Angel [Paperback]

Willow has always been different from other girls her age, preferring to spend time fixing an engine rather than going to parties and worrying about clothes and make up. She has always had psychic abilities and gives readings to friends answering questions they have about their futures but when popular student Beth asks for a reading it will have a life changing effect on Willow. Through Beth Willow discovers that Angels exist, they may be beautiful to look at but it is obvious to Willow that they are not what we have always believed them to be. Looking into Beth's future she sees a life of pain and illness if she joins the Church of Angels and tries to warn her but will Beth accept her advice? Alex has been sent on a mission to destroy Willow but when he first sees her he finds that not all is as it should be. He decides to investigate further and discovers Willow's secret - something that even Willow is not aware of. For Willow nothing will ever be the same and she will need Alex's help to survive.

I was a bit worried about reading Angel by L.A. Weatherly as I don't seem to have a great track record when it comes to young adult angel books - I was disappointed with Hush, Hush and although I liked Fallen I didn't think the sequel Torment quite managed to live up to it. Now having read Angel I can honestly say I don't know what I was worried about - it was by far the best angel book I've read & I can't wait to get my hands on the next 2 books in the series!

Angel is written in a combination of first person (from Willow's point of view) and third person (from Alex's point of view). I found this was a really interesting way to tell the story and although it threw me a little at first once I got used to it I really liked the change in tone. It made it easier to keep track of who's view point we were following and I think it added something to the story.

I absolutely loved the twist on angel mythology which made it unlike any other book I've read. I'm very curious to see how things develop with the Church of Angels over the series especially after the ending of this book. I really liked Willow but it was Alex that completely captured me - move over everyone who came before, Alex is now my new inappropriate book crush! I really liked the fact that Alex wasn't the typical bad boy type character we have seen a lot of in YA books recently. Yes he was mysterious (particularly at the beginning of the book) but we actually get to find out quite a lot about his past which made a nice change. Neither Willow or Alex have led particularly easy childhoods albeit that their circumstances were entirely different. Willow grew up as the main carer for her Mother who is suffering from a mental illness while Alex grew up in the dessert amongst a camp of assassins and you can really see the effect their upbringings had on them both in their personalities.

The action is fast paced throughout most of the book and the story will suck you in and take you on a thrill ride as you travel across the US with Alex & Willow. The plot twists and turns taking you to unexpected places and I ended up staying awake until 6am just so I could finish reading it. There is a section towards the end of the book where the pace slows down and concentrates on the budding romance between the main characters. I loved that section of the story and thought L.A. Weatherly perfectly captured the magic of your first love - the awkwardness & embarrassment, the overwhelming strength of feelings and the amazement of that perfect first kiss that you've always dreamed of. This part of the book reminded me of the emotion in Shiver so I'm sure fans of that series will love it but I can understand that if you're not too keen on character driven romances you might find that part of the story a little on the slow side. Personally I loved the change of pace and was transported back in time to when I was a young teen with my first boyfriend. Not to worry if that isn't your kind of thing though - the action soon builds back up again and leads to an explosive finale!

There were a couple of things toward the end of the book that haven't been explained fully but I'm sure that will be resolved later on in the series. Although there is a cliffhanger at the end I think the book finished quite in a good place and although I'm keen to read the next installment I wasn't left screaming with frustration like you can be with some series. I'm sure any fans of young adult paranormal romance will enjoy Angel - I can't recommend it highly enough. It really was one of my favorite books of the year & definitely my favorite in the angel genre!

This novel is such a shocker.

When blurb says L.A. Weatherly will reinvent angels in Angel, she not only reinvents it, but does so in such a stunning way. Her portrayal of angels as deceptive predators is disturbing, yet strangely fascinating. Without foregoing the beauty that lures humanity into admiring these celestial beings, the author twists our common perception of their majesty to reveal a very frightening creature. For that alone, Angel deserves a permanent space in everyone's shelves.

What I expected with Angel, is vastly different from what I have read. Even from the very beginning I was already caught unaware by this novel. It's far from predictable, and none of my guesses were actually even remotely near the plot. There were always surprises around every corner and each caught me by surprise. Throw away all your expectations are read this book. You will not regret it!

Angel is partly narrated by Willow, and partly by an omniscient narrator. The narrative style is as fresh as its plot, allowing glimpses into Willow's character without neglecting the crescendo of suspense created by events out of Willow's control. The perfect criss-crossing of these different perspectives builds the suspense with such intensity that I was slightly floored with the thrill. It was like reading a Dan Brown thriller - so very gripping. Combined with interesting characters and the unsettling angels, the suspense is a huge driving force in making Angel such stunning novel.

While the suspense remains a constant presence in the course of the plot, there is also adventure and romance intertwined strongly within the novel. Willow and Alex are two very different, very engaging characters. I found the character development to be more intrinsic than external, linking closely to the romance and plot as a whole. I couldn't get enough of the two!

Reading about their roadtrip is like partaking in it; I particular loved their experiences on the run as it is not only vividly described but also gives a sense of urgency to escape. The blossoming romance between the protagonists and the danger that constantly hovers above them (sometimes literally) gave me an adrenaline rush. It's a very, very good read. I'm pleased at how the novel did not focus entirely on Willow's and Alex's differences, but more on their acceptance of each other, and later their romance. It isn't at all sappy - and they don't fall in love in a blink of an eye either - but there were points where I could have done with less than what was written. At some parts of the book the narrative becomes overwhelming, but as I am reviewing an ARC, I did not worry too much. The finished copy would be more polished, so there really isn't much to complain about.

With a mythology as strong as Philip Pullman's and a suspense as well built as Dan Brown's, L.A. Weatherly's Angel is a dark and fresh new twist to the celestial beings we all know and love. It's a sin to miss a book this good!

Wow- what a clever and unique idea! Forget vampires, this is a story based upon the idea that angels are evil predators- they stalk you and appear to you and then drain you of life and energy, whilst leaving you with a feeling of blissful peace, the belief that you have seen an angel and are special- but a body drained of life. Victims of angels grow weaker over time, or become mentally incompetent, or start to develop cancer- all the while believing that their angel experience was real and magical and wonderful.

This novel also features a great cast of characters. There's Alex, who had been hunting angels since he was a child along with his father- and Willow, an ordinary girl from a small town who loves tinkering with cars and can see peoples' pasts, futures and dreams just by touching them.

Willow is a great character just because she is who she is and doesn't care if people don't like her for it. She knows her own mind, wears her own clothes, isn't bothered about fitting in with the 'popular' crowd, and just does her own thing. I loved the slow build of the relationship between these two. They start off hating each other- Alex mistrusts Willow because she is part angel, and represents everything that he has dedicated his life to destryoing, and Willow hates Alex's rudeness and attitude. They have to travel together to find one of Alex's old contacts who might be able to help them, and the adventure takes off from there.

The build up to the climax of the big battle is one of the most exciting I've read, and nearly made me cry, and the whole book is well paced and gripping but with the right mix of emotion and romance.

I just loved this. It was so much better than I expected and stood out from all the usual paranormal boy-meets-girl books out there.