Phoenix Angel by Amanda Gerry and Christy Hall

3 stars

Series: Shardwell

Book: One

Genres: Fantasy/Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult

Format: Paperback

329 pages

Published by Scribes of Shardwell, LLC

Published on January 21st 2012 (first published 2012)

ISBN: 0615589499

ISBN13: 9780615589497

Where to Buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

View on Goodreads

Note: I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Maggie is a normal teenager, trudging her way through senior year with her best friend, Lily. Then a boy named Kyle Spencer came to Idaho Falls, and since then everything has fallen apart. Something mysterious has passed among the three friends. They are developing terrifying abilities--strange powers that separate them from normal people.

Even worse, someone--or something--has taken a deadly interest in them. They never know when they are going to strike, or how to protect themselves, or even who they are. All friends know is that they want one alive and the others they want dead. Which one will Maggie be?

My Review:

I liked the writing styles of the author’s as a whole.

Throughout the first half of the book the main focus is centered on Maggie.  She turned me off from the beginning; her attitude was repulsive and extremely off-putting.  I found myself not wanting to root for her at all and actually wondering why I was reading so much about her and her attitude.  I didn’t realize why anyone would but up with her especially Lily, the most seemingly loving person EVER and aka best friend.  Also the hottest guy around, Kyle, who tried everything in his power to win her over. 

The second half of the book I liked more and it focuses on Lily.  She was a much easier person to sympathize with and get to know.  The only thing I didn’t like about Lily’s part was the overwhelming lovey dovey-ness of it; it got old pretty quickly and started to annoy me.

Lastly, I think this book focuses too much on the character’s looks.  Every main character seems to have some striking beauty or handsomeness about them that is just unsurpassed and envied by the rest of the secondary characters.  They need flaws besides their attitudes, flaws in their looks that make them imperfect. 

I am interested to read the second installment of this story and see how everything progresses.

About the Authors:

Amanda Gerry developed an interest in fantasy at a young age. In middle school, she fell in love with writing short stories and was thrilled when her sister proposed creating a series of novels together. Her fondness of writing comes from many sources, but the most prominent is her avid devotion to video games. Some of her favorites include Mass Effect, The Elder Scrolls series, and anything that lets her shoot zombies. She received a Bachelor’s Degree from Southern Utah University and teaches at a local charter school.

Christy Hall has been addicted to the many realms of fantasy and science fiction all her life. She joined her first peer writers’ group in the sixth grade, joyfully sharing world building at a young age. A graduate of Southern Utah University, she now teaches at a local charter school. When she isn’t busy designing activities for her Mythology class or going on field trips with the Star Wars Club, she is spending time with her sister, A Gerry. C. Hall’s favorite authors include J.R.R Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and Tracy Hickman.