Brielle 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.
My take: Twilight meets This Present Darkness. That's what I kept thinking as I read Angel Eyes, and I mean it in the most positive way. After I read Twilight, I made no secret of the fact that I had some serious issues with it. But I also couldn't deny that it was completely engaging, and I understood how teen girls could become obsessed with the story. Angel Eyes has enough similarities to Twilight that I think teens who enjoyed the vampire series will also enjoy Angel Eyes.
Don't get me wrong—I'm not calling Angel Eyes a rip-off of Twilight. But the similarities on the surface will help sell Angel Eyes to the Twilight crowd. For example, Brielle moves to a small town in the Northwest to live with her single father. She immediately catches the eye of Jake, who is handsome and mysterious. Jake always seems to show up just when Brielle needs him, and he has some sort of ... powers. That's pretty much where the similarities end, and this book is so much better than Twilight. But when I'm trying to sell my teen friends on this book, "It's kinda like Twilight" is going to be my opening line!
The This Present Darkness connection comes in because Angel Eyes deals with the Terrestrial (Earth) and Celestial (spiritual) realms. Brielle is able to see into the Celestial realm, and she and Jake together must fight evil, both human and demonic. (I don't want to give away any more of the plot than what's revealed in the summary, so just take my word for it: the supernatural element is completely engaging and handled expertly. And it's miles away from anything even remotely Twilightish.)
Shannon Dittemore has written a fabulous book that is at turns witty, thought provoking, intense, and sweet. It's also self-aware, as Dittemore directly references Twilight on a few occasions. (I also appreciated that one of the first things Brielle noticed about Jake was how incredibly tan he was—which is just the opposite of Edward Cullen!)
I was completely sucked in from the very beginning—I read the entire book in one evening because I couldn't put it down! A twist at the end threw me for a complete loop, and I can't wait to read the next book to find out just what will happen to Brielle and Jake. I give Angel Eyes an enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars.
See what other bloggers are saying here.
As a youth, Shannon traveled with an award-winning performing arts team, excelling on stage and in the classroom. As a young adult, she attended Portland Bible College, continued acting, and worked with an outreach team targeting inner-city kids in the Portland-Metropolitan area.
It was in Portland that she met her husband, Matt. They were married in 2002. Soon after, they took the reins of the youth ministry at Living Way Community Church in Roseville, California where they continue to serve in that capacity. In October of 2004, their son Justus was born, followed by their daughter Jazlyn, born in 2008.
Find out more at www.shannondittemore.com.
About the giveaway: Win a Nook Color from Shannon Dittemore (@ShanDitty)! "Angel Eyes" Giveaway and Facebook Party {6/26}
Celebrate with Shannon by entering her "Angel Eyes" Giveaway and connecting with her during the Author Chat Party on 6/26!
Find out what readers are saying here.
One "angelic" winner will receive:
- A Brand New Nook Color
- A copy of Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore
So grab your copy of Angel Eyes and join Shannon on the evening of the June 26th for a chance to meet Shannon and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book - don't let that stop you from coming!)
Don't miss a moment of the fun! RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 26th!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
First off, THANK YOU! Your words made me all squishy and I need that sometimes. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to read and review and it makes be giddy that you enjoyed Brielle's journey. I CANNOT WAIT to share Broken Wings with you. God bless friend. OH! And your blog is GORGEOUS by the way!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Reading the book was such an enjoyable experience. And I forgot to mention that I absolutely love your description of fear--how perfect, considering how it paralyzes us!
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