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What Happens in the Darkness
Manhattan died, along with much of the country. Twelve-year-old Janelle lost her family in one horrific night and managed to escape into a no-longer-recognizable city. As she struggles for survival, she comes across something much worse than the decimated landscape, much worse than the enemy soldiers patrolling the streets night and day. Another force has been unleashed, one hell-bent on destroying the invading enemy—but now that they’re out, there’s no turning back.
- GenresHorror
266 pages, Paperback
First published December 10, 2013
3 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
October 20, 2016
I expected a different development due the premise.
I was contacted by the publisher, Sinister Grin Press, and I received a copy of this book in exchange of a honest review.
NOT SO LONELY KID
Based on the premise that you can read in the page of this book, I expected a daring 12-years old girl facing alone terrible and dark dangers in the middle of a devasted city.
And I can’t deny that there was some of it, but...
...Janelle, the young heroine, is hardly alone in story!
Sure, maybe a moment here and there, but too brief, since she is always in the company of somebody.
It’s like in books like I am Legend (which it shares too many similarities), Robinson Crusoe and others were the hero should face all alone the dangers, and bam! Too soon, he or she gets company of somebody, and therefore, they aren’t never alone!
Also, there was an unexpected paranormal element here that it didn’t click me in the middle of my personal expectations for the story.
I won’t elaborate which kind of paranormal element is, since the premise definitely doesn’t comment it, and the virtual shelves of GR still isn’t indicative, so don’t worry, I won’t spoil it. I just will say that I didn’t expect and I didn’t enjoy it here, while it’s a kind of paranormal element that I am too familiar with and I have enjoyed it in other previous novels.
While, without spoiling key info, I can’t elaborate in the story, I found it not very original and like something that anybody can pull together if they have read a few of basic novels in the same genre.
The development of characters was aceptable, however this area involves the ending (please! Don’t worry! I won’t spoil it!) but what I can say it’s that definitely I didn’t like the ending and I found it like making kinda pointless the entire story.
I honestly try to enjoy the reading but sadly, this is my honest appreciation about the novel.
I was contacted by the publisher, Sinister Grin Press, and I received a copy of this book in exchange of a honest review.
NOT SO LONELY KID
Based on the premise that you can read in the page of this book, I expected a daring 12-years old girl facing alone terrible and dark dangers in the middle of a devasted city.
And I can’t deny that there was some of it, but...
...Janelle, the young heroine, is hardly alone in story!
Sure, maybe a moment here and there, but too brief, since she is always in the company of somebody.
It’s like in books like I am Legend (which it shares too many similarities), Robinson Crusoe and others were the hero should face all alone the dangers, and bam! Too soon, he or she gets company of somebody, and therefore, they aren’t never alone!
Also, there was an unexpected paranormal element here that it didn’t click me in the middle of my personal expectations for the story.
I won’t elaborate which kind of paranormal element is, since the premise definitely doesn’t comment it, and the virtual shelves of GR still isn’t indicative, so don’t worry, I won’t spoil it. I just will say that I didn’t expect and I didn’t enjoy it here, while it’s a kind of paranormal element that I am too familiar with and I have enjoyed it in other previous novels.
While, without spoiling key info, I can’t elaborate in the story, I found it not very original and like something that anybody can pull together if they have read a few of basic novels in the same genre.
The development of characters was aceptable, however this area involves the ending (please! Don’t worry! I won’t spoil it!) but what I can say it’s that definitely I didn’t like the ending and I found it like making kinda pointless the entire story.
I honestly try to enjoy the reading but sadly, this is my honest appreciation about the novel.
July 12, 2014
What Happens in the Darkness is a post apocalyptic vampire novel. If you’re a fan of both, you’re in for a treat. If (like me)you only enjoy one of those, it’s still a pretty good read. This is my first time reading O’Rourke and she’s a formidable writer, there is a considerable skill of weaving and crossing plot lines, character driven action and creating a credibly claustrophobic atmosphere or a war torn world, or micro world in this case, since the story is limited to America’s most famous island, Manhattan.
With apocalypse, vampires and young girl’s perspective at the heart of it all, it’s difficult not to compare this to Justin Cronin’s excellent Passage trilogy. What Happens In the Darkness is a stand alone and reasonably brief by comparison at only 361 pages, although the ending is very much open to sequel.
I’m not a fan of vampire fiction and for me the novel was at its best when told through the eyes of humanity, particularly Janelle, the young girl who finds herself alone in the city and tries to survive with impressive skill, ability and smarts. The earlier parts of the book were my favorite owing in no small way to Janelle’s journey. Jeff and Martin’s relationship was very interesting and nuanced as well, the keeper and the prisoner, turned most reluctant of allies.
There is a compelling psychological aspect to survival, all the right and the wrong things one might be willing to do to secure or even merely prolong a life and the price one might be willing to pay. On a bottom line level this is a story is about whether there is such a thing as survival at any cost and what happens (in darkness and otherwise) when that cost gets too high. With as much action, violence, blood, gore and death as you’d expect from a good vampire story.
These vampires don’t sparkle or seduce, they do what they ought to do. But ultimately it is the action of humans with all their emotions and beating hearts that creates the bleak world the novel describes with such vividness. So who are the real monsters and who will you be afraid of in the darkness?
Although all the vampireness was too much at times, the somewhat lagging pacing of the second half and the bleak (but logically reasonable) ending, this was pretty good. Anyone who loves vampires, would likely find this pretty great. Occasionally slightly laborious read, but well worth the time.
With apocalypse, vampires and young girl’s perspective at the heart of it all, it’s difficult not to compare this to Justin Cronin’s excellent Passage trilogy. What Happens In the Darkness is a stand alone and reasonably brief by comparison at only 361 pages, although the ending is very much open to sequel.
I’m not a fan of vampire fiction and for me the novel was at its best when told through the eyes of humanity, particularly Janelle, the young girl who finds herself alone in the city and tries to survive with impressive skill, ability and smarts. The earlier parts of the book were my favorite owing in no small way to Janelle’s journey. Jeff and Martin’s relationship was very interesting and nuanced as well, the keeper and the prisoner, turned most reluctant of allies.
There is a compelling psychological aspect to survival, all the right and the wrong things one might be willing to do to secure or even merely prolong a life and the price one might be willing to pay. On a bottom line level this is a story is about whether there is such a thing as survival at any cost and what happens (in darkness and otherwise) when that cost gets too high. With as much action, violence, blood, gore and death as you’d expect from a good vampire story.
These vampires don’t sparkle or seduce, they do what they ought to do. But ultimately it is the action of humans with all their emotions and beating hearts that creates the bleak world the novel describes with such vividness. So who are the real monsters and who will you be afraid of in the darkness?
Although all the vampireness was too much at times, the somewhat lagging pacing of the second half and the bleak (but logically reasonable) ending, this was pretty good. Anyone who loves vampires, would likely find this pretty great. Occasionally slightly laborious read, but well worth the time.
January 14, 2014
More than a vampire novel you can sink your teeth into.
The novel starts out with the most human of elements, little Janelle, wanders through her house to find the house has caved in, and her family lay dead and dying. With that, she heads out on her own into what seems to be a post apocalyptic New York.
Martin is a vampire, as is Patrick, part of the same family, and they are making a vampire army to battle the invaders on American soil.
Humans are fighting the foreign enemy, and the vampire scourge.
These are the basic threads that are woven into a dark tapestry that mirrors night. Darkness. This is what happens in the darkness, and it is wonderful.
The novel starts out with the most human of elements, little Janelle, wanders through her house to find the house has caved in, and her family lay dead and dying. With that, she heads out on her own into what seems to be a post apocalyptic New York.
Martin is a vampire, as is Patrick, part of the same family, and they are making a vampire army to battle the invaders on American soil.
Humans are fighting the foreign enemy, and the vampire scourge.
These are the basic threads that are woven into a dark tapestry that mirrors night. Darkness. This is what happens in the darkness, and it is wonderful.
Want to read
January 30, 2016This is copy 71 of 100 signed numbered copies signed by Monica J. O'Rourke.
December 22, 2013
Great apocalypse story very intense and seen through the eyes of a 12 year old. I def recommend this book
February 24, 2015
A copy of What Happens in the Darkness was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the publishers, Sinister Grin Press, in exchange for an honest review. This is it.
America is under attack. The rest of the world has united and, calling itself the Global Dominion, is destroying the US. Major cities have been devastated. Millions are dying. Janelle is twelve. She is running for her life in Manhattan, the only one of her family to survive. She has a mission to try and get to her aunt in Georgia.
In an Army base not too far away, Jeff is guarding a secret. A secret that has been buried for decades. It’s a secret that Jeff is convinced will help America fight back against the rest of the world. Only problem is, once he unleashes the secret there will be no turning back. Is he helping save the country or ultimately destroying it?
Never read Monica J. O’Rourke before. Seen the name plenty and heard very good things so I was excited to read this one when it arrived from Sinister Grin Press. I had no idea what it was about so went at it totally blind.
The opening scenes in this story are absolutely fantastic. When we meet Janelle the attack has already happened. She is wandering the streets of Manhattan totally lost and then recalls exactly what happened. Looking at this through the eyes of a twelve year old girl is bad enough but the way Ms O’Rourke has written this first sequence will make you crumble. It describes in detail how Janelle’s building gets hit during the bombing and how she has to try and escape from it totally alone. It is totally horrifying in a psychological way. It is really harrowing to read as Janelle struggles to get out of her apartment block with no help from anyone.
So I’m reading a post-apocalyptic horror book. I like this so far. When you get your breath back from that bit, we meet Jeff. He is in the army. He has had the same posting for years, as his father had before him, guarding a secret in a cave far underground a military base. Now, I wasn’t going to reveal the secret that was being kept but if I don’t then the review ends here. If you don’t want to know what the secret is then stop reading now and buy the book.
The secret is Vampires. They have been kept under lock and key by the military for years. Only a handful of people even know they exist. There are seven of them in total, led by Martin. Jeff has the belief that if he releases them, they will be able to help fight the Global Dominion and save the country. He puts all his trust in Martin to keep things under control and only fight the enemy.
Martin and his “family” are released to battle the enemy but one of his family, Patrick, has ideas of his own and ultimately wants to be top dog in the Vampire world and goes against Martin.
I won’t give any more detail on the story and how it pans out but this is where things went a bit flat for me. Don’t get me wrong there is plenty of action in this book. Plenty of horror in the sense of Vampires rampaging through the country killing loads of enemies, plus plenty of gore when they are doing it. There is even some, unnecessary in my opinion, Vampire/human sex thrown in for good measure. It flows along very nicely. It just didn’t scare me at all and I found it a bit predictable in places.
There is no doubt that Monica J. O’Rourke can write. Her pacing at times is excellent. The opening scenes are probably some of the best I have read in a novel in a long time. There was also a scene towards the end involving twin Vampires getting a bit of revenge on some rather vile humans. They totally sucked me in and had me glued to the pages. It just didn’t deliver for me in terms of horror or of events that grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let me go. The characters didn’t stand out for me and had me either rooting for them or hating them.
In summary: yeah it’s a good read. I struggled a bit to get through it but that isn’t because it’s bad writing. It just didn’t punch me in the gut and keep punching me. Maybe it will punch you though.
2.5 Stars
America is under attack. The rest of the world has united and, calling itself the Global Dominion, is destroying the US. Major cities have been devastated. Millions are dying. Janelle is twelve. She is running for her life in Manhattan, the only one of her family to survive. She has a mission to try and get to her aunt in Georgia.
In an Army base not too far away, Jeff is guarding a secret. A secret that has been buried for decades. It’s a secret that Jeff is convinced will help America fight back against the rest of the world. Only problem is, once he unleashes the secret there will be no turning back. Is he helping save the country or ultimately destroying it?
Never read Monica J. O’Rourke before. Seen the name plenty and heard very good things so I was excited to read this one when it arrived from Sinister Grin Press. I had no idea what it was about so went at it totally blind.
The opening scenes in this story are absolutely fantastic. When we meet Janelle the attack has already happened. She is wandering the streets of Manhattan totally lost and then recalls exactly what happened. Looking at this through the eyes of a twelve year old girl is bad enough but the way Ms O’Rourke has written this first sequence will make you crumble. It describes in detail how Janelle’s building gets hit during the bombing and how she has to try and escape from it totally alone. It is totally horrifying in a psychological way. It is really harrowing to read as Janelle struggles to get out of her apartment block with no help from anyone.
So I’m reading a post-apocalyptic horror book. I like this so far. When you get your breath back from that bit, we meet Jeff. He is in the army. He has had the same posting for years, as his father had before him, guarding a secret in a cave far underground a military base. Now, I wasn’t going to reveal the secret that was being kept but if I don’t then the review ends here. If you don’t want to know what the secret is then stop reading now and buy the book.
The secret is Vampires. They have been kept under lock and key by the military for years. Only a handful of people even know they exist. There are seven of them in total, led by Martin. Jeff has the belief that if he releases them, they will be able to help fight the Global Dominion and save the country. He puts all his trust in Martin to keep things under control and only fight the enemy.
Martin and his “family” are released to battle the enemy but one of his family, Patrick, has ideas of his own and ultimately wants to be top dog in the Vampire world and goes against Martin.
I won’t give any more detail on the story and how it pans out but this is where things went a bit flat for me. Don’t get me wrong there is plenty of action in this book. Plenty of horror in the sense of Vampires rampaging through the country killing loads of enemies, plus plenty of gore when they are doing it. There is even some, unnecessary in my opinion, Vampire/human sex thrown in for good measure. It flows along very nicely. It just didn’t scare me at all and I found it a bit predictable in places.
There is no doubt that Monica J. O’Rourke can write. Her pacing at times is excellent. The opening scenes are probably some of the best I have read in a novel in a long time. There was also a scene towards the end involving twin Vampires getting a bit of revenge on some rather vile humans. They totally sucked me in and had me glued to the pages. It just didn’t deliver for me in terms of horror or of events that grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let me go. The characters didn’t stand out for me and had me either rooting for them or hating them.
In summary: yeah it’s a good read. I struggled a bit to get through it but that isn’t because it’s bad writing. It just didn’t punch me in the gut and keep punching me. Maybe it will punch you though.
2.5 Stars
November 7, 2015
This was/is a complete different direction for a vampire book. It doesn't start out that way and the reader is comforted with different aspects as to the way that the story will go. It isn't a bad effect, and in my opinion, it actually aids in the storytelling. The action is top notch, along with suspense, and the characters have been developed enough to go hand in hand with this .
Read
November 4, 2017Extremes…
There are a lot and especially related to Monica J. O’Rourke the subject is very appropriate. But also related to her book ”What Happens in the Darkness“!
So much may be betrayed: it is a vampire-horror-(and so much more)-novel – so, who basically believes to have a problem with vampires …
… just keep on reading anyway, because what Monica J. O’Rourke wrote with ”What Happens in the Darkness“ makes some opinions on vampires to reconsider!
I just told you: ”extremes“ (especially in relation to O’Rourke)
So we have the one extreme: these glittering euro-vampires with kind of transsexual charisma … not here…!
The other extreme: bloodthirsty, bullet-proof Ueber-creatures with choleric seizures … once again: not here…
Well … and the third extreme: Monica J. O’Rourke – and she’s gonna run here straight in your face!
I know (and love) O’Rourke as a splatterpunk author, who is able to express the feminine side without getting to a whiny dramaturgy. Thinking for a splatterpunk-novel, and not at least cause of the title of the book and its blurb, I began to read ”What Happens in the Darkness“ .
What I found, didn’t measure up to my expectations – but gave me a completely new image of O’Rourke – and believe me: she got me again!
Janelle, a twelve-year-old girl, fights her way through a shattered Manhattan.
The Global Dominion, a federation of different states, has launched the final attack on America. Soldiers patrol through the streets and bring death.
On an army-base, Jeff makes a momentous decision: for many years, Martin and his entourage are held there – vampires.
At first glance, it may sound very dripping-patriotic and sometimes cheesy: the world against America! The last hope, the enemy himself – here as vampires …
Contrary to the supposed platitudes, however, you’ll find a rigorous horror-drama about what darkness hides.
Patriotism, which is shown here not as a dramaturgical nationality, but a normal bond to the roots, is used here only as a necessary stylistic device. Monica J. O’Rourke certainly knows the difference between a patriotism owed to the war and a dramaturgical national-style, as it’s often comes from Hollywood.
Reminder: we’re talking about Monica J. „Little Terror-Queen“ O’Rourke and not a weepy-whiny-director in his midlife-crisis!
”What Happens in the Darkness“ lives from his greatest criticism: the drabness!
You have to know, that you’ll find here more (not just!) a regular novel, than a blood-smeared horror-novel!
O’Rourke doesn’t play with incredible pictures, doesn’t disguise with extraordinary possibilities and doesn’t surprise with neo-dramatic changes – she confronts the reader with a relentless reality: dry and colorless. And this colorlessness makes ”What Happens in the Darkness“ so oppressive – so… real.
Goddamn – we’ll die! Out there, the fucking death is waiting and we’re his goddamn food!
That is it, what the apocalypse offers us as a gift, that is it, what makes the future burn as a dystopian inferno, that is it, what actually happens in the darkness, and that is it, what makes Monica J. O’Rourke so extraordinary: she excites!
What she simply can, is to extend the relationship-aspect in a distinctive way – sometimes to maltreat, sometimes to schmooze; but definitely always to excite!
She provides this insane, into madness driving, hopelessness, this urge, this unconditional need for normality, for conventionality, to survive somehow.
The end won’t be spectacular, won’t be ripe and colorful; it will be quiet and merciless – it will be dark and O’Rourke knows what is happening in this darkness.
”What Happens in the Darkness“ is not a musical about metrosexual pale-skins, crying as depressive microchiroptera for their yesterday, but a post-apocalyptic horror-drama, that donates the dream of darkness in the coat of dystopia.
-
Visit my blog for more reviews:
Die Büchergnomen
There are a lot and especially related to Monica J. O’Rourke the subject is very appropriate. But also related to her book ”What Happens in the Darkness“!
So much may be betrayed: it is a vampire-horror-(and so much more)-novel – so, who basically believes to have a problem with vampires …
… just keep on reading anyway, because what Monica J. O’Rourke wrote with ”What Happens in the Darkness“ makes some opinions on vampires to reconsider!
I just told you: ”extremes“ (especially in relation to O’Rourke)
So we have the one extreme: these glittering euro-vampires with kind of transsexual charisma … not here…!
The other extreme: bloodthirsty, bullet-proof Ueber-creatures with choleric seizures … once again: not here…
Well … and the third extreme: Monica J. O’Rourke – and she’s gonna run here straight in your face!
I know (and love) O’Rourke as a splatterpunk author, who is able to express the feminine side without getting to a whiny dramaturgy. Thinking for a splatterpunk-novel, and not at least cause of the title of the book and its blurb, I began to read ”What Happens in the Darkness“ .
What I found, didn’t measure up to my expectations – but gave me a completely new image of O’Rourke – and believe me: she got me again!
Janelle, a twelve-year-old girl, fights her way through a shattered Manhattan.
The Global Dominion, a federation of different states, has launched the final attack on America. Soldiers patrol through the streets and bring death.
On an army-base, Jeff makes a momentous decision: for many years, Martin and his entourage are held there – vampires.
At first glance, it may sound very dripping-patriotic and sometimes cheesy: the world against America! The last hope, the enemy himself – here as vampires …
Contrary to the supposed platitudes, however, you’ll find a rigorous horror-drama about what darkness hides.
Patriotism, which is shown here not as a dramaturgical nationality, but a normal bond to the roots, is used here only as a necessary stylistic device. Monica J. O’Rourke certainly knows the difference between a patriotism owed to the war and a dramaturgical national-style, as it’s often comes from Hollywood.
Reminder: we’re talking about Monica J. „Little Terror-Queen“ O’Rourke and not a weepy-whiny-director in his midlife-crisis!
”What Happens in the Darkness“ lives from his greatest criticism: the drabness!
You have to know, that you’ll find here more (not just!) a regular novel, than a blood-smeared horror-novel!
O’Rourke doesn’t play with incredible pictures, doesn’t disguise with extraordinary possibilities and doesn’t surprise with neo-dramatic changes – she confronts the reader with a relentless reality: dry and colorless. And this colorlessness makes ”What Happens in the Darkness“ so oppressive – so… real.
Goddamn – we’ll die! Out there, the fucking death is waiting and we’re his goddamn food!
That is it, what the apocalypse offers us as a gift, that is it, what makes the future burn as a dystopian inferno, that is it, what actually happens in the darkness, and that is it, what makes Monica J. O’Rourke so extraordinary: she excites!
What she simply can, is to extend the relationship-aspect in a distinctive way – sometimes to maltreat, sometimes to schmooze; but definitely always to excite!
She provides this insane, into madness driving, hopelessness, this urge, this unconditional need for normality, for conventionality, to survive somehow.
The end won’t be spectacular, won’t be ripe and colorful; it will be quiet and merciless – it will be dark and O’Rourke knows what is happening in this darkness.
”What Happens in the Darkness“ is not a musical about metrosexual pale-skins, crying as depressive microchiroptera for their yesterday, but a post-apocalyptic horror-drama, that donates the dream of darkness in the coat of dystopia.
-
Visit my blog for more reviews:
Die Büchergnomen
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