A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Publisher: HarperTeen

Series: Beautiful Dark Trilogy (bk. 1)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Angels, supernatural, love, choices, Colorado

Length: 390 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

Summary/ product description: “On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites--like fire and ice--Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move--only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth of her own past.
In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine.
A Beautiful Dark is the first book in a captivating trilogy by debut author Jocelyn Davies.”

My Rating: ê ê ê ê ê

My Review: Angel and Colorado. The two most awesome things about this book. I’ve been to Boulder so I was able to picture the scenery really well. And the paranormal elements were amazing. The mythology of these angels had subtle changes, like their abilities and such. Asher was dark and charming, like Damon from the Vampire Diaries. Always cracking jokes. I love that. Devin was always calm, unless he was bickering with Asher, but even then always in control. Skye. Was always trying to stop their fights, like she was Switzerland or something (but not all Twilight like). Then there were her friends: Cassie, Dan and Ian. Cassie was funny and in a band and Dan was always wonder why the girls found Asher and Devin so interesting. Ian has a crush on Skye, but with the other two setting sights on her, does he stand a chance?

Skye’s really into skiing, and there’s a part where they’re on a ski trip. The author really took full advantage of the setting. I really hope to see even more. There are some flying parts, and they’re romantic and all. Lot of crazing love triangle stuff going on, but the story is still pretty unique. I recommend this to people who like the Unearthly series or Angelfire series.

The best time of the year to read this is winter! Check it out before the season’s over!

Cover Art Review: Beautiful and elegant. It’s glossy and the title is all rainbowy and contrasts against the less colorful photo. The inside cover had wings stamped on the lower right.

~Haley G

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Publisher: Greenwillow/HarperTeen

Series: Touch Mortal, bk. 1 (A Touch Morbid comes out in Feb.)

Genera: Paranormal Romance

Subjects: Supernatural, death, angels, fallen angels, magic, touch, afterlife

Length: 419 pgs.

HC/PB: Hardcover

Summary/ product description: "Eden didn’t expect Az.
Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.
Yeah.
So long happily-ever-after.
Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.
She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else’s game. Her heart is her own.
And that’s only the beginning of the end."

My Rating:

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My Review:

This book was the first book ever bought online. I bought it in Feb, and 9 months later I finally read it and find out that it’s not what I thought it was. I meet the author at a book signing, and she seemed cool. She was friends with the author of Angelfire, which I read and loved. Let’s just say I feel very disappointed because I want to like the book, but I really can’t. I guess not every angel book can be awesome, but that doesn’t stop me from wasting my money on them, attempting to collect them all.

First of all, the focus of the book is not angels. The being that Leah created are very original. They’re called Siders. People without a path, who eventually commit suicide and get Touch. They’re a bit like energy vampires. The idea is interesting, but there are some very big issues with this book that made it difficult to get through. The book did, thankfully, have a lot of humorous quotes, but too many f-bombs. It was a very confusing book. I felt lost at some points. The beginning was okay, but once I was thrown into the world of Siders, I started to become confused to the point where I could only skim a page. I lost my interest. I still finished it, though. There were some good parts. Some of the characters were interesting, Eden was kind of dull, but Kristen was funny, and Gabe and Luke were okay. I liked Az a bit. But some of the stuff was just so emo/goth. And I’m not big on that stuff. It’s a book about suicide peoples…really, I cannot relate to them. These people are just too un-relatable. I am really hoping the next book is better. I will probably still buy it just because. It’s okay to read, I’m just warning you what to expect if you do.

Cover Art Review: I like the hair, but the girls face, not so much. The eyes are okay. The rope thingy that is probably feathers…and the font in the title is know as Harrington.

~Haley G