Bookish Reviews

The Darkest Hour by: Caroline Tung Richmond

The Darkest Hour by Caroline Tung Richmond

Published by Scholastic Press

Release Date: July 26 2016

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, War

Pages: 304

Format: ARC

Source: requested from publisher

Summary from Goodreads:

Never underestimate a pretty face.

My name is Lucie Blaise.

I am sixteen years old.

I have many aliases, but I am none of the girls you see.

What I am is the newest agent of the CO-7.

And we are here to take down Hitler.

After the Nazis killed my brother on the North African front, I volunteered at the Office of Strategic Services in Washington, DC, to do my part for the war effort. Only instead of a desk job at the OSS, I was tapped to join the Clandestine Operations -- a secret espionage and sabotage organization of girls. Six months ago, I was deployed to German-occupied France to gather intelligence and eliminate Nazi targets.

My current mission: Track down and interrogate a Nazi traitor about a weapon that threatens to wipe out all of Western Europe. Then find and dismantle the weapon before Hitler detonates it. But the deeper I infiltrate, the more danger I'm in. Because the fate of the free world hangs in the balance, and trusting the wrong person could cause millions of lives to be lost. Including my own.

Buy Links:

Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Indigo

Review:

I was intrigued by The Darkest Hour because I have been recently leaning more towards novels that contain historical fiction and strong, powerful, heroines. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy reading romance novels but sometimes it is nice to read something different. 

Lucie is an American who signed on as a part of operations in Europe and became a member of a covert ops group filled with powerful women all looking to taking down Hitler. However, you can never really trust anyone especially when someone has infiltrated your operations and the people you once thought you knew turn out to be something totally different.

The Darkest Hour mainly focused on the women, family, and inner-strength, it did not contain any romance whatsoever. There is something about reading a YA novel without romance that leaves you both empowered and yearning for an adventure of your own. The action was nonstop and breathtakingly amazing to read. I think I had a smile plastered onto my face the whole time, especially when Lucie was consumed with her operation and whether or not she should trust a Nazi defector who has knowledge about a secret weapon, instead of love interests and romance.

Rating:

★★★★

About The Author:

Nowadays, I work as a writer—a job I love as much as cupcakes. My debut novel THE ONLY THING TO FEAR is available now, and my second book THE DARKEST HOUR will publish on 7/26/2016. (Both from Scholastic Press.) My work has also been featured in publications like the Baltimore Sun, Highlights for Children, and USAToday.com. I am represented by Jim McCarthy of Dystel & Goderich.

I grew up in the Washington, D.C. area and now I live on a Virginian mountainside just a stone's throw from the Appalachian Trail. In my free time I like to read awesome books, fiddle with my DSLR, plot ways to get more stamps in my passport, and hang out with my wonderful husband and daughter (aka the Baby Overlord).