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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
What can I say about Susan Ee's Angelfall that hasn't already been said? Not much, but I'll throw my two cents in anyway.
Angelfall is one of the best YA PNRs I've read in the last year, and it ranks number one among my favorite YA angel books. The novel takes place two months after angels have attacked the earth bringing forth the apocalypse. Penryn is a seventeen year old girl who is fighting to keep herself, her wheelchair bound sister, Paige, and her schizophrenic mother alive under the threat of angels and human gangs that now rule the streets. When Paige is kidnapped by angels, Penryn allies herself with an angel named Raffe, whose wings have been cut off by the same angels who took her sister, in order to find her.
Typically, my number one complaint about YA PNRs is the romance. First, that it takes over the plot, and second, that it's unbelievable and unhealthy. Neither of these things was an issue in Angelfall because the romance was not all consuming or instant. Penryn's first priority is her sister and she never forgets that. She isn't willing to sacrifice her family or the lives of other humans for Raffe. Raffe, too, has a motivation for helping Penryn outside of his feelings for her. He never loses sight of his goal to have his wings restored. Although their attraction to each other begins early in the novel, their true deeper feelings develop slowly and realistically over time.
I really enjoyed the main characters in this novel as well. Penryn is intelligent, loyal, and has a great sense of humor. She isn't afraid to make tough, morally questionable decisions in order to survive and save her sister. Unlike many other YA heroines, she doesn't wait for her love interest to save her. She is well versed in fighting techniques, and she knows how to kickass. She even saves Raffe's life on occasion. On top of all this, I found her relatable, and her voice entertaining
Raffe made for a great swoon-worthy love interest. He's a badass, despite some occasional cheesy dialogue, and he doesn't get all moony over Penryn. No sparkling, no corny declarations of love, no toying with the heroine. Raffe does not play the game of "I want you, but being together will kill you, but wait, I can't stay away" game that so many YA heros play. He's clear with Penryn that they cannot be together, and although he does sometimes cross the line, it comes across as a true internal struggle rather than some manipulative tactic to further lure the heroine into his trap. My only complaint about Raffe is that he's lived multiple millennia but he often sounds like a teenage boy. Although he has spent a considerable amount of time on earth, there is no indication that he spent this time around teenagers, and therefore I would expect that he would sound like an adult.
Angelfall also does a good job handling disappearing parent syndrome, a highly criticized trope in YA fiction. While Penryn's parents are definitely negligent, they both have good reasons. My main complaint about absent parents in YA literature is that the absence is nonsensical. Neither the plot nor the characterization explains why the parents are neglectful. In Angelfall this is not an issue.
It almost feels greedy to expect a book to have likable characters with a romance I can get on board with and an entertaining plot, but Ee manages to deliver both. Although this is a romance, Angelfall is first and for most an adventure story and about survival. The plot is generally well-paced and fast moving with very few dull parts. The mythology is well researched, which is particularly important in a book about angels. Ee demonstrates very clearly that she has read and understood the Bible, or at least the parts involving angels.
With that said, this novel is not without its flaws. The apocalypse is never fully described, and I had trouble believing it had only been two months since the angels attacked. Despite the problems with world building, I probably would have given the novel five stars if not for the characterization issues. One of the my main problems was that I didn't get a clear sense of Penryn's life and personality/identity before the apocalypse. Most of her backstory involved her struggles with having a schizophrenic mother so I was thrown off when at one point she thinks, "My biggest concern in life should be what dress to wear to the prom." Based on what we're told, Penryn's biggest concern would never have been choosing a prom dress even had the apocalypse never happened. Further, I find it irritating that choosing a prom dress would be more important than choosing a college, or planning for the future after graduation.
My other chief complaint was that some of the secondary characters were a little two dimensional. Paige in particular is too good to be true. She's a seven year old saint who is a vegetarian and cares for other special needs children. I wanted to feel more of a connection to her but it was hard because she didn't come across as a real person. Additionally, this novel suffers from an overabundance of bitchy blonde girls, who all throw themselves at Raffe, and act like jealous shrews around Penryn. The only female character I liked besides Penryn was her schizophrenic mother.
Lastly, I've noticed an epidemic of heroines in YA PNRs being dressed in sexy clothes by others, and Angelfall is no exception. In fact, it's happened in the last three YA PNRs I've read: Angelfall, [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], and [b:Nevermore|7129598|Nevermore (Nevermore, #1)|Kelly Creagh|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1294381693s/7129598.jpg|7391743]. In all three the girls react in the same way. They complain about the skimpiness of the dress, but bravely put it on anyway, giving their love interests the opportunity to ogle them. It seems like a ploy to create sexual tension while still preserving the heroine's "virtue." Just once I wish a YA heroine would own her sexuality instead of having her friend or love interest dictate it for her.
Despite the flaws, I really enjoyed this novel. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy YA PNR and are not afraid of a little gore.
What can I say about Susan Ee's Angelfall that hasn't already been said? Not much, but I'll throw my two cents in anyway.
Angelfall is one of the best YA PNRs I've read in the last year, and it ranks number one among my favorite YA angel books. The novel takes place two months after angels have attacked the earth bringing forth the apocalypse. Penryn is a seventeen year old girl who is fighting to keep herself, her wheelchair bound sister, Paige, and her schizophrenic mother alive under the threat of angels and human gangs that now rule the streets. When Paige is kidnapped by angels, Penryn allies herself with an angel named Raffe, whose wings have been cut off by the same angels who took her sister, in order to find her.
Typically, my number one complaint about YA PNRs is the romance. First, that it takes over the plot, and second, that it's unbelievable and unhealthy. Neither of these things was an issue in Angelfall because the romance was not all consuming or instant. Penryn's first priority is her sister and she never forgets that. She isn't willing to sacrifice her family or the lives of other humans for Raffe. Raffe, too, has a motivation for helping Penryn outside of his feelings for her. He never loses sight of his goal to have his wings restored. Although their attraction to each other begins early in the novel, their true deeper feelings develop slowly and realistically over time.
I really enjoyed the main characters in this novel as well. Penryn is intelligent, loyal, and has a great sense of humor. She isn't afraid to make tough, morally questionable decisions in order to survive and save her sister. Unlike many other YA heroines, she doesn't wait for her love interest to save her. She is well versed in fighting techniques, and she knows how to kickass. She even saves Raffe's life on occasion. On top of all this, I found her relatable, and her voice entertaining
Raffe made for a great swoon-worthy love interest. He's a badass, despite some occasional cheesy dialogue, and he doesn't get all moony over Penryn. No sparkling, no corny declarations of love, no toying with the heroine. Raffe does not play the game of "I want you, but being together will kill you, but wait, I can't stay away" game that so many YA heros play. He's clear with Penryn that they cannot be together, and although he does sometimes cross the line, it comes across as a true internal struggle rather than some manipulative tactic to further lure the heroine into his trap. My only complaint about Raffe is that he's lived multiple millennia but he often sounds like a teenage boy. Although he has spent a considerable amount of time on earth, there is no indication that he spent this time around teenagers, and therefore I would expect that he would sound like an adult.
Angelfall also does a good job handling disappearing parent syndrome, a highly criticized trope in YA fiction. While Penryn's parents are definitely negligent, they both have good reasons. My main complaint about absent parents in YA literature is that the absence is nonsensical. Neither the plot nor the characterization explains why the parents are neglectful. In Angelfall this is not an issue.
It almost feels greedy to expect a book to have likable characters with a romance I can get on board with and an entertaining plot, but Ee manages to deliver both. Although this is a romance, Angelfall is first and for most an adventure story and about survival. The plot is generally well-paced and fast moving with very few dull parts. The mythology is well researched, which is particularly important in a book about angels. Ee demonstrates very clearly that she has read and understood the Bible, or at least the parts involving angels.
With that said, this novel is not without its flaws. The apocalypse is never fully described, and I had trouble believing it had only been two months since the angels attacked. Despite the problems with world building, I probably would have given the novel five stars if not for the characterization issues. One of the my main problems was that I didn't get a clear sense of Penryn's life and personality/identity before the apocalypse. Most of her backstory involved her struggles with having a schizophrenic mother so I was thrown off when at one point she thinks, "My biggest concern in life should be what dress to wear to the prom." Based on what we're told, Penryn's biggest concern would never have been choosing a prom dress even had the apocalypse never happened. Further, I find it irritating that choosing a prom dress would be more important than choosing a college, or planning for the future after graduation.
My other chief complaint was that some of the secondary characters were a little two dimensional. Paige in particular is too good to be true. She's a seven year old saint who is a vegetarian and cares for other special needs children. I wanted to feel more of a connection to her but it was hard because she didn't come across as a real person. Additionally, this novel suffers from an overabundance of bitchy blonde girls, who all throw themselves at Raffe, and act like jealous shrews around Penryn. The only female character I liked besides Penryn was her schizophrenic mother.
Lastly, I've noticed an epidemic of heroines in YA PNRs being dressed in sexy clothes by others, and Angelfall is no exception. In fact, it's happened in the last three YA PNRs I've read: Angelfall, [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], and [b:Nevermore|7129598|Nevermore (Nevermore, #1)|Kelly Creagh|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1294381693s/7129598.jpg|7391743]. In all three the girls react in the same way. They complain about the skimpiness of the dress, but bravely put it on anyway, giving their love interests the opportunity to ogle them. It seems like a ploy to create sexual tension while still preserving the heroine's "virtue." Just once I wish a YA heroine would own her sexuality instead of having her friend or love interest dictate it for her.
Spoiler
[Note: I do think Angelfall does a better job handling the situation than some of the others because Penryn has good reasons for not wanting to wear something skimpy outside of modesty and comes across as less judgmental about wearing them, and because the reason for wearing the dress is built in to the plot, but it still irks me.]Despite the flaws, I really enjoyed this novel. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy YA PNR and are not afraid of a little gore.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
But all in all, I’m proud to be a Daughter of Man.
This is definitely a YA book at its roots and it shows in the way that Raffe is written so very human. There are little details that are overlooked here and there, like how he understands marketing but not what cat food is. The book isn't written in a way which should be analyzed and taken super seriously.
THAT SAID
It's a really cute book, the characters are simple and easy to read. I enjoyed that Penryn has a reason to be as well trained as she is, not a Mary Sue who just knows everything and has no real roots. Her mother is a fantastic character with her own personality and supports Penryn's backstory and why she is the way she is. She adds layers. I personally think Raffe is far too human and knows more about humans and such than he should while also not knowing basics, but that's all I'm going to complain about.
Overall I enjoyed it and I'm working on the second book now
THAT SAID
It's a really cute book, the characters are simple and easy to read. I enjoyed that Penryn has a reason to be as well trained as she is, not a Mary Sue who just knows everything and has no real roots. Her mother is a fantastic character with her own personality and supports Penryn's backstory and why she is the way she is. She adds layers. I personally think Raffe is far too human and knows more about humans and such than he should while also not knowing basics, but that's all I'm going to complain about.
Overall I enjoyed it and I'm working on the second book now
4.5 for now
I enjoyed this book a lot more then I though I was going to. The story kept me engaged and there was a lot of action. I can't wait to pick up the next book!
I enjoyed this book a lot more then I though I was going to. The story kept me engaged and there was a lot of action. I can't wait to pick up the next book!
Było miło, ale się skończyło. W tej części główna boahterka trochę za dużo wzdycha do swojego aniołka jak na moje upodobania i zdecydowanie poszło to w kierunku solidnej młodzieżówki. Gdybym tylko była 15 lat młodsza....
Początkowo myślałam, że będzie to kolejna dystopijna młodzieżówka jakich 10 lat temu było wiele i choć faktycznie wpisuje się w takie schematy, miło zaskoczyła mnie trochę makabrycznymi fragmentami, więc jestem ciekawa co będzie dalej.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“Sometimes, as we're stumbling along in the dark, we hit something good.”
Ahhh I have been putting this book off for years and I am so sad that I didn't enjoy this. Honestly, there were multiple points where I almost DNFed it. I just found myself disinterested with the plot and not really that attached to any of the characters. I was expecting it to be non-stop action and although the plot was fast-moving, I found myself not caring about anything that was happening. The romance was probably the most interesting element and the fact that the chapters were short definitely helped me get through it. Safe to say I won't be continuing the series.
Ahhh I have been putting this book off for years and I am so sad that I didn't enjoy this. Honestly, there were multiple points where I almost DNFed it. I just found myself disinterested with the plot and not really that attached to any of the characters. I was expecting it to be non-stop action and although the plot was fast-moving, I found myself not caring about anything that was happening. The romance was probably the most interesting element and the fact that the chapters were short definitely helped me get through it. Safe to say I won't be continuing the series.
- 4.5 -
WOW, WOW. ESTE LIBRO. La verdad que tenia un poco de expectativas, ya que prácticamente todas las reseñas que vi hablaban muuuy bien de este libro. Pero WOW, me sorprendió muchísimo. No pensé que me iba a gustar tanto, y que me iba a enamorar de este libro ya comenzando la novela. Lo mejor de este libro es que en ningún momento te aburre, y que todos los capítulos tienen algo de interesante siempre.
En cuanto a los personajes, Penryn fue un personaje que sorprendentemente me gusto mucho. Me suele pasar muuucho que en este tipo de libros odio a la protagonista, pero este fue la excepción. Penryn me parece un personaje muy fuerte, independiente, que se la juega por todo aquel que aprecia. Me gusta que sea fuerte desde el principio, y no la típica que cuando aparece el chico se hace fuerte de la nada. Ella siempre lucha por lo que quiere sin importarle las consecuencias, y aunque a veces fuera un poco "dura", sus palabras y acciones se ven justificadas. Espero que siga así en el resto de los libros!!
Raffe ... ¿que puedo decir? no puedo no amar a este hermoso ángel. POR DIOS, ESTE HERMOSO ÁNGEL. Desde el principio me di cuenta que era distinto a los demás. A pesar de esa armadura que tiene para proteger sus sentimientos, es imposible no verlos. Y si, hubieron actitudes que me daban ganas de pegarle, pero por ser Raffe pasan. Y LO VIERON EN EL FINAL, ERA IMPOSIBLE NO AMARLO CON COMO FUE CON PENRYN EN ESE MOMENTO, OH GOD. I'm in love. 
Obadiah fue un personaje que desde el principio meh NOP. Aunque quiera hacerse el bueno, y aunque quiera ir contra los ángeles (que esta perfecto porque ellos destruyeron su mundo), hay cosas que el hace & actitudes que me hacen desconfiar de el. Los gemelos Dee-Dum fue lo mas gracioso de todo el libro. Es imposible no querer a estos gemelos, que siempre están haciendo travesuras y aparecen hasta en los momentos menos indicados. Espero verlos sanos y salvo en los próximos libros, y con mas participación!! Me enojo MUCHO MUCHO las actitudes de la madre, y lo loca que estaba. La verdad que si se moría me tenia sin cuidado. Eso no era una madre, por el amor de dios.
Lo que me encanta de este libro es que no es la típica postura de los ángeles buenos, si no todo lo contrario. Ademas de toda la acción que hay, de "meterse" dentro de la cueva de los ángeles e investigar cosas con respecto a ellos, de lo que traman, etc, me pareció super interesante. Fue un libro que desde el principio me engancho y supe que iba a tener un buen desarrollo, y así fue. Una de las mejores cosas es que no sabia para NADA que esperarme en ningún momento. Estaba continuamente sorprendiéndome sobre todo porque cuando menos me lo esperaba pum, pasaba algo que me dejaba like whaaat. También me gusto un montón la escritura y la manera de narrar los hechos de la autora! Le di un 4.5 no porque algo me haya molestado solo por el hecho de que espero que el segundo lo supere, aunque va a ser muy complicado. Hablemos de la relación entre Raffe y Penryn. Su relación es de las mejores que he visto. Sus respuestas sarcasmo son lo mejor que hay. ME ENCANTA ME ENCANTA. 
Y terminando ... EL FINAL. EL SEÑOR FINAL. POR DIOS POR DIOS POR DIOS. ESTABA EN UN ESTADO DE CRISIS PORQUE CUANDO PENSABA QUE TODO TERMINABA VOLVÍA A PASAR ALGO Y ASÍ CONTINUAMENTE Y MI CORAZÓN NO SOPORTA TANTO. ¿COMO HIZO MI CORAZÓN PARA SOPORTAR TANTO? NECESITO EL PRÓXIMO LIBRO YA YA. 
WOW, WOW. ESTE LIBRO. La verdad que tenia un poco de expectativas, ya que prácticamente todas las reseñas que vi hablaban muuuy bien de este libro. Pero WOW, me sorprendió muchísimo. No pensé que me iba a gustar tanto, y que me iba a enamorar de este libro ya comenzando la novela. Lo mejor de este libro es que en ningún momento te aburre, y que todos los capítulos tienen algo de interesante siempre.
En cuanto a los personajes, Penryn fue un personaje que sorprendentemente me gusto mucho. Me suele pasar muuucho que en este tipo de libros odio a la protagonista, pero este fue la excepción. Penryn me parece un personaje muy fuerte, independiente, que se la juega por todo aquel que aprecia. Me gusta que sea fuerte desde el principio, y no la típica que cuando aparece el chico se hace fuerte de la nada. Ella siempre lucha por lo que quiere sin importarle las consecuencias, y aunque a veces fuera un poco "dura", sus palabras y acciones se ven justificadas. Espero que siga así en el resto de los libros!!
Raffe ... ¿que puedo decir? no puedo no amar a este hermoso ángel. POR DIOS, ESTE HERMOSO ÁNGEL. Desde el principio me di cuenta que era distinto a los demás. A pesar de esa armadura que tiene para proteger sus sentimientos, es imposible no verlos. Y si, hubieron actitudes que me daban ganas de pegarle, pero por ser Raffe pasan. Y LO VIERON EN EL FINAL, ERA IMPOSIBLE NO AMARLO CON COMO FUE CON PENRYN EN ESE MOMENTO, OH GOD. I'm in love. Obadiah fue un personaje que desde el principio meh NOP. Aunque quiera hacerse el bueno, y aunque quiera ir contra los ángeles (que esta perfecto porque ellos destruyeron su mundo), hay cosas que el hace & actitudes que me hacen desconfiar de el. Los gemelos Dee-Dum fue lo mas gracioso de todo el libro. Es imposible no querer a estos gemelos, que siempre están haciendo travesuras y aparecen hasta en los momentos menos indicados. Espero verlos sanos y salvo en los próximos libros, y con mas participación!! Me enojo MUCHO MUCHO las actitudes de la madre, y lo loca que estaba. La verdad que si se moría me tenia sin cuidado. Eso no era una madre, por el amor de dios.Lo que me encanta de este libro es que no es la típica postura de los ángeles buenos, si no todo lo contrario. Ademas de toda la acción que hay, de "meterse" dentro de la cueva de los ángeles e investigar cosas con respecto a ellos, de lo que traman, etc, me pareció super interesante. Fue un libro que desde el principio me engancho y supe que iba a tener un buen desarrollo, y así fue. Una de las mejores cosas es que no sabia para NADA que esperarme en ningún momento. Estaba continuamente sorprendiéndome sobre todo porque cuando menos me lo esperaba pum, pasaba algo que me dejaba like whaaat. También me gusto un montón la escritura y la manera de narrar los hechos de la autora! Le di un 4.5 no porque algo me haya molestado solo por el hecho de que espero que el segundo lo supere, aunque va a ser muy complicado. Hablemos de la relación entre Raffe y Penryn. Su relación es de las mejores que he visto. Sus respuestas sarcasmo son lo mejor que hay. ME ENCANTA ME ENCANTA.
Spoiler
Y EL MOMENTO DEL BESO?¿?¿?¿ OMG FSHDJFGSDHJFD OMG, LITERALMENTE ME MORÍ AHÍ Y terminando ... EL FINAL. EL SEÑOR FINAL. POR DIOS POR DIOS POR DIOS. ESTABA EN UN ESTADO DE CRISIS PORQUE CUANDO PENSABA QUE TODO TERMINABA VOLVÍA A PASAR ALGO Y ASÍ CONTINUAMENTE Y MI CORAZÓN NO SOPORTA TANTO. Spoiler
LA APARICIÓN DE PAIGE TODA FSDHJGFDS QUE ME DABA SUPER COSA, LAS COSAS RARAS QUE INVENTARON LOS ÁNGELES, EL HECHO DE QUE LE PUSIERON ALAS DE MURCIÉLAGO A MI POBRE RAFFE, TODA LA CUEVA DE LOS ÁNGELES YÉNDOSE A LA MIERDA, RAFFE CUIDANDO DE PENRYN, RAFFE SOBREVOLANDO SOBRE TODOS