She Speak to Angels - Ami Blackwelder

                I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to the second one in the series. I used to work in a high school and it’s really hard finding books that are interesting to the kids but will still make them use their brains. The discussion questions at the back of the book make this a great suggestion book for a report, especially for kids who don’t generally associate a good book with anything school related. Along with an interesting story and great characters, there are some thought provoking ideas which are evident by the questions at the back of the book.

                I’ll start with the writing style which for me is always a make or break part of the book. This story flows nicely, one chapter into the next, and never becomes confusing. It’s descriptive but not too wordy, leaving me with enough room to imagine the scenes in my mind. For example, the distinct description of Dameon’s jacket or how Kian dresses, gives me an idea of how to imagine the characters will look but not in an overdone way. It is a book which will work not only for young adults but for older readers as well.

                The characters are great. They are all exactly as intended, whether it’s as a likeable, confused teen girl or as a homicidal dark angel. At first the friend of Ali’s that is quite analytical seemed a bit unrealistic but after it was explained a bit about her character, she seemed entirely realistic. After all, she wants to be a lawyer! Everyone else is written really well and Ali and Kian especially are well fleshed out so that I feel as if I know them. By the end of the book I became quite invested in them. A favorite character I hope to see more of in future books is Jacob. I think he has a lot of stories to tell. The only character I’d like to learn more about and maybe see more of his story before coming into Ali’s life is Dameon. I just felt like there wasn’t enough information about why he became the demon he now is, maybe something about his childhood, or even how his demon king father came into his mother’s life.

                The dialogue is very realistic and there is even a subtle difference in how the angels speak and how the humans speak. The angels somehow convey an old world elegance, in particular, the older angels like Jacob. The dialogue between the teens is very believable. This is important because a teenage reader will pick up unrealistic dialogue quicker than anyone.

This is a great book that is the first in a new series and I look forward to reading the others.