Publisher: Silver Lined Books
Release Date: January 3, 2011
Format: ebook
Pages: 252
Source: Amazon
Genre: YA Paranormal
Review Date: January 5, 2013
Rating: 2 bookmarks
Synopsis: What happens when you receive a guardian angel?
What if you don't believe you need one?
What if one wants you removed?
There are people out there that want either Sterling or Claire for themselves.
Someone who will stop at nothing to have Sterling.
Someone who will do anything to reclaim Claire's affections.
Together, Sterling and Claire will dissuade them.
Someone will fall. Someone will hurt. And others will...
Release Date: January 3, 2011
Format: ebook
Pages: 252
Source: Amazon
Genre: YA Paranormal
Review Date: January 5, 2013
Rating: 2 bookmarks
Synopsis: What happens when you receive a guardian angel?
What if you don't believe you need one?
What if one wants you removed?
There are people out there that want either Sterling or Claire for themselves.
Someone who will stop at nothing to have Sterling.
Someone who will do anything to reclaim Claire's affections.
Together, Sterling and Claire will dissuade them.
Someone will fall. Someone will hurt. And others will...
Cloud Nine is a short read and this case, that's a good thing. Oh boy...what can I say about this book. This is a book club selection and I wouldn't have picked this for myself. First off, you guys know that I'm a sucker for good cover art! I know that a pretty cover is not always a sign of a good book, but it is a sign of resources. An artist for cover art, an editor for the story, etc. In this case, the cover art was a accurate representation of what the story is.
I rated this two bookmarks and that was generous. I was debating on giving it only one, but it wasn't THAT bad. Overall I really felt that the writing was immature, the characters weren't developed and the world building was none existent. In the fantasy genre, world building is crucial, in my opinion anyway.
There was a good premise to the story and I liked the idea of what this book could have been, but the author missed opportunities to delve into the world of the Angels. Instead she barely scratched surface of the paranormal aspects and focused more on the "romance"...if that's what you want to call it. The level of romance in this book is lukewarm at best, so it's safe for younger teen readers.
I rated this two bookmarks and that was generous. I was debating on giving it only one, but it wasn't THAT bad. Overall I really felt that the writing was immature, the characters weren't developed and the world building was none existent. In the fantasy genre, world building is crucial, in my opinion anyway.
There was a good premise to the story and I liked the idea of what this book could have been, but the author missed opportunities to delve into the world of the Angels. Instead she barely scratched surface of the paranormal aspects and focused more on the "romance"...if that's what you want to call it. The level of romance in this book is lukewarm at best, so it's safe for younger teen readers.
The Angel, Sterling, is very immature. Especially for someone who is supposed to be over 700 years old. Not to mention that he's been helping and mentoring humans for 700 years, so I don't understand how he can be so childish and jealous. That doesn't make sense to me. The female lead, Claire, was full of teenage angst as one would expect of a 17 year old. Throw in a few crazy and obsessed exes on both sides and we have tons of drama. Good drama? Not necessarily.
I usually don't like to nitpick a book to death, but there were so many grammatical errors that I had to mention it. So if you're a stickler for that, this book will bother you.
On the plus side, I did enjoy some of the conversations that Claire and Sterling had. I found myself chuckling at their banter. I also thought that the secondary characters Ariana and Argento were really good. They both really added to the story and made Sterling a little more acceptable. He is almost like their younger brother. I also can appreciate the fact that Claire's parents and family were around. The family and their thoughts on Claire's relationships were very realistic and I always can appreciate a story that can balance a little realism with fantasy.
Overall I thought that this story had great potential. I only wished that the writing was more mature and Sterling and Claire's characters were more flushed out. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I would have loved to experience more of the world of Angels. That would have added an amazing edge to the story. An editor would have been a great addition as well. However, if you’re looking for a fun, light and easy read without substantial conflict or too much going on, then this would be a good choice.
Happy Reading,
~Tamara
