Thursday, February 14, 2013

YA Review: A Shimmer of Angels by Lisa Basso

I've been reading several YA books, and when I think they could be appropriate for middle grade, I review them on Monday. Books that aren't I schedule on a different day. Today is one of those days! Lucky for you...



Date Published: January 24, 2013
ISBN: 0985029420
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy
Themes:Loss, loneliness, friendship, loyalty, identity, confidence, romance
Series: The Angel Sight Series


About The Book: Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing? —Goodreads

First Line: "Doctor Graham said I was in remission the day he signed my release papers."

Great Quote:   "What would angel lips taste like? Sunshine? Marshmallows? Or something altogether different? Maybe buttered-popcorn jelly beans."

What Others Are Saying: "Basso’s first entry in her Angel Sight series is guaranteed to please. From her independent but troubled heroine to the two tempting heroes and an unusual paranormal aspect, readers will love the slightly dark feel, and eagerly anticipate the next book."—RT Book Reviews

Author of THE IRON WITCH, Karen Mahoney, says, “A SHIMMER OF ANGELS has a courageous heroine who finds herself in the middle of two gorgeous angels, a fascinating world, and a story that builds to an exciting climax. I'm looking forward to more from Lisa M. Basso!"


Other Blogger Reviews:
My Library In The Making
Supernatural Snark
Operation Awesome

My Analysis:
1. POV is through Rayna's eye's, there were a few times I questioned her ability to know about something. For the most part consistant.
2. 321 pages
3. The Hook: Right in the first sentence, why was Rayna in an institution.
4. Inciting event: Rayna sees Cam for the first time.
5. Plot and Pace: Moved right along. Several instances of telling instead of showing, even if they were Rayna's thoughts.
6. Voice: Genuine and definitely YA. Uses slang and cuss words.

What I Thought: I'm pretty particular about my paranormal and angels with wings aren't my first choice. Since this is Basso's debut, I decided to make an exception and try it out. For the most part, I was glad I did. I liked the premise and was interested to see how she carried it through the narrative. I enjoyed watching Rayna discover herself through her interactions. She was in her head a lot, but then again, most sixteen-year-olds are. Besides looking closely at craft (The writer in me.) I like to keep in mind who the audience is as I review a book.(The consumer in me.) I believe Basso has done an excellent job of creating the high school scene and insecurities that go with that. I enjoyed the story for what it was, a YA story that explores another perspective from the eyes of someone who can't trust themselves about what they see. I think learning to trust what you see and your gut is one of the hardest lessons we have to learn. Quite often we don't until we're adults. Basso portrays this struggle well. 



About The Author: 
Lisa Basso
Website
Twitter
Facebook
Month9BooksYA Book Central has a great interview with Basso where she shares her playlist!

Who: Lisa M. Basso was born and raised in San Francisco, California. She is a lover of books, video games, animals, and baking (not baking with animals though). As a child she would crawl into worlds of her own creation and get lost for hours. Her love for YA fiction started with a simple school reading assignment: S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. When not reading or writing she can usually be found at home with The Best Boyfriend that Ever Lived ™ and her two darling (and sometimes evil) cats, Kitties A and B. 
Goodreads

Has anyone else had a chance to read this?

















2 comments:

  1. You've been hit with a Liebster Award! Woohoo for you! The rules are on my blog to pass it along!
    kidsbynicole.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Nicole. that was very thoughtful. I'm pretty booked up on posts but I will try an fit one in!!

      Delete

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