Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Angelfall by Susan Ee
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: May 23rd 2013
My rating: 5 stars

It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back. Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Wow just Wow. I can’t believe I waited this long to read Angelfall. I remember two years ago when there was so much hype surrounding this little book, and I just brushed it away (I blame my wariness surrounding paranormal genes at the time). But Angelfall goes to show just how angel themed books should be written. I only have a few angel book favourites that I could probably name all on one hand, that’s how much it takes to hold a book like this in high regard. And Angelfall couldn’t have come at a much better time. I was going through a reading phase where I was just reading for the sake of reading. So in typical fashion I decided to start a few chapters of Angelfall on my day off and before you know it I’m almost near the end and I’ve found myself enamoured by every single page.

Angelfall is set in the world where angels call the shots. San Francisco is in utter chaos, with riots and robberies occurring, no one is able to control the humans and then you have angels loping about picking at their prey as they want. Penryn finds herself in a tough situation, her sister Paige and her mum have just left their safety of their house, when they find an angel being attacked by a mob of angels. Penryn and her family hide, but are quickly spotted and before she can even think what’s going on, Penryn finds herself helping the injured angel. But there ends up being a cost, as soon as the mob decides to back track, one of them grabs Paige and flies off with her. Penryn is distraught, her mother has run off and the only option left is to continue to help the injured angel, he will be the only one that will know how to get Paige back, even though he’s not in the best of shape as he’s just lost his wings.

With this injured angel I didn’t know what to think, could Penryn even trust him? He must have not been your typical angel if he was being set upon by another group of angels. But my earlier fear was easily pacified as the better I got to know our injured angel Raffe. He was surly, moody, and had a fantastic sense of humour (just how I like them). It often takes a lot for a character to win me over, but I think with Raffe’s first few lines I was quickly part of the Raffe adoration club. He was quick to bring a smile to my face with his no nonsense humour. Raffe and Penryn made a fine pair; they couldn’t be more different (a human and angel getting along who would have thought it?). But I could feel the connection between them. Before there was mistrust between them, but as they progressed with their journey to achieve their own means they became a solid team.

I adored Penryn’s character. She perfectly depicted my ideal MC; she was sassy, intelligent, and super tough. She had her fair share of hurdles to deal with, but even with Raffe by her side was able to deal with a lot of them on her own. I adored her will and determination and also how she always didn’t listen to Raffe when he thought he knew best.

Angelfall was set in a brutal world, with people doing anything as a means to survive. But the journey that we go through with Penryn and Raffe through the atrocities is a beautiful one. I was actually stamping my feet at times as Raffe could be so closed off, the small emotional glimpses that we got of his character I absolutely adored, I just wished there were enough pages in this book to get some more. And don’t get me started on the ending, it certainly wasn’t how I was expecting thing to end, but I did admit it did leave me feeling a little bereft and teary.

Angelfall is a truly brilliant first book in what I believe will be a mind blowing series. October seriously cannot come soon enough. Also next time if any of you recommend a book to me please make sure I start it straight away and not two years later. Shake me if necessary!