Lets be real. The cover to this book is very eye catching. I was sucked in by the cover, read the summary and thought I would really enjoy this book. Now, I know the whole supernatural teen love saga is hot(although I think it's slowly starting to lose steam), so I was expecting a sappy supernatural love story.
Nora Grey is a 10th grader trying to get good grades. Her little world is fine, except for her father dying, and her mother always gone because she has to take a job in Upstate New York to pay the bills. So the family is poor, but they have a maid(I didn't understand that). Everything else is good, until the mean biology teacher decides to change the seating chart. Now Nora is forced to sit next to the dark, mysterious, and snarky Patch. They do not get along and of course there is sexual attraction. I mean, how can a girl not like a guy who is always mean and rude to her? Well, the story progresses, at a very, very slow pace, and we learn that ...well, we don't learn much, and that's the problem. All we know is that someone is trying to kill Nora and she attempts(badly) to find out who is trying to do it.
Throughout most of this book I'm waiting and waiting and waiting for the action. In my opinion there isn't enough in the book. I thought this was going to be about fallen angels and all types of supernatural craziness. However, the story I got was a sheltered Nora liking Patch even though he treats her like crap, but hey its love right? I might have bought the love story if it hadn't been so mind numbing. Most of the book deals with these two snapping at one another. OK, that's fine, for three chapters, but can we move on? No, the author didn't think we could move on...apparently. And countless pages later I am still reading about them snapping at each other.
The writing is fine. I would compare it to a lot of teen books that are out now. The characters limp along throughout the story. The big bang at the end took too long. Some editing would have been great. If the book had been condensed, and the action more exciting and there were more fallen angels then I would have enjoyed it better.
Will my students enjoy it? I think teens who crave supernatural books will enjoy it. I don't know if this title will be as heavily circulated as some of the other ones out there. My suggestion is if a teen is really interested in this book to loan it from the library.
I'm looking forward to the upcoming school year to hear what my students have to say about this one.
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