Plopped this onto Goodreads, and then figured I should really put it here too. Dark Places isn’t a book that you can say “loved it!” about. It’s the kind of book that gets you creeped out, grossed out, and then you grudgingly accept that it’s flat-out good. I gave it 4 stars, as I couldn’t go Full 5 because I couldn’t stand Libby at first. Yes, I completely understand that that reaction only serves to cement the whole “this book is a very well written piece of fiction”. Sue me.

First off, this book is dark. Did I mention that? Really, really dark. But in a way that feels like a true story told by the folks living it, which actually makes it creepier. And I definitely wasn’t a fan of Libby for most of the story – surviving that horror and being treated like a broken toy all your life is something I’m glad I can’t comprehend, but seriously be better than that, for your family that didn’t get the chance to live their lives – but she started to grow on me bit by bit.

The story itself is told by Libby, with first-person flashback chapters through the eyes of Ben, Patty and others. It works well, but like Song of Ice and Fire, there were times when I really wanted more from the current narrator.

The end? Oddly satisfying. Is it a happy ending? Depends on what character you’re asking.

Recommended for anyone who is in the mood for a disturbingly graphic bummer of a story that manages to twist it’s way into a satisfying read.