Angel Burn by L. A. Weatherly

Publisher:  Candlewick Press
Pages:  464

(Release Date:  May 24, 2011)

From the Cover:

Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars.

Willow has a gift.

She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself does. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil.

In the first book in an action-packed romantic trilogy, L. A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill ride of a road trip  —  and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.

Willow's life is .... complicated. Her mother has lost touch with reality, more and more everyday until there's almost no reality left. On a good day, she might look at Willow, on a bad day.... well, at least she appears happy. Since her mother's deteriorating mental state, Willow and her mother now live with her aunt, and she reminds Willow everyday that she allows them to live with her out of the goodness of her heart. She reminds Willow that she could help out more, contribute more, make her life easier. School isn't the best, she's just not an average girl.

But Willow has a gift, as well as a nack for fixing cars. With a simple touch, Willow can tell your hopes and dreams, your fears and desires, your future. While her best friend only wants her car fixed, and who even believes in the mumbo-jumbo of future telling, Willow senses something wrong. When one of the most popular girls in the school, Beth, seeks Willow out, she knows something isn't right. Beth claims to have seen an angel, and the angel wants her to join him at the Church of the Angels. Willow sees into Beth's future, it shows two paths, one with happiness and one with a slow death, and it all depends on if Beth follows her heart or her head. When Beth takes off, Willow knows she has chosen the wrong path.

Alex knows all about the angels, he's lost his father and his brother to the breed. He used to be part of a militia that worked to control the angel infection, but since the CIA took over, he seems to kill only those angels not interfering with the human population. He never knows when he'll be called into service. But, when he get an assignment that leads him to Willow, he knows something is going on, he only kills angels, and Willow seems to be human, with one tiny exception... an angel sleeps over her head. Alex secrets Willow away, and together they begin to figure out what's going on.

Angel Burn by L. A. Weatherly is an exciting fast paced read, I had trouble putting it down. Willow is a likable character, with a bossy best friend. She isn't your ordinary teen girl, she's better with cars than boys.
To earn extra money to help support herself and her mother, she gives an occasional reading. Beth's reading couldn't go worse, because she only wants to hear that angels are good, when in reality the angel that she's seen is anything but. These angels aren't angels, and only their prey can see them. Except for Willow, and the hunters. Alex is a hunter, but he's lonely, he has only himself, no friends, no family. And now, he starts to realize that the 'hits' he has been sent out aren't what they seem. When he encounters Willow, he doesn't understand her, doesn't know what to make of this girl who knows things she shouldn't, with extraordinary powers. Willow feels the same about Alex, but as they spent more time on the run, they become closer, falling in love. But, will they get to stay together or will the angels find away to claim them for their own use?

Angel Burn is a fun YA read, it's unique, wonderfully told, and honestly, I couldn't have been happier with the read. It was fantastic! I have no trouble saying I highly recommend it. It's the first book of a trilogy, so I'll have two more opportunities to enjoy this author's storytelling. I would probably recommend for the over 13 year old crowd, due to the romance between Willow and Alex. It contains an action/adventure, an alternate reality, and sexual tension. The angels in this story are not heavenly, more demonic than angelic, and looking to make meals of the human race. Even though this book was almost 500 pages long, it felt like a quick read, and when I arrived at the end, I was hoping for more. Willow and Alex were meant to be together, and I can't wait for Book 2 to see where the story leads. I recommend this books for lovers of YA fantasy, paranormal romance, and urban fantasy (YA and adults alike). Angel Burn is one story not to miss.

I received by copy for review from NetGalley and Candlewick Press. All opinions expressed are my own.