Review: Breaking the Dark

Author: Lisa Jewell

Genre: Mystery/Thriller, Superhero

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Features:

• A mystery novel set in the Marvel universe that will take you deep into the uncanny valley.

• Jessica Jones and other familiar characters living and working outside of a ‘superhero’ role

• Explores topics of motherhood, mental health, and finding your place

• Set partially in New York and partially in the British countryside

When a panicked mother comes into Jessica Jones’s office worried that her kids have returned from their father’s house too ‘perfect’, Jessica thinks this is just another overprotective parent. However, when she sees the kids for herself, Jessica also realizes something is very off. This book is an interesting blend of detective novel and superhero action that seeks to explore the grittier side of the Marvel universe. It definitely has the telltale weirdness of a superhero story, but I also love how human both the characters and the overall mystery end up being. This novel definitely goes to some dark places as Jessica deals with some of her past trauma and tries to figure out who she wants to be moving forward. This book would be a great first step into the Marvel universe for anyone who is a fan of crime and mystery fiction but is also a refreshing take for those familiar with the characters. 

Pro: Different take on the superhero tale

Jessica Jones was once a superhero complete with spandex uniform, but the dangers of the hero world left her broken in more ways than one. Now, Jessica is a private investigator living job to job as she tries to piece her life back together. Just as a pregnancy scare rocks Jessica’s world once more, a desperate mother approaches her with an odd case that will take Jessica to a small village in the UK. This case not only might provide a brief financial reprieve, but it also might be the perfect opportunity for Jessica to figure out just who she wants to be. 

In all of her versions, Jessica Jones has been a character who has a complicated relationship with her powers and the superhero life. However, this particular version does a great job really exploring Jessica’s struggles in a way that feels very human and relatable. Even though the main cause of her trauma is hero related, the way we see Jessica trying to manage it and how it has affected her overall life and sense of self feels familiar. There is just enough of the Marvel universe in here to satisfy fans, but it is fundamentally a detective novel that deals with some very real issues.

The Breakdown: A weird and wonderful world

Though I am familiar with the Marvel universe, I am not as familiar with the Jessica Jones character. This book manages to provide enough information that people who are unfamiliar with the characters involved won’t feel lost. However, there are many moments where it is clear that a character, location, etc. Marvel fans would recognize has been introduced and this book does not always do a great job explaining them clearly. Where the minimalist approach is probably good for Marvel fans and there is enough information to follow the story itself, newcomers to the Marvel universe will likely be left feeling like they are missing out on information. This definitely improves as the story develops, but it never quite finds the right balance between reaching old fans and introducing new people to this world. 

Like most superhero tales, readers should be prepared for a heavy dose of weirdness despite this book’s more ‘grittier’ take. However, I think it is still very accessible and would be a great introduction for people trying to dip their toes into this subgenre for the first time. 

Get the Book!