Steph's Reviews > A Step Past Darkness

This book won't be for everyone, but it was definitely for me. When I think back on this story, I will remember the way it made me feel. I laughed. I fumed. I teared up. A friend of mine once mentioned "five star moments", and I realized mine are typically unexpected moments of fierce friendship that punch me in the gut and bring tears to my eyes. That happened here. *sigh* I will remember wanting to stay in the middle of this book for a long time.

The Capstone Six are the heart of this book. Think The Breakfast Club with the eclectic group of teens assigned to a high school project. They experience trauma together and build this protective friendship that tugs at my heart. As adults it is clear they all must return to their hometown to address some unfinished business.

A Step Past Darkness is Vera Kurian's second novel. After enjoying Never Saw Me Coming, this was a highly anticipated read for me. Be aware, it's a chunk. There are dual timelines and six perspectives, so it takes awhile to get introduced and rolling. For some, this book will be slow. For me, I came to care for every character and soaked it in. Plots involving psychic abilities and religion will always get me. The nostalgia of screennames like SavageGarden15 and carpooling in our parents' minivans was a bonus.

I'm bummed I have to wait for more by Kurian. Her writing and sense of humor click with me. She made me love her characters. I was tense when they were in danger, and I was sad thinking something could happen to them (since it is a thriller after all). My only wish that almost brought my rating to a 4.5 would be to get more from some characters like Maddy and Jia. I would have happily read a longer book to get more from those two. But at the end of the day, when I think about A Step Past Darkness, I will automatically say "I loved it!", so five-stars it is!

RATING: I loved it! (5)