Angelfall

I good friend of mine presented me with Angelfall on my 36th Birthday.  Knowing what kinds of books I love, she took a leap of faith, having not read it herself. I'm so glad she did!

Angelfall is the first novel by writer Susan Ee and fits right into the YA books I seem to love so much.  Even though I had promised myself to stay away from all of the post-apocalyptic books out there (with December 21, 2012 coming and going without a bang), I immediately felt compelled to read the book after reviewing the book description. 

For those who've read The Hunger Games, you'll want to give Angelfall a read.  Angelfall's protagonist Penryn is reminiscent of Katniss.  Penryn is a caring, loving, protective daughter and sister whose mother has failed to live up to her motherly role, leaving her to protect her sister as their mother should.  She's strong willed and determined to help her family find a safe haven in a world that has been shattered by war.  In this case, their splintered world isn't decades after a man-made battle, it's only weeks after Angels have fallen from the skies, to completely obliterate the Earth as we know it. 

Without giving too much away, the book starts off with Penryn trying to escape her apartment with her mother and wheelchair bound sister.  They've been living as long as possible in an area that has become overwhelmed with street gangs, and during their attempted escape, Penryn's sister is taken by Angels.  She makes a deal with Raffe, an Angel whose wings were cut off, in hopes of finding her sister in exchange of finding someone to help Raffe reattach his wings.  On their journey to a location protected and inhabited by powerful Angels, they come across many obstacles, both humans and Angels, and they all discover there is much more to the post-apocalyptic world Earth has become. 

Shortly after reading Angelfall, I started following Susan Ee on Facebook. She was pleased to announce Angelfall becoming a movie in the near future. I can't wait to see Susan Ee's book brought to life on the big screen.  With all the action sequences and Angel wings flapping and flying, I expect it may even have a 3D release. Readers should also expect to see a sequel to the book in late 2013. I really hate having to wait this long, but I will be one of the first ones to purchase the book, and to see the movie. 

Beautiful Creatures

While anxiously awaiting the beginning of The Hobbit: An Unxpected Journey to start, 3D glasses on, popcorn in hand, with my son and husband seated to my left, I was saw the Beautiful Creatures movie trailer.  Instantly I knew this must have been based on a book, and was probably another YA (young adult) series.  Sure enough, I went home and found it on my Kindle.  As always, I started with the free preview download and sped through it, making my purchase for the book in no time.

For those YA readers out there, especially those who enjoy propular series like the Twilight Saga and The Hunger Games Trilogy (both of which I thoroughly enjoyed), you will most likely enjoy the first installment in the Beautiful Creatures series.  Think Bella and Edward.  However, this time we have Lena, a beautiful, mystical Caster (witch) and Ethan, a mere mortal who has fallen in love with the one girl he is told he can never have.  Like Bella and Edward, they refuse all laws of their respective supernatural worlds, and are determined to be together. 

Other interesting characters are mixed into the little southern town of Gatlin, where nothing is as it seems.  There's Macon, Lena's reclusive uncle the entire town seems to be scared by, and Amma, Ethan's surrogate mother with a deep family history rooted in mysticism.  The local Librarian is more than meets the eyes, and Ethan's dad is hopelessly stuck living in a room that embodies the smells and memories of Ethan's mother, who passed away within the past year.  There are good witches, bad witches, and something else in between.  Cheerleaders (think Mean Girls), jocks, the Ladies' Auxillary, and more can be found in Gatlin, all creating bumps on the way to Lena and Ethan's ultimate purpose: to halt Lena's destiny to cross over to the dark side, so to speak.

Personally, I love YA books because they are normally quick reads and are free from the adult romance that leads to affairs and, well, you know...  The series seems to have potential and I look forward to seeing it on the big screen.  Adults may not enjoy this book like the Twi-Hard Moms do, but I can see teens and early twenty-year-olds enjoying it.  If you're looking for something to read over a weekend or during a holiday break, Beautiful Creatures might be the one for you.