poorashleu's review against another edition
5.0
I wasn’t going to post this. I was going to be a proper blogger and hoard it until the book is published but I can’t. I won this ARC copy from the author at a book signing she had, when I pushed my best friend out of the way and jumped out of my seat by knowing what Kiersten White wrote. (PARANORMALCY FTW!) I should point out that this pushing and throwing arms up in the air was in the front row in front of the author...yet not the most embarrassing thing I did in front of her (look to end of this review for that, please!) But back to the point, I needed to get this review out into the interwebz because I love this book THAT much. The last book I remember loving this much was this one (spoiler: same author wrote it.)
But this book, it’s completely different than Keeper of the Lost Cities, but it is still pure Messenger. Messenger’s writing makes you fall in love with her characters, her world, and her imagery. This world isn’t as science fiction as Keeper, yes two characters can control the wind, but this takes place in California. California, a place one can drive to and visit if they would like to. Actually if I drive from my house to Disneyland, I drive through this book's location. Hi Coachella Valley! Yet Messenger was still able to build a world I know nothing about and need to know more about. I'm not sure I'll be able to make that drive with the windmills ever again without thinking about Vane and Audra (who are beautifully placed on the cover.)
This is the story of Vane and Audra. Vane is a miracle baby. He survived a tornado that he has no true memories of, only blips and fuzzy memories and the knowledge that it killed his parents. His adoptive parents are pretty awesome though. They ‘get’ Vane, they try to let him be a teenager while still caring and loving him. It is quite nice to see in a Young Adult book.
Audra on the other hand remembers everything about the tornado, because she was there. She is Vane’s guardian. Vane, of course, doesn’t know that Audra is his guardian, or that he has one. What he does know is he has horrible luck with women and that this girl keeps appearing in his dreams. One day, Audra and Vane cross paths, mostly because he is going to make a horrible mistake and Audra is there to ‘fix’ the situation.
Audra finally tells Vane the truth, she is a sylph, his guardian and he is able to control the wind. Here’s the awesome thing about this book, Vane has a realistic, human reaction. The boy freaks the fuck out. First, he finds the girl of his dreams (literally) and then he finds out that while real, she isn’t human and he isn’t either. He has this whole new lifestyle to learn about. Did you know it’s hard to control the wind? It legitimately drains his body. While Audra is used to it because she’s been doing it her whole life, Vane has been doing it for days.
Unfortunately Vane has to learn fast. Vane and Audra draw attention to themselves, and by drawing attention to themselves, the Stormers are aware of their presence. Stormers who happened to kill both of Vane's parents and Audra’s dad. While Audra’s mom is still alive, she isn’t a pleasant person at all. Audra’s mom made me want to hurl the book across the room. Yes, it seems once again Messenger’s writing causes me a lot of feelings.
The climax scene of the novel is everything I wanted in a book. Once again the imagery and the writing kept me holding the book extremely close to my face turning the pages as fast as I could. Hope my eye doctor isn’t reading that! But, in all honesty, that is how good this book is. I couldn't read it fast enough but then again I didn't want it to end. The big fight scene? A legit fight scene! Messenger took her time and was able to get the reader to see the fight occurring in their brain and even wanting more.
The end of this book is perfect. No, really, I couldn't have asked for a better ending to this book, but then I found out there is going to be a second book in the series and then I hugged the book again.
I read this a month ago and all I’ve done since I put it down has been to read it again. If I could pass grad school by reading YA books and emailing my BFF I would have my degree by now.
If Keeper of the Lost Cities hasn’t put Messenger on the map, Let the Sky Fall definitely will. It’s a YA book I didn’t even know I wanted, or better yet, a YA book I didn’t know I needed. Please, run to the bookstore and get this in March. I promise, you won’t regret it. I’m sorry if I hyped it up too much for you, I hate when people do that to. (But not really, because I just love this book so much.)
By the way this to the left is my original review of this book on Goodreads. I’m eloquent when I finish books at two AM and I’m full of feels.
Here’s the thing I should tell you about Shannon Messenger: I pester her, a lot. Thank you Twitter! She likes to procrastinate writing, I like to tweet her random Saved By The Bell references, cupcakes, and pom pom encouragement. I email her random things including this awesome photo to the right. That’s how much I enjoyed this book. Every orange tab is something I loved and adored and fell in love with. I would have been a normal graduate student and I would have underlined in the book but I have at least three other people who are dying to read this book and I didn’t want to ruin my copy too much. But yes, I sent this photo to the author of the book, I also sent her a photo of me legit facepalming. Yes, I’m just as shocked as you are that she still talks to me. I'm telling you this because I have a friend who fears talking to authors on twitter, and I told her she shouldn't fear them. They love hearing from their readers, plus, I have dibs on being the weird one. Clearly.
While this copy was provided by the author, and the reviewer bothers the author on twitter, this review is the reviewers own opinions and feelings. The author has not influenced this review and is not aware that it was written.
brendaclay's review against another edition
3.0
raeanne's review against another edition
1.0
Liked Audra
Though I couldn’t stand them, Vane and his mom are realistic characters
Interesting concept & magic system
Different, not many books about sylphs (wind elementals)
Enjoyed unraveling the mystery behind Vane’s missing memory
Cons
Disliked spoiled, pushy, entitled Vane
Hated Vane’s mother who treated Audra like she’s tarnishing her perfect baby boy
Plot holes
Won’t take no for an answer “seduction” driven by insta-lust and called love
Wind terms sylphs use aren’t explained (There’s no time!) and wanted more than a novel length swish and flick (gif) minus all the charm
Heavy-handed chastity promoting justified by bizarre magical bonding; Might as well say simply breathing on each other cause spiritbonding marriage, it makes as much sense.
Recommendation: No. But if you gotta have a disrespectful, entitled boy who whines that no girls will kiss him and nags a girl until she relents; insta-love where one’s driven by lust and the other by guilt and loneliness; and don’t mind having to avoid story-killing plot holes, you’ll at least have a different magical element and a decent mystery to unravel.
I read Let the Sky Fall for free on Pulse It while it was available.
Weathering through Vane and Company
My hatred of Vane can be explained with three quotes. One, where he defends invading Audra’s personal space and doesn’t give a fuck:
"She’s probably referring to the fact that I’ve rested my head in her lap. Hey, when I see an opportunity, I take it."
Two, is when he’s way past just pushing her buttons and just nags her for like half the book:
"Yes, you can. If you can eat a cheeseburger -and enjoy it - you can let yourself love me. You can do anything want. You just have to want to."
This is seriously condescending and dismissive of what Audra’s going through. He’s lead a great life where he’s been able to get something just because he wants it with the sole exception of girls because you know, they’re people so he assumes it has to be just as easy for her.
Furthermore, he doesn’t accept that she doesn’t want to. She’s chosen differently, which is just intolerable. He doesn’t care that she weighs the consequences and risks that she’ll bare (and not him because male Chosen One) more important than the tingly feeling in his pants.
This isn’t about being a prude, disgust of male lust thoughts or not understanding the pain of unrequited love. This is about Vane feeling fucking entitled and demanding Audra accommodate him while disregarding her. He doesn’t treat her like a person. She’s a thing, an ideal to obtain. For instance, he tells her:
“This is Audra. Not the fierce guardian always ready to fight. Just the girl from dreams.”
WTF? She can’t be both? She fucking is both! Why is it so important to make Audra a non-fighter to him? Why does he want to break her down? He sounds emasculated because she can kick his ass (for now, remember: The Chosen One’s powers will kick in eventually) and desperate to change her to please himself. In short, he’s an asshole.
Supporting characters aren’t any better. His mother babies the fuck out of him, is paranoid like a Fox News viewer and worries about Audra corrupting her precious baby boy.
Dad’s absent or distance with the largest contribution being “get a job” and “boys will be boys” in the vein of “be a man” toxic masculinity. It’s so white, retro-idealized and middle class it feels disconnected from reality or at least oblivious to it.
Thank fuck for Audra. Even with the interesting side trip down memory lane, I wouldn’t have made it through without her. She had information on the magic, sylph’s society, and backbone. I felt so irritated with how Vane treated her and couldn’t celebrate the ending. She had little choices beforehand and then she’s forced to go another way. It doesn’t feel right to applaud when she’s pensive, hesitant and regretful.
Audra’s yearning for a connection with someone is believable but I never bought her attraction to Vane. How free is your choice when there are no other options? They could’ve rebelliously gotten together and saved the day without the romantic deus ex machina. Instead, Audra remains a tool.
Vane could’ve respected her while defying others. Saying “I won’t pressure you into choosing me. My choice remains the same, I won’t be with another” then giving her time and proving that (perhaps into the next book when the sylph society comes into play) would’ve been admirable. I’d happily rejoice if Audra chose him after that instead of what happened, which feels skeevy as fuck.
Not to mention that the deus ex machina doesn’t even make sense. What little we learned of sylphs and their magic’s suddenly negated. Hell, the whole story is because if it worked like that Vane wouldn’t need training in the first place. Then there’s how it’s never convincing why Audra’s the only guardian for Vane. I was willing to overlook that until it kept barreling downhill running over all charity I had to give.
Adding more people would’ve been a welcome addition that creates wonderful opportunities to show non-asshole Vane (if he exists), provide Audra opportunities and maybe even demonstrate their supposedly mutual feelings. Instead, an interesting fantasy world and mystery is bogged down by terribly executed tropes, an asshole protagonist, and objectionable romance.
bookishcarli's review against another edition
5.0
sophievacker01's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.5
alexandralamoi's review against another edition
5.0
bookworm_15's review against another edition
2.0