A review by jtisreading
The Day the Angels Fell by Shawn Smucker

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.