Me on Angelfire

Title: Angelfire
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Release Date: February 15, 2011
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (HarperCollins imprint)
Pages: 464 (Hardcover)

I'm not quite sure how to start this review, but don't think I didn't like it. I did. I do. I thought the story was really cool. Everything moved at a good pace, I didn't think it dragged.

The best way to describe this book is almost like calling it a book version of the TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which I think other people have said when describing this book.

I'm not sure why I would describe it like that. Probably because of the giant balancing act Ellie has to perform with her life once Will shows up and flips everything around. She's got to deal with school, her family, her friends, and now she has to put up with this sudden job of killing monsters that creep around in the shadows while hiding the fact that she sneaks out of her room at night to hang out with this new guy that's got a bunch of weird tattoos.

Ellie's complete freak-out and self-doubt was awesome. You can't have a character just believe that she's got this power and strength and ability and wicked sharp swords when she had no idea before getting smacked in the forehead by a hot guy's palm. The idea that she'd just believe him and start kicking butt is outrageous, and so that's part of why I liked this book. Ellie's so human and so scared and a bit panicky, but she has to be human to be believable.

Well, as believable as possible in a book that involves angels and reapers and past lives and guardians and psychics and white cars named Marshmallow. ;)

The romance wasn't overwhelming, which was good. Ellie being drawn to Will came from him knowing her mixed with the attraction, which does give it a boost. It's like,'oh, I sort of know you, and so there's something familiar there and there's parts of you I like and that's attractive.' I did see it coming. It wasn't hard to find. I don't think it's hard to pick out the romantic relationships in most YA novels. And it's not that I mind that. I like reading about how they get together and what crap they have to face because no relationship will ever be perfect.

I know there's a lot of recent YA releases out there involving angels, I've got two more waiting for me to read them, but surely there's no harm in giving this debut a try. Especially if you like a healthy dose of fighting and swords and big monsters thrown in.