Dark Companion

Written by Marta Acosta

Narrated by Kate Reading

Jane Eyre meets Twilight in Dark Companion, a lush and romantic YA gothic tale about an orphaned girl who attends an exclusive private school and finds herself torn between the headmistress's two sons.

Orphaned at the age of six, Jane Williams has grown up in a series of foster homes, learning to survive in the shadows of life. Through hard work and determination, she manages to win a scholarship to the exclusive Birch Grove Academy. There, for the first time, Jane finds herself accepted by a group of friends. She even starts tutoring the headmistress's gorgeous son, Lucien. Things seem too good to be true.

They are.

The more she learns about Birch Grove's recent past, the more Jane comes to suspect that there is something sinister going on. Why did the wife of a popular teacher kill herself? What happened to the former scholarship student, whose place Jane took? Why does Lucien's brother, Jack, seem to dislike her so much?

As Jane begins to piece together the answers to the puzzle, she must find out why she was brought to Birch Grove—and what she would risk to stay there….

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Jul 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9781427229939

Marta Acosta

MARTA ACOSTA is the author of the award-winning Casa Dracula series. She received degrees in creative writing and literature from Stanford University and was a frequent contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle and the Contra Costa Times. Her books have been selected as: Book Sense Pick, Fresh Fiction Fresh Pick, Catalina Magazine Humor Book of the Year, and BookPage Notable pick. Marta lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

Reviews for Dark Companion

[kmartin802_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jane Williams gets an unexpected opportunity in this story. She is living in foster care when she is chosen to attend the prestigious Birch Grove School for girls. She is eager to get away from her current environment and make something of herself. She does leave some friends behind. Wilde is a drug-using hooker who keeps saying that she is going to get straight and become a hairdresser. Her best friend Hosea had died of bacterial meningitis but he was a major influence on her desire to make something of herself. Once Jane gets to Birch Grove she begins to settle in. She is lonely and wary. She is befriended by a group of the girls and she is looked after by the Headmistress - Mrs. Radcliffe. She is also dazzled by the son of the headmistress Lucian who is called Lucky. He is everything a poor lonely girl could want. He is beautiful, rich, privileged and entitled. He is also selfish and self-centered but it takes Jane quite a while to see that. She meets the other son of the headmistress too. But Jack isn't at all like his brother. He is constantly teasing her and confusing her. She doesn't know how to read him.Then Jane learns a secret. She has been brought here to the school and given this opportunity so that she could become a Companion to Lucian. It seems that many of the people in the town have a rare genetic disorder that makes it necessary to keep them out of the sun and gives them a craving for blood. Lucian has this disorder; Jack, because he was adopted, does not. And Jane is not the first poor girl to be given this opportunity. The most recent was Bebe who disappeared without warning. Earlier another girl Clare Mason was also given the option. Clare had accepted the deal to be a companion and was the nurse at the school. She has recently committed suicide leaving her husband Mr. Mason grieving and confused.Jane is torn between accepting the comfortable life of being a Companion - a safe place to live, all the education she wants, a family of her own - and remaining her own independent self. She is dazzled for quite a while. While I could empathize with her desire for acceptance and her crying need to belong somewhere, I thought she was too smart and too goal driven to be side-tracked for long. She throws herself into solving the mystery of Bebe's disappearance and discovers more than she wanted to know. This is another teenage love triangle with Jane wanting Lucky, Jack wanting Jane, and Lucky mostly wanting his own way. Part of the confusion comes because Jane is convinced that Jack really likes Hattie who is a very nice girl with the same condition as Lucky. After a lot of confusion and struggles there is a happy ending. I think readers who love the paranormal and romance with enjoy getting to know the smart and feisty Jane Williams and will empathize with her. The story has wonderful gothic overtones that are highlighted by the quotations from gothic novels of the past that begin each of the chapters.

[mutantpudding · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed the story in this book, but had issues with the writing and characters. The author had this way of over describing things like clothing and food that I found unnecessary. I like those kind of details when they reflect on the related characters or events, but in this case it didnt feel like that was happening. There were also a lot of repeated scenes between characters and in the protagonists own thoughts that I didnt think were successful.

And speaking of the protagonist... I didnt understand what was happening with her half the time! She comes across as very street smart and self directed one moment, and then is totally clueless the next. I spent a lot of the book mentally screaming "red flag!" for the way people were acting towards her. She also had a lot of emotional ups and downs that I dont think were fully processed within the story. Some of it could have been explained by giving her some self awareness about how trauma and abuse work, but without that her sudden shifts in her affection and goals just seem strange. I did enjoy her connections to the supernatural, and her relationships with her friends.

I mostly gave this book 3 stars because despite my issues with it the story did draw me in. I was interested in both the plot and the world presented, but I dont think it is something I would buy or be take the time to reread.

[schatzi_5 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I absolutely, positively could not get into this book. One hundred pages in and I am still hoping to identify with one character. Just one. Nope. Too many good books to read, not enough time to waste on a book I am not enjoying.

[cay250 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Orphaned at the age of six, Jane Williams has grown up in a series of foster homes, learning to survive in the shadows of life. Through hard work and determination, she manages to win a scholarship to the exclusive Birch Grove Academy. There, for the first time, Jane finds herself accepted by a group of friends. She even starts tutoring the headmistress’s gorgeous son, Lucien. Things seem too good to be true.They are.The more she learns about Birch Grove’s recent past, the more Jane comes to suspect that there is something sinister going on. Why did the wife of a popular teacher kill herself? What happened to the former scholarship student, whose place Jane took? Why does Lucien’s brother, Jack, seem to dislike her so much?

[spantalian12-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Hmmmm What to day about this book. I liked it and I didn't like it.

First off I'm not sure how I feel about the main character, Jane. When we first see Jane she is telling off the woman who ran the group home she was staying at. When I read that, I thought "All right- a kick ass character who doesn't take anyones shit". I couldn't have been more wrong. Its seems as if Jane changes when she gets to birch grove school. She lets Lucian aka "Lucky" (WTF is he a dog?)do whatever he wants with her and all she thinks about is him kissing her and touching her. She always says that she's not going to let Lucky treat her the way he does which is kinda like a bloodletting slave(He only wants her blood for his condition...see further down). However her resolve to teach him a lesson about his treatment of her goes out the window when he hasn't called or stop by her cottage in a few days. Then she's all "Oh I can't wait for him to come", "I hope he calls", "I miss him so much" and yadda yadda. She also goes as far as NOT going out with her friends so that she can stay by the phone in case Lucky calls and she'll be there in case he stops by. Talk about pathetic. However, the time where Lucky tries to do something sexual with her (becasue he thinks that's what she wants), she stops him and is like 'Oh i just realized.. I don't want Lucky after all... I want his brother Jack!" I mean gimme a break. This girl changes guys like she changes her underwear. After that almost sex scene, Jane is now completely in love with Lucky's brother Jack. Please.

Now on to Jack. I must say that I did like his character. He was funny, outgoing, silly and I liked the way he made fun on Jane by calling her "halfling" or "pixie" or "elf". I like the way he spoke, as if he was always joking but he wasn't and you had to look deeper in his responses to see what he really meant. I like how he looked after Jane and it was very romantic when he wrote/sang the song for Jane. Of course they end op together in the end which is stupid because of the way Jack overlooks the fact that Jane wanted his brother first before him. But whatever, I guess a happy ending is what the author wanted.

As for Lucky, he was spoiled whiny brat and a loser. He was supposed to be very beautiful but his description wasn't doing it for me. I thought Jack was wayyy better than him from the beginning of the story.

One character I really loved was Mary Violet. For me, her and Jack made the book. She was hilarious and I found myself laughing out loud at the things she said. I loved how dramatic she was and how she lived in her own world. She is very loud and seemingly superficial but underneath she's a really good friend and a good person. I loved the way she would say all these french words and then translate them into slang. Her poems were funny as well as how she described her mother's paintings. I think she and Jack should of ended up together. She would have made a better main character. In fact I don't think I've ever read a book with a main character like her.. someone should get on that ASAP!

I did find the whole story line about the genetic anomaly that most of the townspeople had, interesting. The people, like Lucky and his parents, were kinda like pseudo-vampires (Jack was adopted so he didn't have the anomaly). They were human but they had a gene that made them faster and stronger than normal humans; they had the ability to heal cuts and small wounds instantly; they were not able to go out in the sun without heavy duty sunscreen or a hat; and they craved human blood. Most of the time the people with the anomaly drank animal blood and ate red food, but at times they craved human blood. So to satfisy that craving they developed the companion program. Basically its where a normal human is chosen for one of these people to feed on. The two persons are bonded for life and the normal human is to give their blood to their bond companion whenever they want it. The normal human is compensated by being given everything they want (education,money, housing, trips)and being taken care of their entire lives by their bond's money. Jane was chosen to be Lucian's companion and she is given the choice to agree or not. By this time she is in lust with Lucky so she said yes, like a dumbass. She kept saying things like "I want to be there for him", "I want to help him" or "He needs me". I would not agree to let anyone drink my blood unless its is a real vampire who agreed to change me into a vampire. Other than that, my blood stays in my body. However, when Jane realized she loves Jack not Lucky, of course she now wants to back out of her companion agreement. The a whole bunch of other shit happens that came completely out of left field and it ends with the town's companion program being suspended, Jane gets out of her companion agreement with Luck and she ends up with Jack.

I felt that the book was too long with whole lot of nothing going on in them. There really isn't any action and the action that is there lasts for about a page. I feel that the ending was rushed and that the things that happened in the ending were thrown in to make a nice little wrap up for the book. It seems like Jane gets everything she wanted in the end which is not how real life goes.

[emmyson · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I'd say probably 1 1/2 stars. There were things I liked (Jack, MV), but far more that I didn't. It was well-written, but really just not for me. I may or may not do a full review on it. I don't know if I can adequately explain my feelings.

Full Review:
Here's one that drew me in with the very creepy cover (which, sadly, I will not be posting because I had an e-book copy of it instead of a hard copy that I could take a picture of) and the premise. I'm sad that it didn't live up to the expectations that I had.

Here's why:

First of all, I couldn't stand Jane. I felt like she was flat for most of the book. I was bugged by her constant defensiveness, though I could forgive her that based on her upbringing. It wasn't what killed her for me. No, it was the fact that the boy she wanted put her in danger and SHE LET HIM DO IT. Over and over and over. She sort of tried to stand up for herself at times, but she was so wishy-washy that it didn't really take. Honestly, she was Bella all over for me, and you know how much I despise Bella.

Here's another thing about Jane - her inferiority complex AND superiority complex. How is it possible to feel inferior to someone and superior at the same time? Ask Jane, because she does it through the whole book.

Second, I felt like it took almost 3/4 of the book for anything to actually happen. There was so much buildup and introduction and what color bras are we buying for Jane that I got bored. This is a seriously creepy book and I GOT BORED. Not supposed to happen.
Third, the BIG THING that was supposed to completely blow me out of the water...didn't. Sure, it was creepy and on the disturbing side, but it was mostly cheesy. I was more interested in what Mary Violet was going to come up with next than I was about what would happen to Jane now that the BIG THING was out.

Here's what I DID like:

Jack. He was great. He was arrogant and kind of absurd, but in such a way that made me want to hang out with him. He was funny and a much-needed breath of fresh air.

Mary Violet. In a word? Hilarious. Her poetry alone makes the time I spent with this book worth it. Also, she makes up words that had me laughing out loud. And her French? Waaaaaaahahahahahahahaha!! Yes, she and I would be friends.

So, there you have it. I tried to like this book, and I did finish it. I'm glad there were two characters that I liked, because they really did save this for me. I still don't like it, but I have at least those fond memories and won't leave it with a completely poor opinion.

Because of MV and Jack, this gets 1.5 Eiffel Towers.

[sugar_and_snark · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dark Companion was definitely something new and intriguing. Jane is someone you can really feel for and you can understand why she doesn’t think she deserves much or that she thinks that she should be treated a certain way. This novel brings to light topics like addiction and self-worth in a very interesting way.

The story was very slow paced which I understood was to build mystery, but I wanted something more. I felt like more needed to happen and I found myself a bit bored at times. But in saying this I must mention the story haunted me each day until I finished it and found out all the secrets it held!

I must also mention that there is a character named Mary Violet who I really loved! She was fun and funny and really helped me be interested in the story a bit more. The male characters did a bit of a tug of war with my feelings, I kept switching between them. The eternal optimist in me didn’t want to let either of them be “bad” and I kept changing my mind about them!

Definitely a unique read with a strange tale that you should read if this is your sort of thing!

What I liked:

* Interesting
* Great Mythology

What I didn’t like:

* Very slow paced

[shewolfreads · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"It’s a mystery to me why extraordinary young women insist they are normal."I don’t know where to begin with this review. Let me say now that I loved DARK COMPANION. I truly loved this gothic tale of an orphaned girl making her way in the world. And while I had some issues with how DARK COMPANION ended, that really didn’t undermine my complete fascination with this story and with its heroine, Jane Williams. I think my difficulty comes with trying to organize and articulate my thoughts, so bear with me. "I like science and math because they’re always reasonable, logical, and fair. The rules apply no matter who you are, or who you know. They make sense."Let’s start with Jane. She comes from the wrong side of the tracks, has been raised in the foster care system, and pulls herself out of a horrific group home by winning a scholarship to Birch Grove Academy, an elite private school for girls that dangles the promise of future success in front of her, and seems to be a way out of the rough life she’s experienced so far. Jane is an incredibly compelling YA heroine – orphaned, tough, completely independent, smart, driven, and ambitious. But she’s also lonely and, while she might not admit it, she wants to be accepted. She wants to be loved. Jane has a completely rational, scientific perspective on the world, yet this driving need for acceptance and love and finding a place in the world where she fits in, makes her accept some irrational things; leads her to make some questionable choices. This is particularly true of her relationship with Lucien, the headmistress’s son, who Jane is tutoring. She is infatuated with him and it’s this infatuation that makes the rational, smart, independent Jane start to lose herself and ignore the signs that something isn’t completely normal about their relationship and about the things he is asking her to do. I wanted to shake Jane. My heart went out to her and it’s a testament to Acosta’s writing that she was able to craft such a compelling young woman who feels old and young, strong and totally vulnerable in a very real way, all at the same time.Other aspects of the story that worked for me were the dialogue and the relationships with the supporting cast of characters. Her interactions with Jack, the headmistress’s oldest son, are cryptic, witty, and crackle with electricity. She wants to punch him but you know she probably wants to kiss him, too. I also adored Mary Violet, Jane’s best friend at Birch Grove. Mary Violet is hilarious, has a romantic outlook on life, and genuinely cares about Jane. She wants to “funnify” Jane, which is fitting since she provides some of the funniest lines in the book, particularly her French translations."You’re the crème de la crème. That’s French for “all that and a bag of chips.”And, "Grand-mere calls me Marie-Violette and she’s always asking me about my beaux, which is French for “players with trust funds.”Finally, the gothic atmosphere of the school and the Brontesque touches that call to mind Jane Eyre were all elements that worked very well in DARK COMPANION. If you are a Jane Eyre fan, like myself, you will have fun picking out all the nods to that story – orphan girl, tutoring, how she first meets Jack, etc. It all works together to create a dark atmosphere where nothing is what it seems. In fact, the overall mystery is compelling as well – the headmistress and her family are hiding something and what Jane soon realizes is that everything comes with a price.The biggest negative for me came at about 85% into the book (I read it on my Kindle) where the main storyline is tied up but new questions are brought forward that feel less integrated into the plot. There was a sense that DARK COMPANION, in the end, wasn’t sure what it wanted to be – a paranormal mystery or a mystery? I’m really hoping there is a follow-up to this book so I can get an answer to that question.The only reason I’m not giving a five howl rating is because of the ending – it needed to be stronger. But the writing is so smart on so many levels that regardless of the ending, I highly recommend DARK COMPANION for anyone interested in gothic tales with romance, mystery, and tough, complex heroines that steal your heart.**An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**

[joyce.leung · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I’m sorry, I know there are a lot of positive reviews about this book but I just couldn’t bring myself to write one. Sure, the writing style was good, but for me, the similarities between this book and Twilight were too striking for me to ignore.

Just think, Edward Lucian finds Bella’s Jane’s blood irresistible. His ‘perfect white teeth opened my wound more’ and he ‘latched onto the puncture’ yet Bella Jane doesn’t stop him, she just tries to hug him closer.

Another thing, no matter how horrible Edward Lucian treats Bella Jane, she still goes back to him after a like, three-second hesitation. That girl has no self-respect – especially in that scene after Edward Lucian ditches her in the party and leaves her to be driven home by Jacob Jack whilst he flirts with other girls. When he comes to Bella’s Jane’s house, what does she do after a few honeyed words of apology from him? She lets him suck her blood.



The only good thing, in my opinion, in this story is that she ends up with Jacob Jack instead of Edward Lucian though I cannot believe how long it took her to figure out that Edward Lucian wasn’t good for her.

To be honest, Marta Acosta’s writing style was the only thing that made me see it through to the end. Her writing was way better than that of Stephanie Meyers, and though her plot hit rock bottom, her writing made it bearable.

[a_reader_of_fictions · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Originally reviewed on A Reader of Fictions.

Initially, I wasn't sure if I was going to read Dark Companion. I watched the reviews for it roll in, and they varied so much as to puzzle me exceedingly. Gothic fiction has not traditionally been my favorite genre, so I was hesitant. However, it was obviously meant to be since I won a giveaway for it. Well, I am glad that I did, because I ended up really enjoying this particular reading experience.

From reviews that I've read, I know that some readers found much of this book quite boring, but that was not the case for me. So long as the writing is beautiful and the characters vibrant, a slow pace does not put me off a novel the slightest bit. Acosta's writing really resonated with me, striking a perfect gothic tone that matched the quotes from classics included at the beginning of each chapter while also maintaining a modern flair.

The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of in the writing was some of the slang, which I felt went too far and entered the realm of the absurd. If there was a name that could be made into a swear word, that happened, like with these: Charlotte becomes harlot, Pritchard becomes Bitchard, and Helmsdale becomes Hellsdale. Thankfully, this trailed off as the book continued but it was really overused at first. Acosta also came up with other lingo for these characters, like using coitus as a swear word, going so far even to change OMFG into OMCG. I get it, but am not amused.

Jane also speaks and thinks in a very particular manner, using as many pretentious words as she can. This will likely alienate some readers, but I liked it, because, well, I'm a snob like that. Plus, Jane does that as a method of studying, which fits her perfectly, because she do desperately wants to escape her tragic past (group home, scars, best friend in prostitution, other best friend dead of meningitis).

Jane, through her own determination and hard work, manages to obtain a scholarship to the fancy schmancy Birch Grove Academy for Girls, which helps her obtain emancipation as well so that she can escape the horrid group home in which she was living. She leaves Hellsdale and heads to Greenwood for school. At first, everything seems to good to be true. No, really. This school would not exist. She gets there and the headmistress Mrs. Radcliffe (nice reference btws) shows her to her PERSONAL COTTAGE to live in BY HERSELF and takes her shopping to BUY HER ALL OF THE CLOTHES. No school would do this; she would at least have to share the cottage with one other girl. It had a full kitchen and everything! Also, Jane went back to the mall later, returned a bunch of clothes, and got money back. Why let Radcliffe by those clothes for her if she didn't want them? That was weird to me.

In case you're concerned about the fact that Jane's going to a girl's school, because that means there are limited sexy boy options, don't worry. Conveniently, Mrs. Radcliffe just happens to have two hot sons, one a junior like Jane, Lucian aka Lucky, and one two years older, Jack. As you may have guessed, a hot mess of a love triangle ensues. A lot of the things that happened in the love triangle-y part upset me, mostly because Lucian was a little shit and Jane's self-esteem issues make me want to shake some sense into her. Still, Acosta did manage to wrap things up nicely and she does write fabulous kissing scenes.

Several of her characters really mattered to me. Jane, dear plain, outspoken Jane, mousie Jane. I could not help but see her as a sort of Jane Eyre figure, with her unloved childhood, her fear that no one shall ever care for her, her vast intelligence, her determination, her strength in a crisis, and her stern perception of her own qualities. Needless to say, I loved her most of the time. Jack, of course, is scruffy and adorable, if, admittedly, a bit frustrating at times. Mary Violet, or MV, turned out to be a surprise favorite of mine, with her love for anything violet, even to the detriment of her grades when she refuses to turn in papers in anything but her trademark violet ink, and her ridiculous explanations for what foreign phrases mean. Though somewhat annoying, MV is a true friend, and I love finding those in YA novels.

The paranormal elements in Dark Companion are blessedly minor. They are important, yes, but they don't take over the story. In fact, the story feels as though it's mostly set in the natural world, a bit more magical realism than straight up fantasy. Not only that, but she did some really cool things with the paranormal bits she used, putting nice spins on some overused ideas.

The conclusion, admittedly, is not as strong as it perhaps should have been. It feels a bit rushed and overly optimistic, pairing characters up like the ark's about to sail. I didn't mark down for this rather cheesy conclusion, though, because of all of the Shakespeare references woven throughout. The ending just tells you that Dark Companion is a comedy, not a tragedy. I'm a sucker for Shakespeare references.

Though not a perfect read, I thoroughly delighted in every bit of Dark Companion. This is a good read for those who appreciate literary references and a gothic feel.

[fishgirl182 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Dark Companion starts off with a bang. A young girl battles for her life while a storm rages. Blood flows and she knows that she will die. A spirit takes her high into the trees, where she is safe and warm. When Jane Williams wakes up, she has no memory of the terrible events of that night, or her life before the accident.Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, the first few pages of Dark Companion are probably the most compelling and I really struggled to finish it. I was never really able to connect with any of the characters and they didn’t feel real to me. The pace of the book was also really slow. Halfway through the book and still felt like I was waiting for something dark, scary, or even interesting to happen. There were definitely hints throughout the book that all was not right in Birch Grove. But Jane wasn’t putting the pieces together quickly enough. By the time she finds out what the Big Secret is, it’s very anticlimactic.I also had issues with Jane and her friends. I read a lot of YA novels and, while I am no longer a teen, I feel like I have a decent grasp of what teens sound like. But Jane and her friends do not sound like any teens I know or have ever heard. They’d spout utter nonsense and slang one second and then top it off with a Latin phrase the next. And why did everyone and everything have a nickname? MV, JM, Wilde Thang, Ms. McSqueak, etc. etc. I actually got confused a couple of times because of all the nicknames. Perhaps I am not around teens enough but the dialogue seemed really forced and it took me out of the story.The biggest disappointment for me was Jane herself. She starts off as a cynical, sarcastic, street smart young woman who has studied hard and earned herself an education at a prestigious school. And though she’s a fish out of water at Birch Grove at first, she remains true to herself and makes some good friends along the way. But then the inevitable happens and she falls for Hot Guy. In this case, the impossibly gorgeous and unattainable Hot Guy is Lucky Radcliffe, the town’s golden boy. And like most golden boys he’s smart, charming, and gets whatever he wants. The second that Lucky shows any interest in her, smart, strong Jane disappears and a Jane I don’t recognize takes her place. She ditches her friends and stays at home so that she can be available for him at all times. He proceeds to treat her like crap in public, while telling her how much he trusts and needs her and asks her to agree to a “secret relationship.” It’s never a good sign when a guy doesn’t want to be seen in public with you.And what’s so great about Lucky? Truly I do not know. I could have understood Jane’s attraction more if he really cared about her or had some kind of redeeming personality traits, but I really did not see what Jane saw in him besides his good looks. He was clearly using her and she was so starved for love that she compromised herself to obtain it. I could kind of understand Jane’s desire for love and a family since she is an orphan, but it seemed very out of character for her to change so much and I started to lose a lot of respect for her.As you can see, this book just wasn’t for me. It’s clear that Acosta has some writing chops and I did like certain parts of it. She has a knack for creating an atmospheric setting and the birch forest in particular had a real personality. I liked Mary Violet even though she was ridiculous and I didn’t understand half of what she was saying. However, she was sweet, and I enjoyed her rabid enthusiasm. I also thought that Acosta’s premise for the blood play was a really unique take on the vampire myth as genetic disorder. While the whole hierarchy and the traditions of the Family didn’t make sense to me (why do only men get Companions?), the scientific angle was original, and I wish we could have explored it more.While I enjoyed certain parts of Dark Companion, they could not save the book for me. The various elements never quite came together and the book fell short.*I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

[bookspot · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Jane Williams has spent the last decade i foster care, the last four in a group hone. Now, at sixteen, she's found a way out, one born of a mixture of luck and hard work.Not always the good girl, a combination of circumstances showed Jane the alternative - and gave her something to work towards. Her somewhere better? Birch Grove Academy for Girls, a full scholarship. Away from the violent, inner-city neighborhood Jane's used to and so different from the underfunded school, Birch Grove seems like a dream come true. Jane will even have her own living quarters, a cottage on the school grounds.But is Birch Grove everything it's made out to be. Is there something nefarious afoot at the school or is Jane, so unaccustomed this sort of life seeing things where there's nothing to see?It should be an ideal school for Jane - who loves science - it has all of the newest equipment, the best teachers and the students are welcoming. The headmistress is welcoming as well, ready to have Jane over for dinner - but it's her sons, the gorgeous Lucky and Jack who's on her bad side from moment one - who she can't seem to stay away from.When Jane finds out more about Lucky's recreational activities, just why Birch Grove is so secluded and cut off from the outside world and learns the possible fate of the last scholarship student, will her idea of her new school change?Dark Companion was touted as a paranormal read, but the paranormal element never really came to much fruition. There was a side aspect, with Jane -- hopefully this isn't spoilery -- that was the most paranormal element to the tale. The main story line, that seemed it would turn paranormal stayed just on the precipice of paranormal, but never quite tumbled off it.That part did disappoint me a bit, possibly because I'm also reading Marta Acosta's Casa Dracula series (a vampire series) and expected something different here than what I got. If I hadn't been expecting a paranormal, things may have been different, but I was.What Dark Companion does do really is establish Jane's life pre-Birch Grove. Her life in foster care isn't used to make her some 'other' to the Birch Grove students, or not solely for that. She has a real past there. It creates a great reason for her going to Birch Grove in the first place, but it also sets up really nice parts of her character an personality that come into play later in the story. Actions Jane, reactions or thoughts she has wouldn't work if she was a character coming from an average family or background.I also really enjoyed Jack's character. There are smaller things about him that we learn through other characters, or that are brought in when Jane's not even paying attention or is too busy disliking him. He has a lot of depth and fits well into the story.It may have been personal preference, but I disliked Lucky and I disliked Jane liking - or being so infatuated, actually, with Lucky. I understand her background, yes, but I just don't do well in books with girls who can't get enough of guys who are not nice to them. I didn't feel that we saw some inner struggle with Lucky to redeem his other actions enough for me to like him. Except for one scene he was a jerky character and I wanted to knock Jane on the head. (Sorry!)Jane, otherwise was a great character. She had a lot of depth, she didn't immediately do anything (Lucky feelings excluded), she had uncertainty, she tried to stay true to herself even when she wasn't quite sure just who that was.

[krau0098 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I copy an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program for review. It was a decent YA paranormal read. There are some creative aspects to the story that make it outshine some of the YA out there; most of the characters though leave a lot to be desired.Jane Williams has been bounced between foster homes and group homes most of her life. She works very hard on her academics and is granted a scholarship to Birch Grove Academy for Girls. There she enters a life better than anything she could have imagined. The longer she is there though the more mysteries she unravels and she finds that Birch Grove has a dark side to it.This book suffers from some very typical YA themes; there is a love triangle and the heroine suffers from beautiful boy insta-love stupidity. The plot is also fairly predictable. Jane was one of the worst parts of this book for me. Upon arriving at Birch Grove she instantly falls for two brothers; one light and perfect named Lucky and one dark and wild named Jack. Despite the fact that Lucky is creepy as all get out...Jane is drawn to him. This made me sigh, why are these heroines always inexplicable drawn to these creepy dudes? Jane is very stupid where Lucky is concerned. Jane is so responsible and steadfast in most aspects of her life, but when Lucky enters the room she looses all self-respect and becomes a doe-eyed idiot. I hate, hate, hate that.Jack is a better character and the witty banter between him and Jane was fun to read. By far the best character in the whole book is Mary Violet, who is super funny and super over the top. Mary Violet is a curvaceous girl who celebrates all things girly, is more insightful than she at first seems, a better friend than Jane deserves, and loves to make up crazy words to describe strange situations. I loved her, she added so much creativity and light and fun to the story.The other redeeming quality to this story was that it’s take on vampirism was different than that normally seen in YA. Vampires aren’t romanticized but they aren’t evil either. The story is incredibly predictable. I could have told you how it ended right from the beginning. That being said there is a decent mystery supporting the gooey eyed romance, which is nice. The writing at points gives the story a slightly gothic feel.The writing is a bit inconsistent. Parts of the book are beautifully written and lovely to read, creating wonderful imagery. Other parts of the book are pretty basic YA writing. All in all the book ends up being a decent light YA paranormal read. Not the worst I’ve read, but not the best either.Overall an okay YA paranormal romance. I enjoyed some of the side characters. I also thought Jane was a good character except when it came to her absolute stupidity about Lucky. The plot is incredibly predictable and the writing is a bit inconsistent, but there are some beautiful patches of writing that give the novel a dark and gothic feel. I did enjoy that the way vampirism is dealt with was a bit different from typical paranormal YA. I would tentatively recommend to those who love YA paranormal romance books.

[darkfaerietales_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of Dark Faerie TalesQuick & Dirty: A dark and mysterious coming of age book with a twist of paranormal on top. Opening Sentence: When I was six, I was entered into the foster care system because there was no one to care for me.The Review: I do not usually cover the reviews for the young adult books, even though I have done several in the past. Young adult novels tends to be a little predictable for me. For instance, I am never sending my kids away to an academy; they are always bad news. I have yet to read a YA book where something good happens to a child that attends some kind of elitist school for over-achievers, scholarship or not. I mean really, the track record speaks for itself. I dare you to name one fictional academy that hasn’t been attacked, burned down, brainwashed its students and/or faculty, infiltrated by a secret cult, or otherwise decimated by tragedy of one kind or another. Yes, Dark Companion’s Birch Grove Academy for Girls is no exception to the rule. Jane Williams’ life has not been easy. Orphaned and left in a group home in a bad neighborhood has encouraged her to excel in school so that she can eventually get away from her home. Being offered a full ride scholarship to a prestigious all-girl academy is the opportunity of a lifetime, right? She might change her mind once she finds out the real reason she was chosen, and it’s not because of her outstanding grades. Birch Grove Academy is quite an elitist facility; a far cry from Jane’s former school. When Jane finds out the true differences between them, she may want to take her chances in the ghetto. At least there, she knows the rules and who she needs to stay away from. The gorgeous guys and sophisticated looking girls leave Jane feeling more than a little out of place. Her need for acceptance dominates everything she does throughout the book. Can she make a home here? Can she find the strength to stand up for herself and fight for her own place in the world? Will the other students accept her as she is or as they would make her into? Mrs. Radcliffe, headmistress of the Academy, and her family are symbolic of all things odd in Birch Grove. They are wealthy, prestigious, good looking, and seem to be a really great family; everything Jane has always wanted. But be careful what you wish for; because like all bright lights, there are shadows cast. The family has a genetic anomaly that makes them act very similar to vampires. They use their position and wealth to find people that will supply them with the occasional blood their bodies require. Jane’s time within the dredges of society have shown her drug addicts and users. Are these people any different than those she knew before? Jack Radcliffe and his brother, Lucian, offer two different sides of a coin; Lucky and his golden boy image and Jack with his brooding attitude and his fairy tales. These characters sum up the whole of this book. Jane loving Lucky because she wants what he represents and her rallying against Jack and his rebellious yet sexy nature. This good guy versus bad boy is typical of YA romances but I like how the author spins it. In the end, all the teenagers are flawed and all the characters are fallible; just like everyone else. The only thing that I disliked was the introduction of the mystical nature of the Lady of the Woods. It would have been a fine novel without its inclusion. I hope that it turns out to be a set up for future novels instead of what appears to be almost as an afterthought. I get that the author was using it against Jane’s more scientific outlook on life but it came across as choppy against the overall flow. Overall, this story is a little better than the typical schoolgirl coming of age. The prose and composition are a much higher quality than I have seen in other books in this genre. It is a dark and twisted tale that puts the vampire ideal onto its head. Notable Scene: A frisson ran through me at the thought that Jack might have been staring down the hill at the same time that I was staring up toward his house. “I think, has my halfling become habituated to the sounds? Should I visit her? But I get the feeling that you don’t enjoy our conversations and you don’t like my friendly neighborhood visits.” “Why should I? One minute you’re nice to me, and the next you’re lecturing me. You’re the one who asks trick questions, and talking to you is an exercise in futility.” His eyes darkened and his smile was as chilly as the breeze. “Hattie doesn’t think so. I understand her and she understands me. Isn’t that what love is, knowing another person so perfectly well that there are no surprises?” “You always bring up Hattie as if you’re complimenting her, when you’re really just putting me down, Jack. I know Hattie’s beautiful, talented, and sophisticated.” I felt myself losing control even though I knew that’s exactly what Jack wanted. “And I know that I’m small, plain, and no- class. I accept those facts. I accept that no one will ever fall in love with me because I’m pretty and fun, but I hope that maybe someday someone will get to know me, and he’ll find out that I have a heart and a mind just as good as any pretty girl’s.” “And you would love him no matter what he looked like?” “If he needed me, yes! I would be loyal to him and I would never give up trying to make him happy.” I tried to blink back my tears. “That’s not love, Jane, that’s letting yourself be used.” I felt as panicked as a bird caught in a room, battering against a closed window. “If you want to know what love is, ask someone who’s been loved, ask Hattie, because I don’t know what it means!” Jack watched me somberly and then his green eyes moved down and he saw the yellow and violet bruising around the scab on my arm. Stepping to me, he gently put his calloused hands on my wrists and heat from him went through my body. I tasted the salt of my tears as they slid down my face. I wanted to wipe them away, but Jack still held my wrists. “Oh, Halfling, what have you done?” he murmured. “What have you let him do to you?”FTC Advisory: Macmillan/TOR graciously provided me with a copy of Dark Companion. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. The only payments I receive are hugs and kisses from my little boys.

[vampiregirl76 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

From a young age Jane Williams has been spending time in a number of foster homes. Living a lonely life of survival. That is until she receives a scholarship to Birch Grove Academy. She is taken under the wings of Headmistress Radcliffe and finds herself with a group of friends that actually like her. She is starting to love the school, her new life and the birch woods. But Jane knows something is not right with the school, the woods and the Radcliffe brothers.I have enjoyed all of Ms. Acosta's previous novels so it was no surprise how easily I was sucked into Jane's story and the world of Birch Grove. I loved this book more than I thought I would. Once I started I couldn't stop, I had to find out with the devil was going on. Quite the mystery too. I absolutely adore Jane, she was quite different to other characters I read about... but still very intriguing. She was very real and I believe readers will be able to relate to her easily. Mary Violet, Jane's new best friend is a great character. She makes a wonderful counter part for Jane. She's simply laugh out loud funny. Birch Grove, the school itself is a stand out character as well. Creepy, but also very inviting. You'll be wishing you went there. Dark Companion is mysterious and compelling. An exciting story that is beautifully dark. If you are looking for a good Gothic novel to read, you won't want to miss this one.Fans of Marta Acosta's Casa Dracula series will definitely enjoy this story.

[chaysebwb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was really thankful to recieve this book and I was super excited to dive into it. This book seemed like one that was filled with mystery, and paranormal. Just the book I needed to get into. Okay I first fell in love with Jane and how strong willed she seemed to be whenever things got rough. However, the choices that she continued making throughout the book made that feeling lose effect. I wanted so much for her. However, in the ends she finally makes the right moves and ends up woth the guys everyone would want her with. The other boy, let us just say that he had commitment problems. The plot was understandable and easy to read with the sentences flowing together to overall make an okay read. This book is one that wsn't a top read but it I would still recommend this book to everyone to at give it a try. I give this book 3 souls!

[capnrandm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:allthingsuf.comDARK COMPANION is an intricate book that mixes a variety of tones and plot lines. The first half sucked me in, giving me confidence in Jane’s steady and methodical nature, set me up to begin worrying that her hard past would blind her to the joys and dangers right in front of her. The central conflict is which view of the world will win out: Jane’s logic and equations or her friends’ magic and poetry… and Marta Acosta’s answer to that question is the most complicated thing of all.I love the first half of this book; Jane Williams is as captivating and vulnerable as her literary ancestress, Jane Eyre. I love that magic is not assured and that I had no idea how things were going to unfold, either romantically with Jack and Lucky, or plot-wise with the missing women and eerie dynamics of Birch Grove. Once these questions began to be answered, however, the story became less tightly structured. It felt like two books in one, with scenes and details that were wonderful but that didn’t fit the flow of the narrative. The mystery came apart in a very Gothic fashion, the romance resolved almost too neatly, and while I appreciated the future laid out before Jane, I couldn’t get a handle on whether the story was building to a close or to a sequel.DARK COMPANION carries with it the seeds of several good stories and details that I will enjoy mulling over in the future, but the book itself doesn’t manage to present all if these seeds in particularly polished manner. The writing and the characterization are wonderful, but the narrative flow wanders and breaks apart in the end. Of course, this just leaves room for me to imagine my own ending for the story, and Jane is definitely a character that I’ll enjoy returning to, if only in daydreams.Sexual Content: Kissing, petting, discussions about sex.

[arlenadean · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Author: Marta AcostaPublished By: Tor/MacMillan Age Recommend: YAReviewed By: Arlena DeanRaven Rating: 5Blog Review For: Great Minds Think AloudReview:"Dark Companion" by Arta Acosta was a intriguing Paranormal-Gothic read. The novel is of Jane who had a hellish life and is able to go to a new lifestyle she could have never expected is now leaving the foster home at sixteen due to the fact that she studied hard and "dedicated to the memory of a wise older foster resident who died of bacterial menigtis, Jane is offered a full scholarship-puls cottage accommodations-at a fancy day school for girls." Only the best of the best are able to attend thi Birch Grove Academy but did Jane not know that their would be secrets? Now what will Jane do and deal with it? And then the nightmares start....This author used great dialog making her writing flow very easily. All of the characters were very memorable.....Jane Williams, Wilde, 2Slim, Lucian(Lucy), Mary Violet, Jack(Jacob), Orneta, Mrs. Radcliffe, Hosea, Mrs. Prichard(Mrs. Bitchard), Jimmy, Mr. Radcliffe, Joan, Ms. Chu, Constance, BeBe(former student), Hattie, Catalina, Mr.Albert Mason,(Mrs. Mason), Mrs. Baybe, Mrs. Dodson, Ms. Ingerson, Mr. Shaunessy, Agnes and Mrs. Holiday. Now, I am sure I let someone out....WHO? Jane was now in her new school and wanted to be part of a family with love however there would be some very intense times when lead to many mysteries in this plot. Jane (the heroine) is a very intelligence person, tough, not only book smart but street smart and even resourceful. Did Jane have spirit? YES!The title of the book..."Dark Companion" gives a good sense of its plot and you will see just how 'dark' this story will get. Now this is the time that I say you must pick up this good read to see how this will turn out and be prepared for twist and turns.There was one quote that caught my attention that I liked: “What makes you angry Jane?”“Pretty much everything.” I said casually, as if it wasn’t true. “Life isn’t fair, so you have to play the best game you can with the card you’re dealt.”Be prepared for some issues such as inequality and socioeconomic status that will be greatly discussed. The author did a wonderful job with these issues. If you are in for a read that is intelligent, intriguing and somewhat funny at times....."Dark Companion" is a good paronormal gothic read that I would definitely recommend to you.

[bookswithbite · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have to say that book lately have been giving me a whole new perspective. Especially this one. What if you had a hard life, I mean a really hard one. One full of abuse, fear, and loneness. And someone offers everything to you. Education, money, a car, all for your blood. Would you take the offer?I love books like these that really make you think. The reader meets Jane, a foster kid who has a rough life and only for once in her life, wants a break. Jane finds it in a unusual town with a strange fetish. Now, when I got to this part I was all like,"WHAT?" Just looking from the outside in, the offering is tempting. Jane has been through it all and as the reader being heaving invested in Jane's life, wanted nothing but something good for her. She fought for normalcy and she should get it.The plot of the book is strange yet addicting. I like watching Jane become more aware of herself. She learned more about her past but also is introduced into a community would love and care for her if she accepted them. This part is where it gets tricky for me. As I read through this part, I felt as though Jane is like a wounded gazelle, and the community around her is using her weakness to their advantage. *shrugs shoulders* That's the way I interpreted it.There is a love interest that grows over time and I adore it. I like that he didn't force his way into her life, but was simply there for her. He helped her look at things differently, when she failed to see it any other way. I admire that he took each step with her slowly. To not only gain her trust, but tot truly love her.Dark Companion is a dark, edgy tale that quickly consumes the reader. A new twist on strange addictions, Dark Companion is unique yet intensifying!

[thelostentwife · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received Dark Companion by Marta Acosta in the mail from Tor Teen and, I admit, I was hesitant at the idea of yet another vampire book - not to mention one that has the dreaded Twilight word for comparison on the back. But then I started to read it and I was impressed - something that surprised me very much given all my pre-conceptions.Dark Companion is a mix between a paranormal gothic and a boarding school novel. There are rich, privileged kids - but none of the snobbery that i'd come to expect, which was a pleasant surprise. There are good relationships, explanations that made sense, and - this is the most important of all folks - a destructive relationship that is not sugar-coated and made to look like it's the end all, be all of relationships.I think what I enjoyed the most about this book is that Jane struggles with herself and recognizes, through the tools she's gained from her very "Jane Eyre"-esque past, that something isn't right. I loved that there were explanations which made the schools lack of technology plausible, and that I, as a reader, was not just being treated with a heavy hand by the author.I think Dark Companion is a book that will appeal to those lovers of gothic and boarding school novels out there, and may just do a little bit to redeem the vampire craze by providing us with a book that was intelligent, interesting, intriguing, and even funny when it needed to be.

[booktwirps · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was a little hesitant when I started this one because some of the reviews I had read said the book was only so-so. Maybe this was a good thing. I went into this book with “so-so” expectations and ended up REALLY enjoying it.I’m a sucker for a good gothic-type mystery, and this one had everything I like: interesting and well-drawn characters, a creepy boarding school, an engaging mystery and a prologue that totally grabbed my attention right off the bat.We meet Jane as she packs up to leave one of the many foster homes she’s lived in since she was a child. Tired of being a product of the system, Jane digs in and applies herself at school, managing to score herself a scholarship to an elite private school.At first, Jane is completely overwhelmed with her posh surroundings. She has her own cottage with real food and a T.V. where she can watch all of the mindless reality shows she’s heard so much about. Things get creepy when Jane starts hearing things in the trees surrounding the school, and she dreams of something out there that’s trying to get to her. Is it just her imagination, or is there something supernatural out there? Throw in Jack and Lucky, the sons of the headmistress, and things get even more interesting. Jack is cute and sweet and exactly the boy Jane SHOULD go for, but something draws her to the dangerous (and slightly whacked out) Lucky. Another character who really grabbed me was Mary Violet. She totally cracked me up.If you’re a fan of gothic mysteries (think Jane Eyre) you’ll love this book. It’s filled with intrigue, creepiness and deep moral dilemmas. With a captivating plot, strong characters and a creepy mystery, this one kept me up way past my bedtime.

[ahandfulofconfetti · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5/5 stars.When I started reading this book, I didn't really know what to expect. Honestly this is one case where the summary doesn't really tell you a whole lot about what's going on, so I basically went into this with no expectations. Dark Companion takes quite a bit of time to set up the plot. Jane is a newly emancipated minor whose been accepted into a prestigious all girls school, which allows her to escape her terrible foster home and her town of Hellsdale (actually Helmsdale). Much of the first half of the book revolves around Jane doing normal everyday things like shopping, studying, attending classes, etc. For some people, it could get tedious, but I didn't mind it so much because I was using the time to get to know Jane, who was a bit difficult for me to understand initially mostly because she and I are very very different. Throw in her crush on the headmistress' gorgeous son, Lucky, and her strange antagonistic relationship with Lucky's brother, Jack, and you've basically got the first 50% or so of the book.But then things start to pick up, and you finally get the "sinister" aspect of the summary. I don't want to spoil anyone because I honestly think it's better if you go into this not knowing what you're going to get, but I have to say that I sort of saw SOME of what is revealed early on, although expecting something paranormal made me guess a bit incorrectly. Let's just say that it was a fairly unique twist, and I was pleased to see something different. The latter half of the book moves along much more quickly, although I had to put it aside a couple of times because of one major thing that just drove me absolutely crazy.And that thing was, unfortunately, our main narrator, Jane. Jane is totally blind when it comes to Lucky, and she says these things about her feelings for him that made me want to reach through the screen of my Kindle and shake her. Things like, "I was replaceable for now. If I could prove myself to [Lucky] until his feelings for me grew, the equation would change," like she had some ability to change his feelings for her. Lucky is a jerk - I didn't really like him from the start - and it irritates me that she thinks she loves him mostly because he's good looking. Then there was, "On Monday, I raced home from class so I would be there if Lucky called or came by,", which UGH! I get that Jane hasn't had love in her life, and probably doesn't realize what it actually is or how others should act around you if they care about you, but her dependence on Lucky's attention just really made me angry. Thankfully she finally figures it out - 77% through the book - but WOW is that 77% a struggle for the reader, who sees exactly what mistakes she's making and is just along for the ride.Now, let me talk about the things I loved. Jane becomes friends with these absolutely spectacular girls, Hattie, Mary Violet (MV), and Constance, and I adored every single second they were on the page. MV is my personal favorite because she is absolutely bubbly and cheerful and just fabulous (she makes up poems! And makes Jane smile and laugh!), but I loved the interactions between them and Jane so much that they really saved that slog through the first 77%. I also really loved Jack, who had such a quick wit. He confuses Jane because he doesn't actually come out and say what he means, which is irritating in person but actually works really well on the page of a book. He calls Jane "Halfling" because he thinks she's some sort of fairy creature, and there is just a whole lot of tenderness in his interactions with her that she's too blind to see. I adored Jack; next to MV, he was definitely my favorite. Here's my favorite Jack line: "'H is for happy and for hope, and...' Jack thought for a moment. 'And for honey, which is both an endearment and nice with peanut butter in a sandwich.'" ♥All in all, Dark Companion was an interesting read. If you can get over main characters making boneheaded mistakes and strange leaps in logic - particularly when it comes to love - and are willing to give some time for the plot to develop, then you might just enjoy this book. It wasn't the best thing I've ever read, but there was enough in the book to keep my interest and keep me reading. If you're wanting something that's not-quite-paranormal, give this one a read. But check your expectations at the door; I really think it's best to go into this one without any preconceived notions or ideas about what's going to happen.Dark Companion will be available in North America on July 3, 2012.An e-galley was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[janarose1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After the death of her friend Hosea, Jane decides to turn her life around. She studies hard and gains a scholarship to Birch Grove Academy, an exclusive all-girls school. She finds the girls and faculty extremely inviting, almost too inviting. She begins to tutor Lucien, the headmasters’ son, but continues to have odd encounters with his brother Jack. Slowly, she realizes that something isn't quite right.This was a very interesting and engaging book. The characters were fascinating, and the twist was unexpected. Without giving anything away, I like the magical creatures that the author has created. They are a bit unique with an interesting history and hierarchy. I think teenagers will love this book.

[pacey1927 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I like Marta Acosta's "Casa Dracula" series and I love her blog and I am obsessed with YA books. This book should have been completely a home run for me. "Dark Companion" is about a teenage girl in foster care who gets offered a scholarship to the elite girls school, "Birch Grove Academy". At first glance things couldn't be more perfect. Jane is showered with nice clothes and spending money. She gets to live in a little cottage on the property all by herself. The school is a dream come true. She is challenged intellectually and is surrounded by other kids that have similar goals. She immediately finds a group of friends and she develops a huge crush on Lucky, the hunky son of the headmistress. But things aren't what they seem at Birch Grove. Why did the last `scholarship' student mysteriously leave Birch Grove? Why did a popular teacher commit suicide? Why really was Jane pulled from her foster home to be given so much at Birch Grove?Ok to start. Marta Acosta's writing is fabulous, as usual. There are so many layers to these characters and I loved the way she unraveled the mysteries. I definitely kept reading because the mysterious aspects of the story were so tantalizing. In the beginning I really liked Jane because she had survived so very much against the odds and she working hard to get her grades where they needed to be so she could eventually rise from her the poverty and the streets. I also loved Jack from the start and the descriptions of him through Jane's eyes endeared me to him right away. I couldn't figure out how in the world Jane was so attracted to playboy Lucky instead of fun, smart, Jack. Where this story does feel like it should be a paranormal story when all is said and done it is not. There may be a paranormal aspect woven through parts of the tale but that is all there is to it and it is really not much. I also really liked the use of "SAT" words throughout the story. I thought it was cute and they were a bit of a joke to the kids using them so it came off fairly authentic. I also want to say that I loved the cover and I immensely enjoyed the little blurbs from other books at the start of each chapter.So why three stars? I was very disappointed when I found out the big secret. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone but it is definitely out there. Also my strong, smart heroine completely lets herself be used all of a sudden and it felt so out of character. Eventually she regains some of her senses but I would hate for anyone to ever think that what she allowed to happen to her was okay. The explanation and the cover up also felt flat and unrealistic. Then a weird relationship developed at the end of the book that was completely out of the blue and also felt like the author may have needed an easy out for one of the main characters.This book is definitely not for everyone. I really enjoyed most of the book and again, if the reveal was something else maybe I could rate the book higher than I have here. The atmosphere of the story was spot on and the characters were beautifully written. This is one that I just have to say fell in the storyline. Some threads are left dangling but I don't know that I would bother buying a sequel. Marta Acosta's adult series though is very, very good and I encourage paranormal lovers who read adult novels to give them a try

[grayday101 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Orphaned Jane Williams is living in a poorly-run group home in a very tough neighborhood when she is offered a scholarship for her junior and senior years to a very elite private school for girls. The comprehensive package offers her a cottage of her own to live in and an adequate allowance for clothes and food. Jane jumps at the chance.The Headmistress, Mrs. Radcliffe, welcomes her graciously and invites Jane to dinner her first night. Here she meets the Radcliffe sons, the dark sardonic Jacob and the strikingly handsome blond Lucian. Despite Jane’s fears, most of the students accept her, and she soon acquires a quirky group of friends. So why, with things going so well, does she begin to again have the nightmares of her mother’s death by fire when Jane was only four, and of the woman of the birches who saved her from sharing her mother’s fate? I wish I had read this book in high school. For an adult, it is a sweetly indulgent guilty pleasure reminiscent of those times, and should be read in bed with a box of good chocolates for best effect.*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review.

[bookaddictdiary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Let's see...where do I start with this book? It's hard to say -my thoughts on it are so mixed, almost confused about what I actually read. After studying the cover, I was concerned that this was yet another teen vampire romance -and I'm completely sick of them. I want something out of my book these days, something more original. Luckily, at least, the book was more original than the title implied.The book opens with the back story of Jane Williams, an orphan who has lived a hard life in various foster homes. Through her hard work, Jane lands a scholarship to the prestigious Birch Grove Academy, where for once in her life Jane finds a home, complete with friends and secret crushes -all set in a mysterious town with its own secrets.Well, there were some things in Dark Companion that I absolutely loved. Some of the passages were gorgeously written -so gorgeous that I re-read some of them and paused to reflect on how beautiful Acosta's words were. Dark Companion also had some great characters, especially Mary Violet, who kept me laughing on virtually every page. She was a nice balance to Jane, a strong and intelligent protagonist who was willing to work for what she wanted and wasn't going to take crap from anyone.Well, until about half-way through the book when Jane's character seemed to do an unexpected 180 and allowed herself to be used and abused by a terrible romance. Not only was it out of character, but it just made me downright mad. That was the start of when the novel went downhill for me. Things started to get a little strange (and not in a good way). The plot started to get lost, and I was just unhappy with the characters. The worst part? The big reveal at the end just....didn't work for me. Very, very odd and it just...made me cringe.I really think this book could have been better. It had so much potential and had some great moments, but overall come out as uneven and inconsistent.

[stephxsu · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Foster child Jane Williams’ life has been one rough and unappealing situation after another…until she wins the scholarship to the prestigious Birch Grove Academy for Girls, and is whisked off into a life she never knew she could have. Surrounded by new friends and clothes and people who care for her, Jane is more than willing to ignore some of the stranger aspects of her situation as she longs for attention from the headmistress’ son Lucky while fending off the unwanted friendship of the headmistress’ other son Jack. Birch Grove is prepared to offer Jane security and success for the rest of her life. She just has to decide if it’s worth the shocking commitment she must make.It’s hard to describe the type of book that DARK COMPANION is. It seems to contain paranormal elements, yet never entirely crosses over into the realm of the supernatural. One thing, though, is for sure: DARK COMPANION explores the grittiness of life in foster care, the glamour of a delightful new life in boarding school, and the drastic decisions one may be forced to take in order to determine one’s future.DARK COMPANION has interesting characters going for it. The protagonist, Jane, has had a rough childhood, which manifests in how she deals with things: she is suspicious about things that sound too good to be true, slow to open up to others, and pragmatically looks after her own affairs. Jack is particularly appealing in how he uses a teasing nature to cover his deeper thoughts and concerns. However, Mary Violet, Jane’s cheerful close friend at Birch Grove, steals the show, with her adorable (mis)use of vocabulary and her remarkable ability to bridge intelligence with endearing optimism.It comes as a disappointment, then, that DARK COMPANION struggles under a distracting number of writing issues and clichéd aspects. This tome could have easily been cut in half with tighter editing and more attention paid to whether conversations, descriptions, or scenes are really necessary for the progression of the story. DARK COMPANION contains a lot of unnecessary dialogues that usually sound like something along the lines of: “Want to have dinner at our place tomorrow night?” “Yeah, sure, that sounds great.” “Great! When should I pick you up?” “Um, I don’t know, when is good for you?” “How about 7?” “Seven sounds perfect.” “Great! I’ll see you then.” “See you!” when all of that could’ve easily been expressed with the sentence, “He invited me to have dinner with his family tomorrow night.”Furthermore, despite Jane’s claims of pragmatism and maturity, she falls into the all-too-convenient trope of “supposedly smart female MC going stupid over an undeserving boy.” Sure, I can understand the fact that all people will act in a retrospectively idiotic way when they are in limerence…but Jane’s doormat behavior for the supposed love of her life was so inconsistent with her independence-as-a-result-of-a-miserable-upbringing that I could never entirely stomach it.DARK COMPANION does have its commendable aspects: condense it by about a third, and you have a story that’s real enough for readers to connect with the characters, yet strange enough to keep your attention. If this is a setup for more in a series (and it certainly reads like it), I would be curious to see what more strange and fantastical scenarios Marta Acosta will create for readers.