I reviewed Angelfall by Susan Ee when it came out back in 2012 and I loved it. I'm always a bit wary of books that started off as self-published e-books (i.e. Fifty Shades of Gray), but finally caved in and read Angelfall after one of my co-workers browbeat me into it. And I'm glad I did. It was an amazingly well written angel post-apocalyptic tale with all the necessary elements of a good YA book. So I had to read World After the second it came out last November, but am just now finally getting around to blogging about it.
World After Summary:
In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.
When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.
Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.
Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?
World After Review:
At first when I read the description I immediately thought, wait, this sounds exactly like the first book. But the description is misleading. It couldn't be any more different from the first book if it tried. But in a good way. The author has done an exceptional job of creating romantic tension between Penryn and Raffe, without creating a full-blown romance between the two. Yet. The angel laws prevent Raffe from being with Penryn, so they keep a nice safe distance, but there's still that tension that makes you wonder if they will or won't at the end of the series.
Another reason why I love this series is that the plot is so original. It's nothing like any other book I've ever read. Yes, it has angels, which are a dime a dozen in YA literature right now, but it's done so differently than any other angel series. It has lots of action and violence, and quite a few other-worldly creatures that Penryn discovers something very interesting about. I don't want to spoil it, but if you haven't read this series, you really need to. The first book is fast throughout the entire book. The second book is a little slow to start, but once it gets going you're just about guaranteed to be hooked.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Monday, March 3, 2014
What I Thought Was True Review
My March review for SLJ was just published this week about a book called What I Thought Was True by Huntley Fitzpatrick. Here it is:
Gr 10 Up--Seventeen-year-old Gwen Castle has lived in Seashell, Connecticut her whole life, waiting hand and foot on the rich clientele who come to the island every year for a picturesque summer. And she's tired of it. The summer means getting to spend time on the beach, but it also means working long shifts at her dad's restaurant, being the third wheel to her best friend Vivien and her cousin Nico who are madly in love, and taking care of her younger brother with special needs. Suddenly, Gwen is given the opportunity to work as a caregiver for a rich elderly woman, and everything starts to change. She's forced to spend more time with the well-off and charming Cass, with whom she had a one-night stand last year. Gwen knows she should hate him after everything that happened, but the more she gets to know him, the more sparks fly. The teen begins to question what she thought was true-about Cass, about her family and friends, and about herself. This novel tells a beautiful story of first love and although some of the background information is slow to be revealed, Gwen's character has the kind of depth and voice that will enchant teens. Those with regrets of their own will find hope in this coming-of-age romance that will appeal to fans of Deb Caletti and Sara Zarr.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Gr 10 Up--Seventeen-year-old Gwen Castle has lived in Seashell, Connecticut her whole life, waiting hand and foot on the rich clientele who come to the island every year for a picturesque summer. And she's tired of it. The summer means getting to spend time on the beach, but it also means working long shifts at her dad's restaurant, being the third wheel to her best friend Vivien and her cousin Nico who are madly in love, and taking care of her younger brother with special needs. Suddenly, Gwen is given the opportunity to work as a caregiver for a rich elderly woman, and everything starts to change. She's forced to spend more time with the well-off and charming Cass, with whom she had a one-night stand last year. Gwen knows she should hate him after everything that happened, but the more she gets to know him, the more sparks fly. The teen begins to question what she thought was true-about Cass, about her family and friends, and about herself. This novel tells a beautiful story of first love and although some of the background information is slow to be revealed, Gwen's character has the kind of depth and voice that will enchant teens. Those with regrets of their own will find hope in this coming-of-age romance that will appeal to fans of Deb Caletti and Sara Zarr.--"Candyce Pruitt-Goddard, Hartford Public Library, CT" Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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