Review Detail

BEWARE THE NIGHT was an intriguing YA fantasy that follows Veda, a seventeen-year-old Basso who lives on the island of Bellona. Bellona is divided strongly by socioeconomic status with the Basso being the oppressed poor and the Dogio are the wealthy, ruling class. The people are taught to worship the Sun and make routine sacrifices of life to the Sun to keep them safe from the Night. The Night is the rebellion who frequently attacks (only the Basso) and keeps taking Basso who are never seen again.

Veda is friends with a wealthy Dogio, Nico, and they take care of each other. Nico is increasingly conflicted by the way the Dogio live as he spends time with Veda and sees the stark differences in treatment and food availability. Veda is developing a crush on him, but it is impossible. On a fishing day (supervised by the Dogio but a chance to get a little food for your family), she sees a boy from her cildhood and finds him also intriguing (love triangle style).

The book is slow-building with lots of mystery and reveals that keep you eagerly turning pages. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and definitely found it difficult to put down. I found the beginning to be a little slow and got lost in the telling a few times as this new world is built. There is a lot to learn about the way the island works and all the major players. Once it really starts moving, it flies, and I found myself lost (in the good way) in this story and the characters. I really liked Veda and enjoyed her point-of-view. I have a feeling we might get some other points-of-view in future books based on the ending, and I am so excited to get into these other characters. This book is really intriguing, and I definitely want to continue with the series.

I recommend for fans of YA fantasy/dystopian. This is a great new book/series, and I look forward to continuing with it (hopefully soon)!