Review: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Angelfall by Susan Ee (Penryn & the End of Days #1)
Dani's rating: 5 stars

Format: Paperback
Pages: 325 
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton
Publication Date: May 23, 2013

Goodreads synopsis:

It's been six weeks since the angels of the apocalypse destroyed the world as we know it. Only pockets of humanity remain. 

Savage street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night.

When angels fly away with a helpless girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back...

Dani's review:

Wow! This book was flat-out AMAZING. After reading the last page, which had a sorta cliffhanger ending that nonetheless, whether it was a cliffhanger or not, had me flipping through the last pages hoping my eyes had tricked me and that there was one more chapter. Sadly, I had reached the end. :(

Susan Ee has a wonderful storytelling skill complete with vivid and rather gruesome imagery. She isn't afraid to make the reader shocked and horrified of the post-apocalyptic world she has created. You know the saying, ignorance is bliss? Well, Ms. Ee has decided to lift the veil and make us see the cold, hard truth.

If I hadn't looked Susan Ee up on Goodreads, I wouldn't have known she is a debut and self-published author. There is nothing, and I mean no trace of evidence whatsoever, that shows that this is her first published book. Oftentimes, self-published authors have more typos and not-so-good writing because they don't have a publishing company to help them. But this awe-inspiring woman is the exception. Plus, Angelfall was first released in kindle format, yet it still rocked the world as readers everywhere discovered a worthy successor to the dystopia throne after The Hunger Games ended. Everyone rejoice, the search is over!

Angelfall begins with the protagonist Penryn, a teenage girl hardened by family rifts and learning to survive, escaping her temporary "home" with her schizophrenic mother and crippled sister, Paige. The human world fell apart when angels, not the nice cherubs in paintings, invaded the earth. These angels are brutal killers. Humans are as frivolous and disposable to them as if we were tiny ants. After witnessing a gang of angels beat up another angel within an inch of his life, Penryn did something she never thought she would do--she helped an angel. 

In a tearful and lightning quick turn of events, Penryn found herself stuck with the enemy: an angel named Raffe. And even worse, her dear sister--who can't walk with her shriveled legs-- kidnapped. I loved that Penryn refused to believe that her sister was dead despite the obvious signs pointing to her death. She is so devoted to her family, even her crazy mother who sees invisible demons, and she will risk anything and everything to keep her fragile family safe.

Angelfall is chock full of action and sci-fi. There are these mysterious creatures whose trail of dead bodies is the only sign of their existence, and a side plot of the novel is figuring out what these things are. The foreshadowing is well done, faint yet compelling. I almost discovered what the things are, but the entire idea is so gross, I didn't want to believe it.

Raffe is so sweet even though he tries to keep his tough guy persona. He is described as a perfect, beautiful, and flawless version of a human. His banter with Penryn was hilarious, and when he subtly called Penryn beautiful? <3 Ladies, unleash your inner fangirl!

There's not much else I can say without spoiling the novel's plot. There is a bit of romance that might bloom into something bigger in the sequel, but it's more a dystopia novel with a touch of sci-fi and a whole lot of scary events. This novel is not for the easily frightened, so read at your own risk! I high recommend this novel for anyone searching for another dystopia novel that is a worthy successor to The Hunger Games.

~Dani

P.S. Yes, the cover is rather unassuming and not pretty at all, and the angel wings look more like butterfly wings, but the inside of a book is what makes it great. This novel will not disappoint you.