jdsutter's review against another edition
4.0
This book is mesmerizing. It's a psychological fantasy thriller with religious undertones. That's the only way I can think to describe it. It is weird and wonderful.
If you have a concrete theology about angelic beings that you hold to and don't enjoy considering other possibilities or suspending reality long enough to read a story that dashes most typical ideas of said beings, then you might want to skip this book. But if you don't mind just enjoying a well-told story with some unusual supernatural elements then I'd recommend giving this book a try.
Smucker is an excellent writer. His prose is beautiful and the story world he creates is vivid and filled with such genuine characters that I couldn't help but be pulled into it. This was my first Shawn Smucker book but it won't be my last.
Favorite quote: "Time covers things. But that doesn't mean they're gone."
If you have a concrete theology about angelic beings that you hold to and don't enjoy considering other possibilities or suspending reality long enough to read a story that dashes most typical ideas of said beings, then you might want to skip this book. But if you don't mind just enjoying a well-told story with some unusual supernatural elements then I'd recommend giving this book a try.
Smucker is an excellent writer. His prose is beautiful and the story world he creates is vivid and filled with such genuine characters that I couldn't help but be pulled into it. This was my first Shawn Smucker book but it won't be my last.
Favorite quote: "Time covers things. But that doesn't mean they're gone."
drea_design's review against another edition
1.0
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
DNF - stopped at 50 pages. Just didn't connect with the writing in this book.
DNF - stopped at 50 pages. Just didn't connect with the writing in this book.
iggyebab's review against another edition
2.0
The story itself was unique. At first it’s a straightforward story about a boy who loses the most important person in his life and then it takes a turn into the paranormal.
The characters were not well fleshed out. There are times I couldn’t keep their importance straight.
It is the beginning if a series because there’s a teaser for the next book.
Perhaps I am still not over the weirdness of the American Gods tv adaptation but this felt as odd and disjointed as that show.
The characters were not well fleshed out. There are times I couldn’t keep their importance straight.
It is the beginning if a series because there’s a teaser for the next book.
Perhaps I am still not over the weirdness of the American Gods tv adaptation but this felt as odd and disjointed as that show.
lily_english's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Alcohol
lisagray68's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
hlmeegan's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the premise of this book, but unfortunately for me, it did not live up to my expectations. I could not get past the short, choppy sentences. They kept interrupting the flow of the story, distracting me like a new driver learning on a manual transmission.
jtisreading's review against another edition
4.0
If I taught middle grades, I would put this book into the curriculum. There is something very special at work on these pages. Some wonderful lines hold so much meaning. The first 20 pages felt a bit stilted but then the story settled nicely into itself. Sam and Abra are both complex characters that have a unique voice. There is the strange, horrific, fantastic, and beautiful all within this book's pages. Centered around the ideas within the Garden of Eden, Smucker creates a poignant story about the loss of innocence, death, and the nature of living. Part coming of age, part fantasy, part thriller/horror, The Day the Angels Fell, has something to offer all audiences. I specifically love that each time I put it down I had to spend no less than 30 minutes thinking about what I read and the layers of meaning Smucker imbued within the story. This is a very special YA book.
areidj's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great novel for fans of Narnia, Wrinkle in Time. Looking forward to more from this author.
kara4's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book, and have ordered the next. Will be passing it along to others I know who will enjoy this story. 3rd book of Shawn Smucker’s I’ve read this month, and I’m greatly enjoying his style of writing. Easy book to get lost in!
lifebetweenwords's review against another edition
3.0
Poignant. Wise. A little bit fantastical! There was so much that I took away from the story. So many passages that I marked to come back to and ponder. So much wisdom. I really, really liked this book. There were just a few things about the end that didn't *quite* hang together for me so I can give it a full 5*.
I do love that this book really explored the idea of death in a way that felt relatable, but brought in some otherworldliness as well. It felt very mythological in tone (clearly based on elements of Christianity).
Solid middle grade read!
I do love that this book really explored the idea of death in a way that felt relatable, but brought in some otherworldliness as well. It felt very mythological in tone (clearly based on elements of Christianity).
Solid middle grade read!