BANISHED
Author: Sophie Littlefield
Source: Personal Purchase

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (October 12, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385738528
ISBN-13: 978-0385738521

SUMMARY:

There isn’t much worth living for in Gypsum, Missouri—or Trashtown, as the rich kids call the run-down neighborhood where sixteen-year-old Hailey Tarbell lives. Hailey figures she’ll never belong—not with the popular kids at school, not with the rejects, not even with her cruel, sickly grandmother, who deals drugs out of their basement. Hailey never knew her dead mother, and she has no idea who her father was, but at least she has her four-year-old foster brother, Chub. Once she turns eighteen, Hailey plans to take Chub far from Gypsum and start a new life where no one can find them.

There are people who will stop at nothing to keep Hailey in Trashtown, living out a legacy of despair and suffering. But when Prairie saves both Hailey and Chub from armed attackers who invade Gram’s house in the middle of the night, Hailey must decide where to place her trust. Will Prairie’s past, and the long-buried secret that caused her to leave Gypsum years earlier, ruin them all? Because as Hailey will soon find out, their power to heal is just the beginning.

MY THOUGHTS:

Banished, to me, left me scratching my head at the end.  I was confused and I felt my reading appetite had been unsatisfied. While I like the idea of The Banished, I still haven’t quite got the understanding of the history.  I had to reread a bunch of parts in this book because it tended to go off onto another subject before explaining the first thing that was introduced.

The author has a wonderful idea for the book.  I loved the characters in the story, but I couldn’t get invested in them as much as I like to because there were so many questions left unanswered.  I loved how the women have the ability to heal and the men have the visions.  I thought this makes for a perfect love connection some how between The Banished. 

I really wish the author would keep in mind though that when you are writing a book that is part of a series, spread out the history.  I was bored halfway through the book because it was so slow in taking off.  Then it peaked midway and fizzled towards the end.  The pacing needs to be fine tuned for the follow up books.

I might read the next book in the series, but it isn’t one that I will be rushing out to buy on release day.

MY RATING:

FALLEN ANGEL
Author: Heather Terrell
Source: Gifted

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen (December 28, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061965707
ISBN-13: 978-0061965708

SUMMARY:
(from Amazon)

Heaven-sent? 

Ellie was never particularly good at talking to boys—or anyone other than her best friend and fellow outcast, Ruth. Then she met Michael.

Michael is handsome, charming, sweet. And totally into Ellie. It’s no wonder she is instantly drawn to him. But Michael has a secret. And he knows Ellie is hiding something, too. They’ve both discovered they have powers beyond their imagining. Powers that are otherworldly.

Ellie and Michael are determined to uncover what they are, and how they got this way . . . together. But the truth has repercussions neither could have imagined. Soon they find themselves center stage in an ancient conflict that threatens to destroy everything they love. And it is no longer clear whether Ellie and Michael will choose the same side.

In this electrifying novel, Heather Terrell spins a gripping supernatural tale about true love, destiny, and the battle of good versus evil.

MY THOUGHTS:

To be honest, the cover to this book is what captured my interest.  I love the side view of the girl and the font of the title was great.  Then I read the back of the book and I knew I had to read this book!

Ellie has always been one of the odd girls out in school.  She has never been part of the popular crowd which suits her just fine.  Ellie seems like a normal high school girl, except with a brief touch she can receive visions from the person she brushes up against.  She tries to avoid any contact because she doesn’t always like what she sees in these visions.

When Michael starts to attend her school, they are both drawn to each other.  Michael is obviously one of the popular kids in school and doesn’t understand his attraction and fascination with her.  It is revealed that they both knew each other from a previous trip that both of their families had been on.  While Ellie can’t seem to remember him, Michael definitely is remembering Ellie.

Together, they try to figure out the attraction between each other and why their parents are hiding so many secrets from them.

While I think the romance between Ellie and Michael could have been sweet, it seemed to be a little off with me.  In some instances I felt that Michael even came off as a bit of a stalker at times.  Yet as the story progressed and we neared the end of the novel, I found myself warming up to the blossoming romance between the two.  Of course, with the plot twists and suspense that follows before we near the end of the book, we start to understand why their romance was hard to understand and enjoy. 

The book flowed at a fairly nice pace, even if some parts felt a little boring.  In certain points of the book, I was ready for the author to move on and get to another point in the plot.  I enjoyed the characters of Ellie and Michael, but I didn’t fall in love with them like I should have.  Like I said, I didn’t really warm up to them until the end of the book which made it hard to invest in their story. 

While I liked the book, I didn’t love the book.  There were good points and there were bad points to it.  I will give the next book in the series a go though because now that this book is over, I finally have an interest in the couple and what the author will bring to them next.

MY RATING: