Search This Blog

2025 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


1 / 30 books. 3% done!

2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

My Progress:


10 / 50 books. 20% done!

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge

- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (1)
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*

International:
- England (1)
- France (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)

My Progress:


6 / 51 states. 12% done!

2025 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

My Progress:


6 / 50 books. 12% done!

2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

My Progress:


7 / 50 books. 14% done!

Booklist Queen's 2025 Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 52 books. 19% done!

2025 52 Club Reading Challenge

My Progress:


9 / 52 books. 17% done!

2025 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

My Progress:


7 / 40 books. 18% done!

2025 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge

My Progress:


4 / 25 cozies. 16% done!

2025 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

2025 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge

My Progress


7 / 26.2 miles. 27% done!

2025 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

My Progress


3 / 100 books. 3% done!

2025 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

My Progress:


10 / 109 books. 9% done!

2025 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge

My Progress


10 / 52 books. 19% done!

The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge

My Progress:


91 / 100 names. 91% done!

The Life Skills Reading Challenge

My Progress:


50 / 80 skills. 63% done!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Evermore Meets The Mortal Instruments - and Not in a Good Way - In New Angel Novel

(Image from Indiebound)
Q. What speeds across the Earth at inhuman speeds, hears the thoughts of others and craves the taste of blood?
A. Not what you're thinking of.
Sixteen-year-old Ellie Faneuil has always been different from her classmates. Spending her summers working in impoverished countries with her Save-the-Earth obsessed parents has given her a wider world view, one that makes all the petty dramas of high school seem ridiculous. If she could just skip the whole scene and step right into college, she would. Unfortunately, she's stuck in Tillinghast, Maine, with uber-popular Piper Faires and the rest of her snotty crowd. To make matters worse, Ellie has the uncanny ability to see what people are thinking, just by touching them. She doesn't want to read her best friend's mind, let alone wander inside the heads of girls like Piper. The best she can do is stay clear of the Queen Bees and never, ever touch anyone.
When Ellie catches the eye of Michael Chase, the hot new guy at school, she feels an instant connection. Not only does he seek her out, ignoring gorgeous Piper and her friends, but he actually seems to care what she thinks. No doubt about it: Michael's different than the other boys. When Ellie finds out just how different he is, though, she's terrified. No human can do the things Michael can, so what is he, exactly? For that matter, what is she? Michael seems to have at least some of the answers, but his careless disregard for his "gifts" makes her wonder if she can trust him with her darkest secret.
As Ellie questions everything she's ever known to be true, she learns startling facts about herself, her family, and the boy that's suddenly consuming her every thought. Although the details are foggy, Ellie knows both she and Michael have important roles to play in the ultimate battle of good v. evil. The question is, what side are they on? Who's right in this ancient war of wills? Can Ellie figure out her place in the whole mess before it's too late? Or will the Angel of Destruction obliterate everything she knows and loves?
Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell (available December 28, 2010) is another one of those YA paranormals that offers an interesting premise, but fails to deliver. Big time. The problem here isn't the idea - which, although similar to Evermore by Alyson Noel with echoes of Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series, is unique enough to be compelling - it's the writing. All of the characters are flat as pancakes, starved of personality, individuality and charm. Since neither Ellie nor Michael are rounded enough to feel real, it's no surprise that the passion they supposedly feel for each other falls totally flat. Their dialogue is stilted, the love scenes cheesy, and the romance never gets the chance to build, it just suddenly is. Plotwise, the story meanders all over the place. It's so contrived in spots that Ellie's ability to fly becomes one of the only plot elements that feels real.
On the upside, the book is pretty clean. Well, it's clean in the way Twilight is clean, which is to say there are a number of make out scenes, but they're not graphic. There's also no profanity, no real sexual innuendo (besides the making out, of course), and only vague references to things like underrage drinking. This, coupled with some serious editing, probably would have equaled a decent book. If only.
(Readalikes: Reminded me a lot of Alyson Noel's Evermore, a little of The Hourglass Door by Lisa Mangum and a teensy bit of Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series.)
Grade: D
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 because of makeout scenes, although they aren't graphic
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of Fallen Angel from the generous folks at HarperTeen. Thank you!
Blog Widget by LinkWithin


Reading

<i>Reading</i>
Coram House by Bailey Seybolt

Listening

<i>Listening</i>
My Salty Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows



Followin' with Bloglovin'

Follow

Followin' with Feedly

follow us in feedly



Grab my Button!


Blog Design by:


Blog Archive



2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge

2025 Reading Challenge

2025 Reading Challenge
Susan has read 0 books toward her goal of 215 books.
hide

2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2023 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2022 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction