Angel Burn Review

Monday, June 13, 2011

Title: Angel Burn
Author: L.A. Weatherly
Publisher: Candlewick
Published: May 24, 2011
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Paranormal
Pages: 464
Source: Publisher

Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them.

When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L..A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip - and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful. They’re out for your soul . . . and they don’t have heaven in mind.
Willow is just your average tomboy except for the minor details that she's got powers she can't control, lives in a world plagued by creatures called Angels that are nothing like the heavenly beings we know and has an assassin who knows far too much about her gift. Alex has been trained his whole life to destroy the Angels, but he never knew that a tomboy like Willow could get in his way in more ways than one. Willow and Alex are on a collision course that will inevitably lead them to a decision between good and evil, right and wrong or the end of the world as they know it. But can they learn to be allies, or will their differences be too much for them to take?

First off, allow me to give Angel Burn a standing ovation when it comes to epic, original plots. When I first saw the title of this one a long time ago, I almost didn't give it a second glance because of the word "angel" in the title. We all know how I feel about trends. All that aside though, Angel Burn threw me for a loop in the best possible way. L.A. Weatherly spun the story of angels on its end, creating a race of beings that is every bit as dangerous and deadly as they are captivating. With two fabulous characters to follow and root for, Angel Burn is a thrill ride that leads you through a world that's terrifying and haunting, but also more fascinating than you could ever imagine.

Willow was a refreshing character. I liked that she wasn't your average, everyday female protag with her girly-girl issues and her swoon-worthy crushes that always land her flat on her butt crying. She had spirit and fire, all of which made her that much more likable. Alex, too, was fascinating. For me, he was this cross between John Connor and Dean Winchester - hunting supernatural beings and saving the world while maintaining this moral compass when everything else was going to hell. So, obviously, when the dynamic between the two began to heat up, Angel Burn took off. I will note, however, that there was a bit of a lull for me in the middle because of the changing nature of their relationship. I'm a firm believer that the romance in a book should elevate, rather than ease the tension in the story. Angel Burn became a bit complacent for me in a few of those moments. However, once the intense action scenes kicked in again though, the plot when spinning back out of control. Angel Burn did get off to a bit of a rocky start for me because of the POV shift, but once I got a grasp on it, the story took off. I like to call this one a cross between Terminator: Judgement Day, Supernatural and Buffy because it's got a bit of each of their best elements.

All in all, Angel Burn was a great read. I love when a book's premise is so different from the norm, and this was entirely refreshing. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I can't wait to read the second book in this planned trilogy, Angel Fire, due out in October. I highly recommend this book to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal and sci-fi stories.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

26 comments:

  1. kinda unfortunate the sequel's called angel fire. seeing as there's a very popular book already named angelfire.

    okay, enough ramblings :D

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  2. I've been wanting to read this book for awhile now. The cover's really pretty:)Great review!
    -Danna

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  3. Good review. Sounds like it's an interesting read. I think this will go on my TBR list. :)


    *~` http://rockielove.blogspot.com `~*

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  4. I've been meaning to read Angel Burn! I have the UK version on my shelf. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! (And I'm so, so happy that it has a unique plot! Yay!)

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  5. Hmm, still it is a YA romance...but, on the other hand, I like the take of the angels so maybe, just maybe. A very good review, thanks! You did help me to decide!

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  6. Anything with the word angel just makes me wanna run away screaming..I blame Fallen ;)

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  7. I'm in the middle of reading this right now. Because I've been feeling 'over' paranormal romance, I was prepared to put it down if it wasn't interesting or unique enough, but I've gotta say, it IS an interesting premise and so far, I'm hooked.

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  8. Thank you for the review here. I've been curious about what the book was about and you helped me there. :) Thank you!

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  9. I didn't really expect too much out of this one because of the title, but L.A. Weatherly completely sold it to me at BEA. I had no clue just how unique the angel concept was here and while I haven't gotten around to reading it yet, I want to. You saying that Alex is a cross between John Connor (I'm thinking the Christian Bale John Connor) and Dean Winchester makes me want to read it even more. Great review.

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  10. I've been wondering about this one...like you I'm kind of wary of books with "angel" in the title now, but I like that Angel Fire flips the trend on its head by making the angels dangerous. I think I may have to give this one a try!

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  11. Whoops, I meant Angel Burn obviously, LOL.

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  12. I'm so glad you liked it!! I loved Angel Burn, for it's different take on Angels and for Willow and Alex...

    I like your comparison with Judgment Day, Buffy and Supernatural and I think you totally right there! I can't wait for the next book!

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  13. I loved this! I read it back in November when it was released in the UK and loved it! :) Glad you enjoyed it.

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  14. I am especially not a huge fan of angels, and have only read one angel story that I thought was really well done. Angel Burn however sounds like it too might turn out to be worth the read. Thanks for the review.

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  15. YAY! Such a brilliant review Melissa, I'm so glad you ended up liking this one more than you thought you would:) I agree with you on the POV shift, that took some getting used to for me in the beginning as well, but once things picked up I didn't really notice it anymore:)

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  16. You always get so many comments on your reviews :)

    I never paid this book any attention until a few days ago when I saw a good review. But I think I was still feeling maybe a bit leary of it because I'm very sick of books having the same tone. They can be different, but feel the same as everything else out there. But you are one I feel I can really count on your opinion. So I'll definitely have to make sure I pick this one up in the future!

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  17. I actually love the angel theme and bought this one because of it. I haven't read it though but I really should because of how different it sounds from other books about angels.

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  18. I didn't care for the POV shifts, but I did think the concept was fantastically original.

    Great review, Mel.

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  19. First off, allow me to give Angel Burn a standing ovation when it comes to epic, original plots. When I first saw the title of this one a long time ago, I almost didn't give it a second glance because of the word "angel" in the title. We all know how I feel about trends.

    You just summed everything up perfectly here as that is exactly how I feel. Now I'm really looking forward to adding this to my list.

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  20. Oh gosh, Buffy AND Supernatural (with emphasis on Dean)?!? Oh I am so reading this book! Thanks for the heads up on the pacing lull in the middle.

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  21. Wow! Seems like a refreshing read. I haven't had any good experiences with angel novels, so I will definitely be giving this a try.

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  22. I'm glad you reviewed this one. I wasn't sure about it. But I've seen a few good reviews and that you liked it too and thought it was refreshing, well that sells it for me. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but Angels are getting old!

    Heather

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  23. This book sounds really interesting. I would read it for the talent she has - you're right, it is unique. Side note: The "Currently Reading" book looks awesome!

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  24. This books sounds awesome. I’ve had my eye on it since it started popping up on UK blogs. Great review!

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  25. Wow! Great review! I would have skipped this one based on the title as well, but now I'm adding it to my list! Thanks :)

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  26. Like Tara, I totally would have passed on this one until I read your review. Now I'm definitely going to have to check it out. Thanks Melissa!

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