Ethan: A Brightest Kind of Darkness novella

by P.T. Michelle
Read: January 19-20, 2013
Published: January 11, 2013 by the author
Source: Gift from the author*
Category: Paranormal Romance, YA
Series: Brightest Kind of Darkness, prequel

Ethan Harris never thought monsters and darkness would consume his daily thoughts, but every night the same visions repeat in his dreams. He’s careful to project a semblance of normalcy, keeping the suffocating darkness locked inside. As much as he wishes he could focus on girls, sports, and cars like other seventeen-year-olds; nothing distracts him from his own demons or shines through.

Until Nara Collins crosses his path. The blonde fascinates and intrigues him, giving him a measure of peace he’s never felt before.

When Ethan discovers there’s more to Nara than she allows others to see, that she might have a unique secret of her own, suddenly his world comes into focus.


Note: Ethan is a novella PREQUEL to Brightest Kind of Darkness. This story will give some of Ethan’s background and lead up until the day he tells Nara there’s a bomb in the school. (From Goodreads)

Because Brightest Kind of Darkness and Lucid are both written from Nara's point of view, we've only ever seen Ethan from her perspective. Ethan has an edginess about him that Nara senses but never quite grasps, and it was difficult to fully understand what that meant without getting inside of his head for ourselves. After doing just that in Ethan, the novella that bears his name, I feel like I'm able to see him much more clearly. Now I am an even bigger fan of Ethan than I was before. 

Ethan is the definition of a tortured soul. He is haunted by frightening nightmares that are  beginning to seem real; he has started developing abilities that he cannot explain; and he is estranged from his parents, who haven't even tried to understand what is happening to him. He doesn't like to let anyone close to him, because he can't even explain to himself all the crazy things going on in his head. Physical contact with people also make him uncomfortable, so he has closed himself off to nearly everyone around him. But Ethan is an observer who is emotionally in tune with the world around him, although he tries to stay invisible from it. He is also deeply compassionate and not afraid to help those in need, whether it be humans or animals. There is one particular scene in this novella that happens at the animal shelter where Ethan volunteers, that had me in tears, because of the depth of his compassion. 

Ethan also gives us a glimpse at how he sees Nara. It is immediately clear that there is something more than attraction that connects them, and I am eager to find out more about what that means for Nara in Destiny, the third book in the series. Despite the questions I still have about Ethan, and the darkness that he believes surrounds him, it is obvious how good his heart is. 

Ethan is a fantastic edition to the Brightest Kind of Darkness series, and can be read before you start the series, or at any point during it. Don't miss this look into Ethan's mind and heart. 

Cliffhanger Scale: Series prequel. Events take place before, and lead up to the start of Brightest Kind of Darkness.
Love Triangle Factor: None