*SPOILER* Jeff's brother Troy is released on a technicality from a life sentence in prison for stabbing a boy to death when he was 16. Jeff has not seen his brother in five years and he still resents how Troy's crime disrupted his family's life and forced them to move to Pineville. Their parents, however, are willing and hopeful that Troy is a changed man. Troy seems to be on the right track, finding his own apartment, working long hours at the grocery store, and earning people's trust. But Jeff alone still detects the darkness that remains in Troy's soul. Jeff's suspicions come tragically true when Troy robs and kills his boss, the grocery owner. A complex and suspenseful story in which Jeff's reactions to Troy can be perceived on different levels by the reader, and in the end, the reader is left to question the depths of evil in humankind.

Jeff Hastings' family harbors a dark secret. 5 years ago, the oldest brother killed a boy at school with a knife, and was sent to prison with a life sentence. They've moved on with their lives in a new town, trying to forget the terrible things Troy did, but on a technicality he is being released from prison, and now they have to confront the thing they've tried so hard to avoid.

Dark Angel is a story about good and evil, but not in the sense that the lines are clearly drawn. Jeff has to decide if his brother is truly a bad person or merely a victim of circumstance, and whether or not he is deserving of redemption.

Though on the surface the book definitely feels as though it is intended for teens, it has a surprising amount of depth that was as welcome as it was unexpected. What I thought initially was just going to be a story about a boy dealing with social problems in a high school setting quickly became so much more than that. Sure, there are scenes about bullying and dating problems, but overall plot was much more complex and interesting than that, and I really enjoyed it. ( )

Super spannend, aber das Buch hat mehrere Rechtschreibfehler! ( )

whoa. I think many 9th graders would eat this book up. On the same level as Shattering Glass!! There’s only one small part of the book that is not fast paced and riveting. The ending is problematic since Jeff despises his brother throughout the book and then allows him to escape without telling the authorities where he went.

Good story for boys. ( )