Book Review: A Perfect Night

Reviewed by Alexandria Ducksworth

I cannot get enough of Joseph Stone’s dark fiction.

A Perfect Night is Joseph Stone’s unforgettable story about a young girl and the terrible secrets tied to her gift of seeing spirits. You think your family has dark secrets. You’ll be glad you don’t have any like Fran. 

Fran Tarantino lives with her Aunt Laura and her family after her mother dies in a terrible car accident. Fran’s father gives her only daughter to Laura’s family and is never seen again. Fran tries to adjust to life with her new family; some things don’t remain the same. 

Fran believes her mother’s spirit is still with her despite the naysayers. Whenever Fran is sad, her mother sends her ladybugs. Other times, her mother disciplines her for wrongdoings. 

Meanwhile, wealthy relative Aurora Ciccone enters Fran’s life and reveals she is not the only one who has connections with spirits. The spirit Fran knows may not be her mother at all but someone more malevolent. 

You think you have read dark fantasy—and then you read A Perfect Night. Stone weaves heavy scenarios you can’t stop thinking about. It’s like not being able to fall asleep after watching a horror movie. Stone really knows how to give us the creeps. Scenes are disturbing yet strangely captivating. Readers may become addicted to the drama. Be warned, A Perfect Night contains plenty of shock matter and death. Readers who love a little mystery might enjoy this book too.

The book also has feminist undertones. When Fran finally meets Aurora, she discovers their gifts may be linked to witches. Witches throughout history were always seen as rebels, and they were exiled from society for not following the norms. Women were struck hard during the famous witch trials in Medieval history. They could be accused of anything from simply staying single to making a neighbor’s baby sick. 

Aurora considers herself a bride. The big question: “Who?” Usually, marriages have a positive connotation. In this book, it’s not so pleasant. Whatever the evil spirit has planned has its sights on Fran too. It is up to Aurora to save Fran from a similar fate before it’s too late. 

A Perfect Night is a story about mental and external freedom. While Aurora is a free, wealthy woman, she is trapped by dark forces she can’t seem to pull herself away from. Fran starts off as a naïve and free young woman. Unknowingly, she will soon be trapped in evil just like Aurora if she’s not too careful. 

A Perfect Night is a great read with some precautions. This book contains elements not suitable for sensitive readers. While it’s a big book, the way Stone writes will have you breezing through its pages. You’re going to want to find out all of the characters’ secrets. Everybody involved in this gripping story has something to reveal, and the results are often jaw-dropping and downright scary. 

Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy / Dark

Print Length: 358 pages

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