Emotional Reader

Okay, listen here. I’ve not indulged in a lengthy list of PN-Angel books. My experience comes from Unearthly, A Need So Beautiful, [b:A Beautiful Dark|10429025|A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark, #1)|Jocelyn Davies|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51l1q2D1-SL._SL75_.jpg|7790670], [b:Daughter of Smoke and Bone|8490112|Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Daughter of Smoke and Bone, #1)|Laini Taylor|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51H3cCkRUJL._SL75_.jpg|13355552] aaaaaand I think that's it, to be honest. So I don't really know much about what's good, not good, overly used and absurd when it comes to this niche. However, I do know a good and entertaining story when I read one, and Ee's got something great going on with her debut novel, Angelfall, the first book in the Penryn & the End of Days series. There is a reason to be excited about this story!Angelfall is about Penryn, a 17-year old girl who is trying to survive in a world (the San Fran area of Cali to be specific) that has been devastated by an Angel invasion. When we meet her, it’s six weeks post-apocalypse, and she is in the process of just trying to move her schizophrenic mother and seven year old paraplegic sister, Paige, safely to a new location one evening, when she witnesses a white feathered Angel, Raffe, being jumped by five “dark” wings. Well actually their wings were speckled and striped, but the implication is that they’re wicked, so let’s just call them “dark”, m’kay? That single encounter is what ultimately alters Penryn’s role, and future involvement, in the Angel vs. human war taking place on Earth (which, to what extent, I presume will be revealed through the remainder of the series); because, it gets personal when her sister is abducted by one of the violent “darker” angels in retaliation to her having aided Raffe when he was at the brink of annihilation at their hands. Upon Paige’s abduction, Penryn forcibly enlists Raffe to help her find her sister. It is through this journey together that she learns about what the humans are doing in an effort to reclaim their world, some of the evil wickedness the Angels are doing under wraps, and the political turmoil and instability within the seraphs’ society. There are some dark aspects of the book that I appreciated Ee for including and going there with because it really helped bring the horror factor, with her ability to write the imagery behind it so well, to life. For instance, there is a fight sequence between Penryn and a male soldier that may shock some people. Because of the intense way in which it’s written, it really got under my skin, as violence against a woman would…but all is well, our heroine knows how to handle hers! There is also some cannibal play going on that literally had me shuddering in fear. Review my comments while I was reading. I was totally losing it! Things to love: - It’s a fast interesting read that keeps you engaged and up-to- speed without dumping an exceeding amount of clunky information on you. - It has a heroine of strength who has her priorities in order. She doesn’t lose sight of her family and herself/identity just because she meets a gorgeous guy. She can take care of her own, be tough and witty without making you want to roll your eyes from a surplus of bitchiness. She has a heart. Perfect mix of assertion, vulnerability, and responsibility. Observe:I lean into his strength until I realize what I’m doing. I pull back abruptly. I don’t have the luxury of leaning on anyone’s strength, least of all an angel’s. Good girl, P. - There is a hot guy who isn’t overly tortured, whiny, and emo (not to say I don’t usually love those brooding souls, but the change is really nice). He’s an agnostic angel (ironic and interesting, right?!) that shows his affection by meaningful action. He’s very purposeful in the things that he does and says. He’s mature without an extreme air of condescension. For a seraph, he’s also quite human. - The horror factor. I personally like getting “too scared” to turn to the next page in my dystopian/post-apocalypse worlds. There were a couple scenes that told me just how chicken-sh-t I am, and ill prepared for the madness that will surely descend on mankind should there be an apocalypse or plunge into dystopia. - The pacing is spot on as far as plot development goes. While reading, I never felt like “okay, okay…lets get on with it, back to the good part, please”, or “Okay, okay…give me a minute to breath, slow down with all these things going on”. Also, the romance aspect had an opportunity to progress organically without exhibiting the overused “insta-love” formula we’ve been plagued with in YA novels lately. - I really, really love that Ee SHOWS us how the characters are feeling, developing, surviving, instead of telling us. There are many scenes throughout the book where you understand so clearly Penryn’s frustration with her mother. You understand why Penryn and Raffe grow to like each other, grow enamored with one another. I like that I don’t have to question why, or how it is that they’ll grow to love each other, because we get to see it and experience it right along with the two of them throughout the story. - Though I wouldn’t say it’s a true stand-alone work, it didn’t end on a cliffhanger and thoroughly keeps you excited for the next installment without leaving you high and dry. There’s tons more to be revealed and expanded on, which is why I’m so excited to read more. CriticismsI don’t have much, but these come to mind (although I should preface by saying, they didn't hamper my enjoyment and love for the book in the end): - Some of the occurrences in the book seem a little farfetched to me: the mentally unwell mother who runs off constantly, yet manages to always find her way to her daughter, basic provisions for her well-being so easily she even ends up eventually making her way to the action. Paige being the only cannibal kid who survived her transformation. though as I think of it, that could be based on the speculation that one revives them by saying their names, maybe? - I found that I could have used more information about the apocalypse. Not necessarily why the Angels have come against Earth (It appears only one Angel knows about this and he’s MIA, while the rest are just as clueless as the humans), but it would be helpful to know in what state other parts of the world are in. For example, what is the appeal of San Francisco? Why have the angels decide to put the Aerie there, why is that location that’s so special? Are there other hubs with high concentrations of angels in other areas in the world? I wish I knew more about that. It may be that this will be explained later and was intentionally left vague in the 1st book, but I can’t help feeling, especially since the role the 1st book is to lay the foundation, like this was missing. - Well this one is not really Ee’s problem; I mostly think it’s just me and what I like to see in my boy crushes, but I feel like I could have used some more swoon. Raffe is totally made up of the swoony ingredients. I would’ve just liked to have an opportunity to indulge in his swoon potential a little more. But I definitely think he’ll be giving me, and YOU, the full-swoon attack I’m looking for in the future books. Ee perfectly foreshadows that shit in those last two chapters. I’m just greedy like that, and tend to indulge in immediate gratification; but alas, there are four more books to come, so maybe I should go and prepare myself for that kind of thing. My heart might just can’t handle it. I basically liked this story because I was engrossed from start to finish. I am only aware of reading one other self-published book, so I don’t really have much to say other than I’m quite surprised Ee didn’t have a publisher to scoop this gem up, considering all the recent garbage I see published from the big houses over the last year. You should read this book because it’s worth more than the $0.99. Now, someone tell me how do I put this on Amazon?