Book Review: The Dark Between by Sonia Gensler

The Dark Between 

By Sonia Gensler

Release Date: August 27, 2013

Source: Publisher

Summary: A supernatural romance about the powers that lie in the shadows of the mind, perfect for fans of Sarah Rees Brennan, Alyxandra Harvey, and Libba Bray.

At the turn of the twentieth century, Spiritualism and séances are all the rage—even in the scholarly town of Cambridge, England. While mediums dupe the grief-stricken, a group of local fringe scientists seeks to bridge the gap to the spirit world by investigating the dark corners of the human mind.

Each running from a shadowed past, Kate, Asher, and Elsie take refuge within the walls of Summerfield College. But their peace is soon shattered by the discovery of a dead body nearby. Is this the work of a flesh-and-blood villain, or is something otherworldly at play? This unlikely trio must illuminate what the scientists have not, and open a window to secrets taken to the grave—or risk joining the spirit world themselves.

Review: One look at this cover and I knew it was going to be a creepy read. But knowing this was a supernatural romance, I was intrigued to see how the whole supernatural ghost thing would mix with a romance and couldn't wait to dig into this story. 

It's 1901 in Cambridge, England and scientists are intrigued by the idea of the supernatural world. Seances and speaking to ghosts in the spirit world are mysterious mental powers these scientists are determined to master. Kate, Asher, and Elsie find themselves in the middle of the spiritual world as they all stay at Summerfield College. Soon, though, each of them are personally affected by the repercussions of the scientists' obsession to uncover the mysteries of the mind's ability. As bodies start popping up around Cambridge, the three come together to find out who's behind those murders, and uncover along the way just how much they're all involved in the dark world they hadn't even known existed. 

I normally don't read that much supernatural, but this book was just too intriguing to pass up. I absolutely loved the three main characters and how different they all were. Kate is an orphan trying to make it on her own in the world, Asher is running from a rocky past with his father, and Elsie is hiding out because of her illness that her family is ashamed of. Despite their differences, they all form a friendship and come together to uncover the mystery of the supernatural world they've found themselves in. 

The whole supernatural element was really cool in this book. Elsie has no idea why she has spells where she passes out and sees strange things, but she's discovers that she may not be as crazy as her family made her believe. Trying to understand her mind and the spirit world is definitely a struggle, and I really liked how Elsie used that to try and discover who was murdering innocent people, and what it had to do with her powers. 

Not only was this a supernatural romance (there ended up being a bit of romance, but not a whole lot), but it was also a mystery. The three characters go on their own dangerous adventures to uncover secrets and figure out who is behind the murders and why they're killing people. You end up not knowing who to trust or what motives anyone has in the story. 

What had to be the best part of this book, though, was the setting. I actually visited Cambridge when I was in London this summer, so I absolutely loved all of the detail that went into describing the scenes and where they were living. Not to mention this is a historical novel as well, so it was fun delving into life in 1901. 

Overall, this was a really cool book that dipped into many different genres. You had the supernatural, romance, historical, and mystery all wrapped up into one very entertaining story. If you want a unique read that will definitely keep your attention, then I'd recommend checking out The Dark Between. You're in for a mystery even you won't know what to think of until the very last page.