Gothic Lolita (by Dakota Lane)

This book may appeal more to teens who are into the "Gothic Lolita" style and culture than those who just happen upon this book. While it has some universal themes of love and the human connection, the author tries too hard to make a simple plot complex.

Author Dakota Lane uses poetic prose as a base on which she tries to weave darkness, mystery, and mythical connections into a gripping story that ultimately falls flat. The novel is earnest in its attempt to be deep, but never really achieves more than a superficial layer of mystery. Without the mystery or mystical connection, the novel plods along as heavy and overwrought as the crinoline skirts the fashion-obsessed teens wear.