Angelburn - L.A. Weatherly

Angel Burn
L.A. Weatherly
Candlewick
ISBN 9780763656522

This book, previously published as Angel in the UK by Usborne, is finally available to North American Markets. Candlewick press has brought this book across the ocean and I am sure it will be a success. L.A. Weatherly's novel has a strange and unusual plot. The premise is great and the execution very interesting. If this first book is any indication it will be a really interesting trilogy.

What if Angels were real, what if they were coming to earth in greater numbers, what if they could manifest and show themselves to humans? No, what if they needed to feed, and they do so on human energy, leaving behind a wake of death and disease, and the whole time the humans believe it is the best thing in their lives? The Church of Angels is the fastest growing religion in North America; the followers are devout Zealots, who believe the Angels are only here to help us. There is a small but dedicated group of AKs - Angel Killers, who hunt them down and kill them. The only way to kill an Angel is to destroy its halo while it is in angelic form.

The main part of the story focuses around two characters. Willow is a young woman who has always known she is different from other girls, but not the reason why. She can sometimes see the future and help people make better decisions. And Alex is a young man who was never really allowed to be a boy, who has been hunting Angels since before he could drive. The two have been drawn together, at first with a great antagonism to each other, but also being a bit taken with each other. Circumstances have brought them together, and their friendship and relationship begins to grow.

This book is geared mostly for young women, but there is enough action, and guns and cars to keep a young man interested and reading. The romance and time at the cabin in the mountains is a little long, but other than that it is a great novel. I look forward to the next two books; it should prove to be a very interesting series.

(Note: I received an electronic galley of this book through NetGalley, courtesy of Candlewick. The book was read on my Kobo eReader. As per my general disclaimer, free books have no impact on my review.)