Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore

Angel Eyes
by Shannon Dittemore
Series: Angel Eyes Trilogy #1
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication date: May 29, 2012
Genre: YA Christian Paranormal
Purchase: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through . . 

ANGEL EYES

Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.

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.

With a complex protagonist and a battle against evil, Angel Eyes was beautiful written and a delightful addition to this popular genre. While steeped in faith, this novel didn’t overwhelm and I enjoyed the tale, romance and battle of good verse evil.

The tale begins as Brielle Matthews returns home during her senior year of high school. A victim of tragedy and over-whelmed with guilt this ballerina has had her light snuffed out. Suffering from bouts of depression, guilt and gloom she just wants to sink into her own darkness. When Jake shows up at her quiet little Stratus, Oregon school she is immediately intrigued by him but quickly tries to shut those thoughts down.  Dittemore slowly reveals the tragedy that has forever changed Brielle as she weaves Jake and Brielle together through fate. The tale that develops was sweet, action-packed and thought provoking.

Brielle is complicated and brilliant on so many levels. She is guilt-ridden and broken. I wondered if she could ever be whole. She questions herself, her faith and perhaps even her existence. Watching her transform, take control of her life and accept love again was enjoyable. Jake was sweet, protective and very firm in his beliefs. He gives Brielle a gift that will forever change her. The romance that develops between them is sweet. It isn’t swoon-worthy but has an innocents and acceptance about it that was believable. There are both evil and good characters that added to the tale and helped advance the story.

While the tale isn’t completely original, a task that would be hard for anyone in the angel genre, Dittemore did offer some unique twists. Her introduction of the halo was interesting and drew me into the tale. The different classifications of angels and their purpose was fascinating. I enjoyed her descriptions of them and their roles. Her depiction of the demons held my attention. Of course there is a battle between good and evil and souls to be saved. The author placed her own mark on them and kept me entertained. The messages and questions raised about faith delivered throughout the tale were thought provoking. While not bogged down with religious scripture and messages Dittemore does tackle difficult questions like why God spares one life and not another. Presented from multiple POV’s (including the villains) this tale started slow and awkward but became more action packed as it progressed. The ending chapters were climatic and suspenseful.

Angel Eyes was an enjoyable, entertaining read that fans of angels are sure to enjoy. Filled with thought provoking questions it lets the reader experience the ramifications of their decisions. I am looking forward to Broken Wings the next book in this trilogy.

I want to thank Thomas Nelson and Booksneeze for providing this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I gave this novel 3 coffee cups out of 5.