Dark Inside (Dark Inside #1)

Dark Inside was fast-paced and intense. I loved everything about it- the insane travels, the characters, the different points of view, that cover... LOVE. I especially liked how the characters were no where near perfect and a few did their share of bad deeds before they found each other.
This book had me from the start; just the way Jeyn Roberts created the lives of the characters drew me in.
5/5 stars. I'm beyond excited for the next book, Rage Within.

To be quite honest, I wasn’t expecting much out of Dark Inside. It seemed as if most of the reviews I read were just “okay” and it immediately dropped off under the radar after its release which typically isn’t a good sign, but it really shouldn’t have happened this time. This is a fantastic apocalyptic novel that needs to be read.

First off, Dark Inside has a little something for everyone. There are four narrators: two boys and two girls. See, we’re already pleasing both genders. Past that, there really isn’t any romance to speak of, but there’s definitely plenty of blood. Not trying to force gender stereotypes on anyone, but I will say that this is a book I’d recommend to my brother or Husband.

Now, you probably noticed that I said there were four narrators. Don’t let that freak you out. That’s actually the biggest reason I put off reading it for so long. I was afraid it would be hard to connect with any of the characters and keep all their stories straight, but it really wasn’t. It did get a little confusing with all the names, especially towards the end, but Roberts does a good job of establishing exactly who each character is in each new chapter. I thought it was pretty fascinating to find that I’d connected with each character in some way or another and really felt for everything they went through.

And I’ve got to ask, for those who’ve read the story, did you try to assign a character to Nothing from the beginning? Maybe it was just me, but as soon as I could, I was tacking everyone onto Nothing to see if they fit. I think I had it figured out by the end, but I’m not positive. If you want to discuss in the comments make sure to put some kind of spoilers notification up :]

The Nutshell: Dark Inside has flown under the radar for the most part, but it’s about time this book has its moment in the sun. It’s a fantastic read with everything from great characters to interesting settings to scary bad guys. This is definitely one that I could easily suggest to both guys and girls. Don’t yell at me about gender stereotypes either, because most guys I know look at me like I’m insane if I suggest a book to them with romance :P

Direct Hit

Dark Inside is probably one of the darkest books that I have ever read. I usually write my reviews right after finishing, but this time, I just couldn't. I still can't really decide how I feel about this book. Most parts of me could not put it down, but I just couldn't let myself, I had to know how the characters fared and I couldn't stop until I finished.
The last chapter really confused me and I wish that it wasn't there, because everything I thought I understood kinda disappeared, and I would have been fine stopping just before. But the "nothing" chapters didn't really do much for me, so maybe that is why.
The fear is really palpable, and the characters all are truly survivors, regardless. I have to admire and hold onto hope with them, no matter what keeps happening around them. The only complaint I have is with the multiple perspectives, I didn't feel like I was in the characters heads long enough to completely keep straight what happened to who, and I had to flip on more than one occasion to their previous chapter to remind myself.
This is definitely for mature teens and those who can handle dark themes and some gore.