From Goodreads
"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.
Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again."
After the influx of Angel books flooding the Young Adult market, it's easy to become cautious when picking one up; the trope of the Fallen Angel has become almost as used and abused as the Vampire, but Susan Ee's first novel, in her new series released in 2011, is a brilliant, refreshing dip into the Angel pool. The story follows Penryn, a 17 year old girl who lives in California with her mentally ill mother, and her wheelchair bound younger sister. The novel jumps straight into the action; a single, falling feather changes Penryn's life forever.
I loved Angelfall. Being thrust into this new, post apocalyptic world was attention grabbing and didn't leave any time for doubting; you keep reading because there are Angels fighting in the street, in the places that humanity used to live, and the Angels are perhaps not what you'd expect. Penryn almost immediately meets Raffe, the Angel who she must use to complete her quest, and unlike many heroines in novels, who are saved, Penryn does the saving. Twice.
This girl has some serious moves, and she knows how to use them. Again and again she must prove herself physically in her surroundings, and she cannot rely on anyone else to get her out of her scrapes. She saves an Angel. Not many 17 year old girls are capable of that.
She also has to prove herself emotionally; because of her mothers mental illness, Penryn must care for both her and her younger sister, and essentially becomes the mother in their relationship. This is probably my least favourite part of the novel; I've never appreciated the child having the be the responsible one, as they often have challenges beyond any they could expect. It is, perhaps (although arguably she probably would have gone after her sister regardless) because of this, that Penryn is willing to go to any lengths to save Paige.
I felt the cast of characters needed more time dedicated to them, because the way they flitted in and out was, in my opinion, frustrating. The twins looked to be a great addition to the cast, who would be supportive and helpful to Penryn, but I was disappointed. I thought Obi might also promise to be a valuable asset, but I was disappointed in that respect as well. However, I did feel he was quite a convincing military leader.
I really did love the relationship between Penryn and Raffe, although I would have like a touch more romance. It was nice to see their relationship build slowly, and the ending was heartbreaking. I can't wait to see how that will play out in the next novel.
Some parts are a lot darker than I expected from YA, and there were so many twists and turns, lots unexpected, that the book feels you feeling emotionally drained afterwards. I think that it's worth it.
Angelfall is definitely worth reading, whether or not you enjoy YA books; the story is able to stand out from most in the genre, I think, and I can't wait for the next in the series.
Five Stars.
