Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore
Angel Eyes
by Shannon Dittemore
Series: Angel Eyes Trilogy #1
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication date: May 29, 2012
Genre: YA Christian Paranormal
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
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Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through . .ANGEL EYESBrielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.
With a complex protagonist and a battle against evil, Angel
Eyes was beautiful written and a delightful addition to this popular genre.
While steeped in faith, this novel didn’t overwhelm and I enjoyed the tale,
romance and battle of good verse evil.
The tale begins as Brielle Matthews returns home during her
senior year of high school. A victim of tragedy and over-whelmed with guilt
this ballerina has had her light snuffed out. Suffering from bouts of depression, guilt and
gloom she just wants to sink into her own darkness. When Jake shows up at her
quiet little Stratus, Oregon school she is immediately intrigued by him but
quickly tries to shut those thoughts down. Dittemore slowly reveals the tragedy that has
forever changed Brielle as she weaves Jake and Brielle together through fate.
The tale that develops was sweet, action-packed and thought provoking.
Brielle is complicated and brilliant on so many levels. She is guilt-ridden and broken. I wondered if
she could ever be whole. She questions herself, her faith and perhaps even
her existence. Watching her transform,
take control of her life and accept love again was enjoyable. Jake was sweet,
protective and very firm in his beliefs. He gives Brielle a gift that will
forever change her. The romance that
develops between them is sweet. It isn’t
swoon-worthy but has an innocents and acceptance about it that was
believable. There are both evil and good
characters that added to the tale and helped advance the story.
While the tale isn’t completely original, a task that would
be hard for anyone in the angel genre, Dittemore did offer some unique
twists. Her introduction of the halo was
interesting and drew me into the tale. The different classifications of angels
and their purpose was fascinating. I enjoyed her descriptions of them and their roles. Her depiction of the demons held my attention. Of course there is a battle between good
and evil and souls to be saved. The author placed her own mark on them and kept
me entertained. The messages and
questions raised about faith delivered throughout the tale were thought
provoking. While not bogged down with religious scripture and messages Dittemore
does tackle difficult questions like why God spares one life and not
another. Presented from multiple POV’s (including the villains) this tale started slow and awkward but became more action packed as it progressed. The
ending chapters were climatic and suspenseful.
Angel Eyes was an enjoyable, entertaining read that fans of
angels are sure to enjoy. Filled with
thought provoking questions it lets the reader experience the ramifications of their decisions. I am looking forward to Broken Wings the next
book in this trilogy.
I want to thank Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze for providing
this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.
I gave this novel 3 coffee cups out of 5.
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Labels: Angel Eyes Trilogy. Shannon Dittemore, booksneeze, eBook Challenge 2012, faith-based, YA Christian paranormal
28 Comments:
I need to read this soon! Thanks so much for the review, I love reading your thoughts on Angel Eyes.
I haven't had very many good experiences with angel books but I"m always on the look out for more because when someone gets it right it's worth the hassle of finding one. I'm happy t hear it isn't to heavy on religion, so I'll probably check this out at some point if I ever get the time.
Great review Kimba
Let's try this again! :)
I really need to start Angel Eyes! I love your review and I can't wait to check it out for myself! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with us.
I am a bit burned out on angel books these days. I am glad this one wasn't too heavy on the religious themes and that it has a sweet romance! That is nice to hear!
Hehehe..thanks chicka :0 I added your button to my blog roll book :)
Great review. One thing that really does turn me off books is when there is a whole heck of a lot of religion/faith in the story, but yes, the topic did not overwhelm in Angel Eyes. I truly enjoy reading Angel stories, and was happy to see the different twist that Shannon Dittemore provided.
Thanks Becky..I look forward to reading your thoughts on it!
Very nice review! I also got this for review so I can't wait to see if we share the same opinions on it =)
Thanks Melissa :)
Great review....I've actually not read many angel books...but this sounds like a sweet fun one that doesn't take itself too seriously.
Thanks Heidi :)
Thanks Michelle I'd love to hear your thoughts when/if you read it.
I agree Audrey it is a delicate balance and I think the author did a good job here.
Of course there has been a huge surge in angel books, and like a previous commenter, I have had very mixed experiences with them. It is an intriguing idea, but trying to find that balance with faith/religion has to be difficult. The books sounds interesting. Thanks for your review!
Thanks Laura I hope you enjoy it.
Enjoyed your review. I think I'll check this one out. Could use a gentle read right about now.
hahaha..it's ok to step out of the box once in awhile but I get it.
Thanks Christa the characters especially Brielle were complex.
that's ok cupcake :)
It was a good read and if you love angel books I am sure you will find this one worth the read.
I haven't read any angel books in a while and this sounds promising. I really relate to broken chracters and love watching their journey to being whole.
Thanks for review,
Brandi from Blkosiner’s Book
Blog
New comment system...and I never remember my discus name *tries for a while* Yay.
Anyway, I read Christian pnr and thought no
I couldn't get into this one at all. I thought it was well written, but the story just didn't intrigue me.. I think I'm burned out on angles. lol
Yay, Disqus! :D
I'm not a huge angel fan, but I do enjoy books with complex protagonists. They're always so much more fun to read about then someone who's perfect. I'll definitely keep this one in mind
Thanks Nick ;)
Great review, Kim. I'm not into angel books too much since I haven't had a positive experience with them, but this one sounds great. I'm glad that the book wasn't too heavy on the religion. I don't think I would have been able to appreciate the book. Brielle seems like an intriguing character.
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Yay on getting Disqus! :) It's a lot easier than Blogger comments!
That's how I felt too. I enjoyed it and do not regret reading it. I might be burned out on angel books. Thanks Danny :)
Thanks Jenna I like mixing things up too once and awhile.
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