*Book source ~ Kindle Lending Library

Vivian Stuart and her servants wash up on the island belonging to Lord Galen Maclean after the ship they are traveling on has sunk. Her father, who was on his way to consult with Galen’s father, is dead and his books have sunk to the deep with him. Not that it would have mattered because Galen’s dad is dead, too. Galen is a tortured son drowning in guilt believing he’s responsible for the death of his father. Vivian is determined to either leave the island or fix Galen. She can’t decide which.

This book was definitely not for me. It evinced emotions in me that books rarely do, but they are by no means good ones. I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to beat my brains in with Stargate (my Paperwhite). Vivian is a simpering nitwit and Galen has anger management issues. Both of them are bipolar, swinging wildly from one emotion to another often in the same paragraph. It was maddening. At 20% in I was ready to toss in the towel, but decided to stick it out hoping the kinks would get worked out. I was wrong. I started skipping large chunks of text because it was all the same. I hate him/her, I love him/her, I want out, she needs to leave, I want to stay, I can’t let her leave…back and forth, back and forth. The characters are annoying and flat. They need serious work. The dialogue is stilted. The plot is membrane thin. By 50% in I wanted a freak hurricane to come and destroy the island. All problems solved.

All-in-all this was an extremely frustrating book. Maybe others will like it better.

*Book source ~ Kindle Lending Library

Seventeen-yr-old Penryn Young becomes the head of her small family when her dad abandons them. Her mother is a paranoid schizophrenic and her seven-yr-old sister Paige is in a wheelchair. When the angels come to Earth causing mass destruction the world as Pen knows it ends. Gangs run the streets during the day and angels fly in patrols looking for stragglers. After six weeks of scavenging nearby buildings for food and supplies Pen decides to move her family from their apartment building to the hills for safety. She knows the chances of making it are slim, but she has to try. That one decision sets in motion events she could have never foreseen and certainly never wanted.

This a decent YA post-apocalyptic tale especially if you like angels. Though the angels are total asshats. Doge says Wow.  Pen is a pretty good character, her mom is a nut bunny and I didn’t get a chance to see much of her sister since she was snatched at the beginning. Then there’s the angel Raffe. Hmmmm…he’s a hottie, but an ass. Not a complete ass, but then he’s hurt and Pen saves his life. Sorta. Anyway, they form an uneasy alliance and from there it’s a journey to find Pen’s sister and for Raffe to get his wings reattached. They meet some interesting people along the way and something else that is pretty damn creepy.

Told from only Pen’s POV, the writing is pretty good and I enjoyed the story, but I wasn’t bowled over by it. It’s interesting enough that I would continue the series especially since it ended unfinished. I’m not saying it’s a huge cliffhanger or anything, but Pen’s and Raffe’s story (and the humans, for that matter) is far from over. I’m curious about what happens next. A battle has been won, but winning the war is a long way off. All-in-all an enjoyable ride through an angel apocalypse.