When I noticed the length of this book and the extensive list of characters, I must admit, I was intimidated. I even considered giving up after a few pages. However, after about 40 pages, I found the story becoming more engaging. During a short break, I realized I had already devoured a third of the book. I was completely hooked on the story's execution, and I didn't mind the book's length or the fact that not every character was likable. I was fully invested in their adventures, and it reminded me of my younger self, staying up late to read Stephen King's 'It,' even though it was well past midnight and I had school the next day. This time, I found myself staying up all night, despite having meetings the following day (as the years pass, obligations tend to change). I simply couldn't tear my eyes away from the book and forced myself to stay awake just to read one more chapter before drifting off.

This supernatural horror, mystery, and character-driven fantasy thriller feels like a modern version of 'It' (with vibes reminiscent of 'Stranger Things' and 'The Goonies,' which are also other versions of 'It' in some ways). However, instead of a clown lurking in the sewers to steal young children's souls, there's a haunted priest gaining power from the town's greedy residents to hunt down agnostic boys. It seems there's a very thin line between Puritanism and devil worship in this town.

We follow six teenagers instead of the Loser's Club:

Kelly Boyle: quirky and studious, trying to find her place in the social circle.

Casey Cooper: the golden boy, a popular football athlete attracting recruiters' attention, easy-going and kind-hearted.

James Curry: a burnout from the trailer park, selling weed, enduring abuse from his drunk father, and the town's black sheep, secretly best friends with Kelly, the girl next door.

Tia Kwon: a clairvoyant and eccentric girl with the power to glimpse the future. She works at her mother's crystal shop, where townspeople insist they practice Satanism. She embraces her Asian heritage, even though church members resent their existence.

Padma Subramanian: a smart and success-oriented Indian girl, Tia's best friend, trying to follow in her doctor parents' footsteps. She also deals with sibling rivalry with her brother and secretly works part-time at the church to save money for college.

Maddison Wesley: the devout member of the Golden Praise mega-church in Wesley Falls.

They form a motley crew, coming from different circles until they are chosen for a capstone project. This group, known as the 'Capstone Six,' decides to uncover more about the complicated history of Wesley Falls' mines. Before starting their project, Casey invites them to a school party in the mines, which intrigues James, as he spends most of his spare time there. However, Maddy objects to going there, leading to heated discussions. Kelly, who has been cast out by Maddy's 'Circle Girl' group (the popular girls loyal to the church and its ideals), decides to challenge Maddy by befriending Tia and Padma, who have also been excluded by the popular girls due to their skin color. Together, they take control of the group, leaving Maddy in the minority.

However, they soon realize they should have heeded Maddy's warnings. They witness something shocking and earth-shattering in the mines that will change their entire perspective on the town and its founders. Now, six teenagers are dead, and the perpetrators are on the loose, looking for a scapegoat to blame. In their search for a solution, they team up to eliminate the source of the problem. After that, they pledge to cut ties with each other and the town.

Now, twenty years later, Jia returns, summoned by her former school friend Zachary Springsteen, aka "Blub," the new sheriff of the town. She uses her psychic powers to locate a missing person. To her shock, the person is found dead, and it's Maddy. Jia questions how Maddy ended up back there. Her death couldn't have been a mere accident, as she died as soon as she set foot in that haunted place. What's even more unbelievable is that they killed someone before cutting ties with each other, yet that person seems to be alive and hasn't aged a day. How is this possible? Jia must reconnect with the rest of the team, who are now scattered across different places, to attend the funeral and solve the problem they couldn't twenty years ago. It appears the monster is back, and they must confront it once again!

Despite the book's considerable length, I devoured it as if I were binge-watching a ten-episode, action-packed fantasy series. I grew fond of some of the characters, particularly Jia and Kelly, but I couldn't say the same for all of them, especially Maddy. Nevertheless, I found their narratives enjoyable, and their blossoming friendship against the backdrop of their cultural differences was a highlight. The parts where they gather at the lake brought a smile to my face and provided a peaceful respite after claustrophobic and intense action sequences.

I wholeheartedly give this book five stars and encourage you to embark on this thrilling journey without being deterred by its length. It is well worth your time and promises an enjoyable and thrilling experience.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing/Park Row for providing me with a digital review copy of this captivating book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Wow!!! I couldn’t put this one down. 6 friends went to a party, 20 years later one is murdered and the others must figure out what happened. Love this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to reach this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It turns out the real deadlights were the friends we made along the way.

This book felt long, but not in a bad way. I really enjoyed the world-building, as well as the characterization. I could have spent more time in this universe, as it resolved quicker than I would have liked.

Really just a lot of fun. There are six main characters but they all have a really distinctive voice and it was fun following them in the 1990s trying to deal with a mystery in their creepy small town only to be drawn back in 2015.

I was not expecting a supernatural twist but it worked!

The only thing I didn’t love was some of the mine descriptions, I had a hard time following what they did there, I swear it was different every time. Maybe it was?

There’s more to Wesley Falls than meets the eye, but for six high school students, it’s home.

I'm a sucker for small-town, YA mystery and so I ate this up. Very well done!

This book was fine but the writing style just wasn’t for me

~This book was given to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

After Vera Kurian's excellent debut (Never Saw Me Coming) I was looking forward to seeing what she wrote next. A Step Past Darkness does not disappoint. I was delighted to find that VK was as interested switching around different genres as I am to reading them. The history of Wesley Falls is as dark and deep as the mountain the town is built on. Enjoy the ride.

A Step Past Darkness will resonate with anyone from a small town with big secrets. 6 friends to to an abandoned mine party, and leave with a major secret. 20 years later, one of them is murdered, leaving the remaining 5 to figure out what happened. Is it related to what happened 20 years ago? I couldn’t put this book down. 6 main characters is a lot to keep track of, but it’s totally worth it. Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars. This book was quite long winded, but I really enjoyed the dynamics between the characters. The story sometimes did not logically make sense, but the characters and the plot made up for it.

I was excited to read A STEP PAST DARKNESS, having read and enjoyed Vera Kurian’s previous book. Unfortunately, this one was a disappointment. There were far too many characters that weren’t very well differentiated, making it difficult to follow the plot. To complicate things even more, there were also time jumps that weren’t well executed, which made the entire book convoluted and hard to track, much less enjoy. This one was unfortunately a miss for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read and review A STEP PAST DARKNESS.