Review: A Shimmer of Angels (Angel Sight #1) Lisa Basso

Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?

I really, REALLY liked this book! I love that the main character, Rayna, has been institutionalized due to her "gift." Not only does it add an extra layer of suspense to the story, but, in my opinion, it makes it more realistic. Very few (at least that I've read) paranormal novels take this angle, but in reality, if someone claims they are being followed by angels, vampires...insert paranormal character here... they get medications and lots of therapy. That, combined with the fact that this book was about angels, which I read very little about, made everything feel new and exciting. The plot wasn't  what I would have predicted, and it leaves so much to be covered in future books that I can't wait to read them.

As far as character development, I felt for Rayna, even though I occasionally wanted to kick her in the head. But she was very believable as a person. Luke, I don't know what to do with. He seemed like he has some important roll to play, but in this book he was more of a background character. In future books, I'd like to see more of her best friend, Lee. He seems like a really fun character, and for some reason the fact that he's just a guy-friend, not a love interest, makes him more intriguing to me.

And that brings me to the love situation... There is definitely a love triangle here, and I saw it coming from a mile away. What I didn't see coming was that I have no idea which side I'm on. I mean, seriously, how do you choose between angels? I'm just glad I'm not her.

Oh, and the ending. I can't forget that. There is a huge twist that I totally did not see coming, and I'm pretty much dying to know what it means for book two. So in summary (if you hadn't gathered as much from my rambling review) this is one debut that you will absolutely want to keep an eye on! I loved every second of it, it will be one that I read over again!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

YA notes: language

I received this book through  Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.