Dark Territory
J. Gabriel Gates & Charlene Keel
The Tracks,#1
HCI Teens
July 1,2011
504 pages
Amazon | BN
provided by publisher
RBM’s Disclaimer
5/5 Books
Star-crossed love, martial arts, and supernatural evil meet at the abandoned tracks in the deceptively quaint town of Middleburg…
When Ignacio Torrez moved from the rough streets of Los Angeles to a small town dead smack in the middle of nowhere, he never expected to find himself in the midst of a gang war. But, he soon learns, these are no ordinary gangs. The wealthy, preppie Toppers on one side of the tracks and the working-class Flatliners on the other adhere to a strict code of honor and use their deadly martial arts skills, taught to them by the wise Master Chin, to battle one another for pride, territory, and survival. When Raphael, leader of the Flatliners, falls for Aimee, a Topper girl, the rival gangs prepare for a bloody, all-out war. The only hope for peace between them lies within the dark territory of the abandoned train tunnels where the tracks cross. Under the direction of the mysterious and frightening Magician, the awesome power within the crossing sends the rivals on a terrifying mystical quest to fight the malevolent force that threatens the existence of Middleburg.
About The Author:
J. Gabriel Gates is a Michigan native and a graduate of Florida State University. He has worked as a professional actor, written several Hollywood screenplays, and coauthored the teen fantasy series The Tracks.
Connect With The Author:
Website|Twitter|Facebook
About The Author:
Charlene Keel is the author of a dozen novels and how-to-books. She has also ghostwritten books for celebrities, doctors, and corporate moguls.
Connect With The Author:
Website|Twitter
My Review:
Holy cow! Best. Young Adult book. Ever!!! This was a great book! I was excited to sign up to review this book! I was so pleased with the outcome. This author captured all the elements in a great book for young adults. From supernatural elements to a romance that is forbidden to an action packed plot, you’ll get a great read from this author no matter what your age is.
Not all is calm and normal in Middleburgh. Far from it. There are things there that you just won’t believe. Abandoned train tracks aren’t always the place to play or hang out. On one side you have the awesome popular gang called the Toppers, and then you have the other side of the tracks. The gang called the Flatliners. Both of the gangs had the makings of being realistic in today’s society. When a Flatliner gets into a fight with a Topper, it’s all fast paced addictiveness from then on!
Ignacio’s character, the Flatliner that fights a Topper, is awesome. Trying to make his way in a new town and a new school. I could feel his inner turmoil at times, because I was once that new kid in town! Raphael….now there’s a character you can fall in love with, no matter what your age is! He’s that ultimate bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks and totally lovable! Aimee is Raphael’s forbidden love interest. What’s a good story with out that one person you love but can’t have? I really loved Aimee’s character because she wasn’t the stuck up snottiness that you generally see in the upper hang gangs. I was rooting for her and Raphael the entire story!
Adding to the story is the amazing secondary characters like Kate, Zhai and Maggie….they’re ones that you either loe, hate or love to hate and I adored them all! Oh and let’s not forget Mr. Chin! Totally loved his addition to the story. When the supernatural is blended in to the story and someone goes missing, the action is on!
I definitely recommend this book with high flying colors and a 5 Book rating! No matter what your age, you’ll absolutely fall in love with the mysterious and amazing plot line that Gates creates. From start to finish, you’ll be a part of the other worldy happenings, the martial arts action and the love that is forbidden! One minute you’ll route for one character and the next, you’ll be for another. All of it adds up to one awesome read with an ending that will leave you blown away and desperately ready to read to the next book and find out what happens next! Amazing job, Mr.Gates! You’ve definitely made a forever fan out of me!
Wow! What an awesome review! Mr. Gates and I are absolutely thrilled. Thanks for reading Dark Territory, and thanks for sharing your comments.
Great review! Adding this to my list of YA titles for my nieces/nephews
Now that is certainly a rave review! So glad you enjoyed this one.
Thanks for being on the tour. I’m featuring your review on TLC’s Facebook page today.