Title: Fallen (Fallen #1)
Author: Lauren Kate
Published: December, 2009 by Delacorte Press
Pages: 452
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Final Thoughts:
A lot of people have been divided over this one. I can see where the not so positive thoughts have been coming from. It is incredibly slow in getting toward the actual paranormal aspects. So if you’re looking for a hot paranormal romance, you might find yourself disappointed for the first 350 or so pages. I admit, I was disappointed at first, but after getting into the story and taking it for what it was, I actually started to enjoy myself. Boarding school stories can get tiresome, but this one was a bit out of the norm.

Title: A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark #1)
Author: Jocelyn Davies
Published: September, 2011 by HarperTeen
Thanks: HarperCollins via NetGalley
Pages: 320
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

On the night of Skye’s seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites–like fire and ice–Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye’s life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move–only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.

In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can’t help falling for, and Devin, who she can’t stay away from, the consequences of Skye’s choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.

Final Thoughts:
I love the cover for this book, but what I found inside, not so much. When you’re reading YA, you’re invariably going to come across familiar themes. This one has plenty, from dead parents, to the annoying best friend and even the love triangle. I don’t mind these things most of the time and usually find myself swept up in the book. Unfortunately this time, it didn’t happen.

Title: Angel (Angel #1)
Author: L.A. Weatherly
Published: October, 2010 by Usborne Publishing
Pages: 506
Rating:  
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Angels are all around us: beautiful, awe-inspiring, irresistible.

Ordinary mortals yearn to catch a glimpse of one of these stunning beings and thousands flock to The Church of Angels to feel their healing touch. But what if their potent magnetism isn’t what it seems? Willow knows she’s different from other girls. And not just because she loves tinkering around with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into people’s futures, know their dreams, their hopes and their regrets, just by touching them. But she has no idea where she gets this power from.

Until she meets Alex…
Alex is one of the few who know the truth about angels. He knows Willow’s secret and is on a mission to stop her. The dark forces within Willow make her dangerous – and irresistible. In spite of himself, Alex finds he is falling in love with his sworn enemy.

Final Thoughts:
I loved the main characters. Both were strong willed, competent, and slightly broken. A great angel plot, as an angel-loving cult sweeps the nation. With the two leads on the run across America, we get to see their tense relationship blossom as they hide out among backwater motels and hotwire cars.

Title: Crescendo (Hush, Hush #2)
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Published: October, 2010 by Simon and Schuster
Pages: 427
Rating:  
Purchase: The Book Depository

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away, and Nora can’t figure out if it’s for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father’s death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn’t answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch, or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Final Thoughts:
I enjoyed Hush, Hush a lot more than this instalment. I just felt frustrated throughout the majority of this book. Nora is the same as always, and if there’s harder way to go about something, she’ll find it.