Customer Reviews

Starfire Angels (Starfire Angels: Dark Angel Chronicles Book 1)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Raea wakes up in a lot of pain to discover she has wings. Her mother, who died when she was very young, left her a pendant which really isn't a pendant, and the boy at school who she thought was weird, turns out to be her soulmate. I am so glad that I've been taking risks on unknown books and unknown authors. Not only am I getting these hidden gems, but I'm getting them for an unbelieveably low price to read on my Kindle. This is one of those books. It was recommended by Amazon to read because of previous purchases, and with the price I paid, I would have gladly paid full price for this book. It was an interesting twist on "angels" and what they "really" are.

All of Raea's life, she knew she was different. She would have these weird dreams about her parents and a strange world. It was like the events were really but that couldn't be possible as Raea has never been to this place. Raea's Aunt Debbie and her Uncle Mike can't offer any insight to why Raea keeps having these dreams. Besides these dreams, Raea has another secret...she has a pair of angel wings. Her Aunt, Uncle and friends don't even know about her wings.

As if having wings wasn't bad enough, Raea lives in McClarron, North Dakota, a town with a small population. Raea just wants to be a normal girl but it is hard. McClarron, North Dakota seems to be a place of interest lately. Raea's friend Josh is obsessed with strange happenings of a mysterious being known as Dark Angel. No one really knows much about this Dark Angel. A television reporter from Xplorer Channel wants to do a special on the Dark Angel. This could spell trouble for Raea, as this reporter could expose her secrets. Also what is up with the new guy at school, Pallin Montran?

Author Melanie Nilles is a new author for me. I thought she did bring a refreshing look between the genres of sci-fi and paranormal. Starfire Angels wasn't too out there that it wasn't believable but at the same time may a paranormal fan like me think this was a pretty good book. The only reason I say this book is pretty good is because, while I did find Raea interesting and the storyline intriguing, the rest of the characters didn't draw me in and make me interested in knowing them. So a little bit of my interest did slip while reading this book. Starfire Angels did have me flying away in a good way.

Raea Dahlrich spent her entire life as a regular, ordinary teenager. Then senior year hits and her entire world changes. She wakes up one morning with wings. It turns out she's an alien from another planet. As if that isn't bad enough, her aunt (who is her guardian) brings her neighbor, Elis, over to help her adjust to her newfound identity.

The problem is Elis is also a creepy senior who keeps to himself, and now he's the one who has to help her adjust to being an alien. But there is a bright side to all of this. Pallin, the new good looking foreign exchange student, is actually paying attention to her. Then again, there is that pesky reporter who is snooping around and wanting to know about Raea's strange marks on her hands. Will the reporter find out Raea's secret? Will Raea end up with Pallin? Is Elis so creepy after all?

Those are the prevailing questions in this book. I really enjoyed this one. The perk (for me) was the humor. Now, this isn't a comedy. In fact there are some serious moments, but the way Raea thinks and her interaction with her friends provides some great light-hearted moments. I liked the reporter's quick thinking. This woman knew her job and did it well. I was constantly amazed at how her mind worked.

In my opinion, this book could be enjoyed by adult women. I know it says YA, and this book will definitely appeal to teens. I mean, who hasn't dealt with the pressures of high school or wondering if the guy likes you or not? So teens can definitely relate to the things Raea goes through. But adults can enjoy the more mature sub-plots. (I think there are some things adults will get that teens won't.) Melanie Nilles has woven in an entertaining, fun, romantic, and sometimes serious science fiction story about a teenage alien girl who just wants to be normal again.

I enjoy all types of books whether for young adults or older readers. This novel however, is not something I would recommend. The plot was incredibly obvious, the heroine underdeveloped (and sometimes just plain stupid), and it feels as though the author wanted to delve in more to the story, but came up short with: and then this happened. In my opinion (and it's only that) I believe this is a decent first draft, but needs significant work in order to be truly what it could be. There's great ideas, only so-so execution. I don't demand perfection, but I do request a good communication of the story. All in all a two hour read, that I wish I hadn't read.

In general, I found the story concept interesting, but the writing juvenile and the characters unrealistic.

The entire book takes place within about 10 days, with the main character moving from total avoidance of her love interest to being in love. Not very realistic, even for teenagers. The reactions to varying situations by the main character were not realistic either. Raea was also rude and shallow. School-wide embarrassment because Elis looks at her at lunch? Really? Slapping him when he's trying to protect her? Talking to a reporter when you have secrets to hide? Continuing to call a guy who shows no interest in you that you've only known for a week? That same guy, having a nefarious purpose in fomenting the relationship not returning her calls? Hiding in the house but not cleaning up the feathers to leave no trace of your presence? Having a confrontation with Pallin but not hiding in any way? You would think an experienced Keeper like Elis would know that Pallin wasn't the only one aware of their location. There are just a lot of disconnects in the story logic.

The rape seemed like a gratuitous addition, it didn't add anything to the story and didn't serve any purpose for Pallin's goals. I also find it difficult to believe that her clothing was all in place and that she didn't feel any physical effects. In reality, she would have known without the Starfire memories to tell her.

The way the author shows conversation in a different language was confusing, she should have used a different construct.

Just because a story is written for young adults doesn't mean it has to read like it was written BY a young adult.

I was extremely disappointed in this story. The main character is incredibly shallow and remains so throughout the story with little or no growth. The story itself is flat. The editing is poor. There are numerous missing words. The reader has to fill in these missing words to make sense of the story. The book was free, so I gave it a second star. I certainly would be upset if I had paid for it.

I was a little skeptical about this book, but once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! I love the characters in the book and the story line. I purchased the next two books in the series once I finshed Starfire Angels.

First Thoughts:

I'm so glad that I risked reading this book. It was a wonderful and fast read for me. I've been fascinated with angels for quite awhile now. So when I come across an angel book I question to read it and I so chose to read this one. It really was fun to get inside the characters minds and experience along side Raea what it's like to be thrown from your normal life into something much more different than you could ever imagine.

Summary:

This is about a girl who lost her mom and stepfather when she was five, her mother gave her a crystal to guard and keep and told her never to lose it. When we come into the present and Raea is a senior in high school we see how much she's dealt with and how she interacts with her friends. Raea is living a normal life living with her aunt and counsins but when things start getting wierd, terrible headaches and the same dream over and over again she starts to question her life. Elis the "wierd guy" at school seems to be able to soothe her headaches and is watching her afar which creeps Raea out even more but Pallin a new "foreign" exchange student shows up at school and has eyes only for her. Soon Raea discovers her true idenity and must fight alongside Elis to not only advoid the danger that lurks withing her town but the Nina who has eyes to expose her...

This short book is packed with plenty of action and suspense....if you like angels I recommend you read this so that you may open your eyes to another creative world of the unexplained.

Last Thoughts:

I really liked this book, read it in a day and gave it four stars for it's creativity and writing!!

I seem to have gotten on a YA kick lately but I did enjoy this free book enough to buy the next 2 books. The characters are a little shallow and there was so much teenage angst that I almost put it down. I'm glad I didn't~it turned out to be an enjoyable read.

This book didn't zap me with a wow, but it was a good book to read. I liked the idea that angels were just aliens from another planet, and thought that it was well-written. It's more YA than not, but that's ok, because I have teens, and I would not be worried about them reading it and finding innapropriate material.