texture, and of course scents. The blood of New Orleans bleeds through this book and, even though Evangeline's grandmother isn't in it for long, her character is the embodiment of her culture. Berwin weaves a dark and mysterious tale. It's hard not to be drawn in.
 
However, despite the elegant and prosaic writing, it was the story itself that kept me wavering between utter love and total despair while reading. Evangeline is not a very well fleshed out character, and really neither are any of the rest of the people who make stops in and out of her life. I understood her well enough. A girl who isn't wanted by her mother, and looses her only mother figure, Evangeline ends up on a path to self-discovery with no one to turn to for advice. I couldn't hate her for her naivety, but I also felt like she never grew at all either.
 
Then there are the two male interests. In an effort not to give anything important away, I'll simply let you know that these two men are like night and day. Gabriel seems to be the epitome of good, Michael that of evil, and we watch as Evangeline is torn between the two. I would have been fine with this, but neither of them truly spoke to me as compatible with her. It's like they were there to simply fill space. I wanted sparks, I wanted romance, I suppose I just wanted her to feel something.
 
So, as you can see, my feelings about Scent of Darkness ended up rather conflicted. I think that this was a great premise, with wonderful writing. The execution of it all is what threw me off. For those of you who enjoy literary fiction, this might be more of a hit. I can't deny that I don't usually read books like this, so it is entirely possible I'm biased. Point being, give this a shot and decide for yourself! If nothing else you'll be allowed to dive into the beauty that is Margot Berwin's writing, and that is a treat in itself.

[Bonnie Brody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evangeline is eighteen years old when her aunt Louise dies. Aunt Louise, her closest of family members, is a wizard with scents. She has created a scent for Evangeline but after her death it is left in a spare white room with an obvious sign - open at your own risk. With the encouragement of Gabriel, the young man that Evangeline has a huge crush on, she opens the vial, and a wondrous scent emerges. It is one that is not identifiable but draws everyone to the person wearing the scent - and that is Evangeline.

In love with Gabriel, a medical student in New Orleans, Evangeline joins him there and the initiate a wonderful love affair. The only problem is that Evangeline is lonely because Gabriel is studying so much and is home rarely. Wherever she goes people follow her because of her scent. They can't get enough of her.

Gabriel introduces Evangeline to Michael, the darkness to his light. Michael is an artist and right away sees the way that Evangeline's scent can create better sales for him. He uses her to sell her paintings but meanwhile Evangeline is falling for him. She sees that he is casting a spell on her but is she strong enough to withstand it. Her true love is Gabriel. Her time with Michael is creating difficulties in her relationship with Gabriel.

This book reminded me of Perfume by Patrick Suskind, another book about the power of scent and man's inability to restrain himself when in its presence.

The book had its ups and downs and there were times I really enjoyed it and other times when I found it repetitive and underdeveloped. I never really understood who Gabriel was though I realized what he stood for. The same goes for Michael. They were mainly representations of good and bad without having their own characterizations.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Landing in the middle on this one. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. Her writing was amazing. She’s a master of painting a picture in your head. However, I didn’t like or care about any of the characters, not even and especially the main character. That made it hard for me to care about the story as a whole, despite a unique and interesting concept.

[Thien-Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been rare lately that I’ve stumbled upon a book that capture me so entirely that I finish it the same day I started it. Scent of Darkness by Margot Berwin is the latest book to receive that honor from me. It sucked me in on the very first chapter and by the evening, I overstayed my welcome in my cold bath to finish reading it.

Scent of Darkness revolves around eighteen-year-old Evangeline, whose single mother barely gave her any thought. The person who loves Eva the most is her grandmother, with whom she spends her summers. Her grandmother creates perfumes, but not just the kind you splash on before you head out the door. Her perfumes can change a person’s life.

During Eva’s eighteenth year her grandmother dies and leaves her upstate New York home and a personal scent to her. The vial’s note warns Eva to only open it if she wants everything in her life to change. Once Eva absorbs the scent, something amazing happens. Everyone around her, men or women, cannot resist her. Their intense desire and lust for her feels powerful at first but soon begins to smother her.

Read the rest of the review here: http://www.fromlefttowrite.com/book-r...

[Lolly K Dandeneau · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it until.... I will review this after it's release. I clung to the beginning and sort of felt the story slipping away from me. I have to admit it reminded me of Perfume by Patrick Suskind so it colored my perception. I think there will be a lot of people who love this book and (for shame) it would make a good movie, I know we aren't supposed to say that about literature. After all, movies butcher books... Review in a few months... I will say one thing, the bits and pieces of her the artist needs made my skin crawl and I think it was intended to.

[Courtney Chappell · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a weird book. Basically, it was about a girl whose scent was so irresistible that everyone loved her and loved her scent. She couldn't figure out if these two guys, Michael and Gabriel, loved her for her scent or for just for herself. In the end, this really turned out to be a voodoo and tarot card book set in New Orleans. We find out that her grandmother did not create the smell, but rather it was the scent of her own blood. Basically, it was just really creepy.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book transported me to another world. Berwin's writing tantalizes all the senses and uses magical realism to breathe life into the story of Eva and her mysterious scent. The dark pull of New Orleans practically permeates the whole book. Toward the end, the story gets a little macabre and the answer to Eva's search leaves me wondering about the futility of her story.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

No, just no. I couldn’t finish this book with all of its unrealistic characters and moody/teenage prose. This story would be great for a fanfic site where every detail and thought was expressed from the viewpoint of an “outsider” girl...but this isn’t literature. The author had a great idea, and flopped when it came time to follow through

[Darcy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure what it was about this one, but I was turned off pretty much from the start. I found it odd all the talk about scents, but it did make sense in context of the book. In the end, this one wasn't for me.

[Michaela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really the greatest book I've read. Learned some interesting things though. Eva was quite the super confused character and that kind of pissed me off but at least it ended how I wanted to compensate things.

[Sandrita Gz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the concept was interesting but I didn't feel like it was pulling me in. It was a good distraction from my airplane rides I guess

[Kandice · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I was turned off by the oddness of this book.

Page 2 " Never open your legs for a man whose mind you love but only for the man whose scent you can't live without. That's the one you'll stay with forever."

Page 6 "In the kitchen sh took the bloody towel from my head and squeezed it out into an empty ice cube tray. She stuck wooden ice cream sticks into each little square and put it in the freezer. "Bloodsicles," she said, "for the dogs." Although we have no dogs, the bloodsicles remain in the freezer until this day."

Page 33 " We are all, each and very one of us, the angel Gabriel, and he us all of us too."

Also not a fan of how within days she falls in love with the strange guy she found lurking in her dead grandma's house. Just felt like a lot of nonsense, which is sad because it sounded like it would make a good story, a scent so powerful it makes the world fall in love with her. Fell flat for me, gave up around page 53.

[Casey · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s just a typical young woman love story. Fresh out of high school. 

She loves Gabriel and Michael, or so she thinks. 

Instead of living in the moment, experiencing both loves- she trusts her perfume, destiny, the cards- leaving no room for her own desires or those of the main men in her life. 

This is a sore replacement for struggling with the angst of mixed emotions, because she turns everything over to fate/destiny and never once makes a decision for herself. 

The premise sounds great on the book cover. Berwin writes well in the beginning, its just that the story has less than no depth. 

[Jeanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eva is the grandaughter of a woman who was known as a scentmaker; I can't quite call her a perfumer as she mostly made disgusting scents that smelled of blood and jasmine which evidently smells like death. The first 50 pages are filled with gothic doom and gloom as Eva's grandmother dies and she inherits her gloomy, dark, stone house in upstate New York. In this book you can foretell almost everything by its scent, including whether people are good or bad. I'm not sure if this is supposed to "magical realism" or just a romance or what, but I'm not sticking around to find out.

[Courtney Churchill · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is unique in its own way. The way the scents and aromas were being described I could almost smell them at times. New Orleans was perfectly sketched making me miss the time I spend there. I could easily picture myself back along those scorching streets.

The characters were not plain but due to Eve’s passiveness I could not grasp any kind of life from them. The whole book I felt disconnected from them and only focused on what the scent was and how it was dealt with. I didn’t care what happened to them or how their stories ended.

[Erika Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

An acid trip of a book and not really in a good way. I had no idea what I was reading and honestly I think the main character was going through all of this in her head, but to be fair I didn't finish it. You just get this sense the whole time that she is hallucinating the people she's interacting with and the stuff she's experiencing because shes accepting of things that happen that no normal person would find acceptable on any given normal day. Just umm weird... I wanted to like this so bad but it wasn't for me

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too bad. I was reading this and both felt connected to the material and separate from what was going on, not sure if i had a difficult time concentrating on reading it or what. Overall I enjoyed her first book better. This world didn't feel as magical or as interesting to me as the first book. While it still had beautiful imagery and what it feels like to have a woman come into her power it wasnt for me.

[Nik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written. Lush vivid descriptions and a fascinating concept. The character development fell short for me in that the characters never evolved and the main character lacked agency and I found her selfishness and unwillingness to take responsibility for her own actions off putting. But the writing was so beautiful that i still loved it. Recommended for fans of descriptive prose that paints a vivid picture in your mind.

[Mrs. Midnight Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Тази книжка ми беше подарък и ми вървеше много тегаво... Наистина тъмно, мрачно, тъжно! Давам три звезди, защото авторката пише наистина задълбочено и красиво, но беше книгата, която бих избрала сама.
Със сигурност ще се хареса обаче на хората, които харесват мрака и тъмнит истории с лека светлина в тунела :)

[Hiddenheart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully sensual writing just as good as the story line itself.

While in the end, I was kind of disappointed with the generic fairy-tale explanation, I can't take anything away from the story, the writing, and the overall feel of the book. Read it in one work day after all my paperwork was done, and definitely was NOT disappointed.

[Allie Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of this book was very interesting. There were definitely some phrases here and there about the concept of scent that got under my skin (in a good way).

Overall, I felt that the characters weren't fully developed and didn't have much growth. The climax wasn't really built up enough for it to feel like a good payoff.

[Jennifer Titus · Rating 5 out of 5]

do not read the reviews. read the book. i read it all in one sitting. some of the writing is weak but i thoroughly enjoyed my all too brief foray into the intrigue and mystique of new orleans. thoughtful and just as good as hot house flowers.

[Kat Skarbek · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sensual easy read redolent with the scents and sights and sounds of New Orleans. Sweet with first love and tortured in the way only the young are tortured by desire.
A magical journey of self-discovery played out in the heat of the South.