Something always happens before. Before Skylar knew what being "one of us" meant, before all the bad things happened, there was one day at school that wasn't much like any other.

It's a good day, at first, because Sky meets Calvin. And it's a good day because nobody dies. But aside from that, there's a girl, with some guns and some scary dreams, who is very, very dangerous.

This story stands on its own, though it obviously fills in some cracks in the main Night Sky series. It's a good introduction to Sky and I think a very good introduction to Calvin and to the friendship he and Sky will have. (Calvin is African American and disabled. He could have been flat character, there just to fill out a checklist. But Cal and Sky acknowledge his race and his disability and in doing so they acknowledge the racism and ableism he experiences.) Plus, Cal is kind of a nerd and he and Sky have a goofy, happy friendship that's just fun to experience.

(Provided by publisher) ( )

It's a novella, and an introduction to a new series. I love Suzanne Brockmann, but based on this I'm not sure I'm going to bother with the new series - it's a YA urban fantasy (or possibly paranormal romance, hard to tell from this), rather than her usual contemporary romance. The characters are a little sketchy, the action is confusing at best (attempted homicide-by-cop?), and it's most definitely a lead-in to a bigger story - it doesn't really stand on its own. Don't know - I might pick up the first book if I run into it and see if I enjoy the full story more than this. ( )

A Good Teaser to Whet Your Appetite for Night Sky

When I started Dangerous Destiny, I thought I would be reading a novella; instead, I consider it to be a compendium of writings to familiarize readers with this series. The prequel begins with a short story that introduces readers to high school junior, Skylar Reid and describes how her friendship with Calvin is forged after they face down a gun-toting fellow student who appears to be delusional, thinking the only way to save Skylar is to kill her. I connected right away with Skylar, especially her struggle to adjust to a new school and the intense scrutiny of her peers:

“I felt like a rat tossed into a tropical snake tank-completely out of my element, confused, and trapped. But unlike most rats, I was well aware that I was in danger of being devoured, my bones spit out and left to bleach in the relentless southern sun, by any one of this school’s well-established cliques.”

The story is narrated in first person from Skyler’s POV, and, so far, I like her attitude, her dry sense of humor, and her insightfulness as she maneuvers her way through all the teenage drama and angst headed her way. I initially wondered whether Skylar would be a timid, passive teen whose character slowly becomes stronger as she learns to use her special powers; however, it didn’t take long for me to realize that Skylar is no pushover, and she seems to be able to handle whatever life throws at her. The authors have done a great job in creating characters that think, speak, and behave like the teenagers they are. For example, Skylar worries that she’s in the “loser” category because she has to ride the bus, and she’s annoyed by her mom’s over-protectiveness.

Following the resolution of this short story, readers can preview Night Sky by reading the first five chapters of the book. Just like in the prequel, the authors pulled me quickly into a scene where Skylar and her friend Calvin get caught up in a bizarre crisis that continues to evolve and escalate as the story unfolds. I can already tell the book is going to be full of adventure, mystery, and suspense. From what I’ve read, I think this is a book teens and adult lovers of YA literature can really enjoy.

The final section of the prequel is a Q&A with both Suzanne and Melanie about the series. I really enjoyed getting greater insight into how mother and daughter were able to work together to create the plot and the engaging characters I’ve met so far.

After reading the prequel, I’m definitely interested in reading Night Sky. The series is described as “being set in a darkly futuristic paranormal world” (Q&A with authors), but I really didn’t see many “dark” and “futuristic” elements. Perhaps these aspects will become more prominent as the book progresses.

From what I read so far, I am impressed with the cohesiveness of the story, especially since it was born from the collaborative labors of more than one author. It can be a challenge to co-author a book because it involves both writers being able to mesh their differences in writing style into one consistent written product. However, the mother-daughter Brockmann team is successful in this endeavor.

I’m glad I read the prequel, and I did so because it was available for free; otherwise, I wouldn’t have purchased it. Although the content was interesting to read, and it amped up my motivation to read Night Sky, I don’t see it as a prerequisite for jumping into the book. ( )