Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.
Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.
A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.
\\ My Review \\ Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore caught be off guard. I won the book in a giveaway without knowing what the book was really about. A quick glance at the back cover gave me some concern, and I was quite sure that this book would not be among my favorites. But Dittemore's style and story kept me glued to the pages, and Angel Eyes turned out to be a suspenseful, engaging read all the way around.
In the first pages we're introduced to Brielle, a likable character who has faced some unnamed tragedy. Her emotions are raw and her reactions to the world around her are realistic. But a few chapters in we're introduced to this celestial realm, a realm of angels and demons, and the entire book shifts. At first it was hard to figure out or get used to. I don't read much fantasy (I'm a fan of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien, though.) so Dittemore's imagined celestial realm is a bit much at first. I mean, you have a hard time believing it could be true, even though Dittemore strives to back most (but not all, because she clearly says that this is her imagination at work) of it up biblically.
And that brings me to the plausibility of it all. The Bible certainly talks about angels and fallen angels, but it is just one of those things that I try not to dwell on. It makes me uncomfortable and confused, and I prefer to take the stand that what is is and God knows what He's doing even if I can't see it, so I'll just leave it at that. I wouldn't call it ignoring the subject: I acknowledge that there must be angels because there are angels in the Bible, but I'm good at leaving it at that and not pondering where they are at or what they are doing at this very moment.
Dittemore gives readers pause to consider that angels might just be circling us at this moment, living in human form (the terrestial realm), and fighting for us on behalf of God (or, in the case of fallen angels, Lucifer). It's an interesting thought, and Dittemore wrote it out very well, but I still feel a cautious grip that states, quite simply, that this is fantasy fiction. So, though Dittemore may have nailed every single thing on the head, she doesn't really know anymore than I do, based on the Bible, about the celestial.
All that aside, Angel Eyes is a really well written tale of a girl who discovers that she is not alone, that she has never been alone, and that she has purpose in a world that seems at first glance purposeless. It's empowering and inviting, and it's just plain fun to read. Next to Brielle, Jake is the most interesting and different character in the book. I mean, you know in young adult fiction there has to be some kind of romance going on, but at least Jake is different than most fictional males. And the idea that he knows more about Brielle's future than she does? Whoa. The ending is a total cliffhanger and I know I'll have to grab the second book in the trilogy when it comes out next year fast so I can get some answers.
\\ About the Author \\ Shannon Dittemore has an overactive imagination and a passion for truth. Her lifelong journey to combine the two is responsible for a stint at Portland Bible College, performances with local theater companies, and a focus on youth and young adult ministry. The daughter of one preacher and the wife of another, she spends her days imagining things unseen and chasing her two children around their home in Northern California. Angel Eyes is her first novel.
\\ In Case You Were Wondering \\
Title: Angel Eyes
Author: Shannon Dittemore
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: May 29, 2012
Number of Pages: 336 (Paperback)
