Angel Burn Review

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.