For the newcomers: Alexa, DJ, Kristin and I unofficially formed the Paranormal Book Club and the goal is to re-read (or in some cases, read for the first time) old YA paranormal books. The plan is to read a book/series per season (which I'm tracking here) and after, we'll answer five questions.
So far we've read The Iron Fey, Beautiful Creatures, Sweet Evil, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Born Wicked, Tiger's Curse, Altered, Unearthly, and Glass Houses together and today I'll be talking about our latest read: Angelfall by Susan Ee.
Here are my thoughts:
- What were your initial thoughts about the book? Were you excited to read it?
This was a re-read for me and I was definitely excited to see how it would hold up. If you don't know, Angelfall is the first in the Penryn & the End of Days trilogy. When I first read this in 2012, it became one of my favorite paranormal books because of the story, the lore (it deals with angels and an apocalypse), and its characters (namely Penryn and Raffe, the protagonists). It was just so different at the time. Unfortunately, I disliked the final book so much that it sort of tainted the entire trilogy for me at the time. Going into this re-read, I knew I'd only read the first book and stop there (I highly recommend this approach). I'm happy to report that I still very much enjoyed Angelfall! I don't five-star love it anymore but even 10 years later, certain scenes were still clear in my mind and re-reading them still made me laugh, swoon, and get caught up in the suspense. - What was your favorite quote or passage, and why did it resonate with you?
This line said by Penryn: "I never thought about it before, but I'm proud to be human. We're ever so flawed. We're frail, confused, violent, and we struggle with so many issues. But all in all, I'm proud to be a Daughter of Man." The sentiment behind it resonated with me. I may not be living in an alternate dystopian universe (even though it feels like it sometimes, especially these last few years), but I want to have that hope and faith. - Which character did you relate to the most, and what was it about them that you connected with?
Probably Penryn. I think at first glance we're very different. But I related to the way she looks out for her family and takes initiative. I'd also like to believe I'm as brave and resourceful as she is but more than anything, I connected with her love for her family. - Was there anything you wanted to see more of in the book, like more page time for a secondary character or a plot point you wish was explored more?
Given how I felt about the following books in the series, I wish this book had been much longer in general so it could be a standalone. Even though Penryn and Raffe spend the entirety of the book together, I still would've been happy with more, especially given how things ended. - What are your final thoughts? Would you read this book again and/or continue with the series? Would you read another book written by the same author?
I'm so glad we re-read this! The story and lore actually still felt fresh and different from other YA paranormal books, which is a feat in itself considering how many books fall into this category (I've read a lot of them!) But, as I mentioned earlier, I would not continue with this and I wouldn't read another book from this author. I tried to read the first book in her other series, Cinder & the Prince of Midnight, and I couldn't get past the first chapter.
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Don't forget to check out what Alexa had to say about Angelfall!
And if you want to learn more about
Paranormal Book club and our past reads, go here.
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