On The Bright Side (The Starlings) [Kindle Edition]

S.R. Johannes (Author)

Book Description

On the Bright Side is a hilarious road to guardian angeldom paved with so much drama and due-paying that it makes middle school look painless.

As if the devil’s food cake at her wake and the white fat pants she’s stuck wearing for eternity weren’t bad enough, fourteen year-old Gabby is quick to discover that Cirrus, the main rung of Heaven, is a far cry from the Pearly Gates. Here, Skyphones and InnerNets are all the rage. Until Gabby finds out she has to protect Angela, her school nemesis, in order to move up through the training levels of heaven. Problem is, Angela is now hitting on Gabby's should-have-been boyfriend. (awkward!)

Instead of protecting Angela, Gabby pranks her (like tripping is a sin?) at the hopes of cooling off the new couple. At first, they seem harmless until the school dance sabotage gets completely out of control. Then, her Celestial Sky Agent, who happens to have anger management issues of his own, puts Gabby on probation, threatening her eternal future.

Determined to right her wrongs, Gabby steals an ancient artifact that allows her to return to Earth for just one day. Without knowing, she kicks off a series of events and learns what can happen when you hate someone to death.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Johannes kicks off the Starling series with this fresh novel about an angel's peripatetic path to earning her wings...A humorous addition to the angel story genre. "- Publisher's Weekly

 

"S.R. Johannes delivers a cute paranormal thrill ride for middle graders! Even in death there is a BRIGHT SIDE!" - Addison Moore, author of the bestselling Celestra series and soon to be TV show
 
Clever and charming, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE is the story of a reluctant guardian angel, her still-breathing crush, and the frenemy she's assigned to protect. A great read! -Suzanne Young, author of A Need So Beautiful, A Want So Wicked (6/12), and The Program (2013)
 
"ON THE BRIGHT SIDE is both hilarious and heart-warming - a tale that'll have you hoping that there really *are* spunky and determined angels like Gabby who've got our backs." - Kristin O'Donnell Tubb, author of Selling Hope & The 13th Sign (2013) (Feiwel & Friends)
 
"With a smart, snappy heroine and a heart-warming crush, ON THE BRIGHT SIDE is a page-turning new take on guardian angels that left me begging for a sequel!" - Gretchen McNeil, author of Possess and Ten (9/12) (Balzar + Bray)

About the Author

S.R. Johannes is the author of the award-winning Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller) and On The Bright Side (a tween paranormal). She won the "2012 IndieReader Discover Award" for Young Adult, was nominated for "2012 Georgia Author of the Year" in Young Adult, and is a SemiFinalist in "The Kindle Book Review" for Best Indie Book of 2012.

After earning an MBA and working in corporate america, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing.She lives in Atlanta Georgia with her dog, British-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world. You can find her hanging out online at srjohannes.com 

Product Details

• File Size: 658 KB
• Print Length: 257 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0984799133
• Publisher: Coleman & Stott (January 25, 2012)
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0071R8HBY
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Not Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #455,601 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A hilarious new YA that explores the antics and trouble that come with a fourteen year-old ghost trying to be good this story wi January 26, 2012

By Katie Cody

Format:Kindle Edition

A hilarious new YA that explores the antics and trouble that come with a fourteen year-old ghost trying to be good this story will have you both breaking out into hysterics and gripping the pages in anticipation.
Gabby is a typical fourteen year old, well except for the being dead part, and she does have a mischievous streak that gets her into a bit of trouble. I highly enjoyed reading this fun and thought provoking new story. Gabby is an endearing character that I'm sure many readers will love and she had real depth making it easy to relate to her and lose myself ,if only for a bit, in this loveable new story.
I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fun and thought provoking YA read.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Adorably Fun Read! Highly Recommended! January 30, 2012

By xjessirae

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

From the start, S.R. Johannes really had me hooked when Gabby starts off sitting on the top of her coffin and explaining what happened and how it happened. I was completely absorbing this book like a sponge. It's such a unique book with an original twist on angels and the concept of Heaven.''

S.R. Johannes's writing is very easy to read and I love how well developed the plot was with its great pacing. I loved that everything connected and intertwined with each other from start to finish. I loved the aspect of right vs. wrong, heaven vs. hell, and good vs. evil in OTBS. I love how there's Goddess Nephele whose on the good side while Malum is the bad. It's such a different take and I loved how both made the story really come together.''

The world of Cirrus is absolutely magical and otherworldly. The descriptions are easy to imagine and they fill your mind with these breath taking vivid images off all the SKYscrapers, the Pearly Gates and the view of Etern City. It was beautiful. S.R. Johannes's world building in OTBS is more than amazing, it's brilliant. The best part of Cirrus is all the modern angelic systems/technology like the InnerNet, SKYfone, SKYcam, and my ultimate favorite, the Miracle Mirror. They are so creative and really grab your attention in this book. ''

I loved Gabby oh so much. She's such a wonderful main character. She's so determined, smart, hilarious and downright spunky. She really makes me miss the times when I was fourteen. Gabby really has character and personality. She's easily relatable and I believe anyone can connect with Gabby no matter what age. I love how she's realistically flawed. Even though she's supposed to me some kind of angel, we see her do things on her own and we see that she's still just what she is: a fourteen year old girl. I really understood Gabby, what she was feeling and going and the things she's done. It's hard to watch as all the people you love go on living without you. You really sympathize with her and I couldn't help but ache with her. ''

I also loved all the secondary characters. I love how Gabby and Lawrence hit it off. I kind of knew she'd be able to soften the old grouch. Jessica, Gabby's BIT best friend, is so perky and positive. A perfect friend for Gabby. I loved their banter and how they helped each other throughout the whole book. I absolutely adored Michael. He and Gabby were just lovely together, so it saddens me that they never really got a chance on account of her death. Now there's Angela. I really hated her and her attitude, but she's the type of character who will change your mind the more you read and I'm glad she managed to win me over. ''

OTBS really had me smiling all the while reading it. I laughed at all the funny parts and was completely enraptured. It's such a heartfelt story and I enjoyed it very much.

Overall, OTBS is a cute, light and very fun read. This book will surely make you laugh and smile. OTBS is all about letting go, moving on and finding true happiness. I can't wait to find out what will happen with Gabby the next time I encounter her in Cirrus!''

A great read and highly recommendable!''

5 out of 5 stars!

*Thanks so much to Shelli for sending OTBS for me to review. In no way does Shelli have any influence over my opinion/review of this book. It is solely my own.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What an amazing perspective! January 31, 2012

By Bright Idea!

Format:Kindle Edition

What a clever perspective on eavesdropping in the young lives of tweens. Can't wait to read. Loved the depth of Untraceable and am excited to be lightheartedly led through the Bright Side!

More About the Author

S.R. Johannes is the award-winning author of the Amazon bestselling Untraceable (a teen wilderness thriller series) and new tween paranormal, On The Bright Side. She has also published short novelettes as well as a teen romance anthology with 16 other authors titled, In His Eyes. Uncontrollable is the sequel to Untraceable, and Unstoppable (book 3) is scheduled for Summer 2013.

S.R. Johannes is the YA advisor of ALLi and a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult category). She was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult category), a Finalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Young Adult of 2012, and a YA Finalist in the US Book News best Book of 2012.

After earning an MBA and working in corporate America doing marketing for over 15 years, S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, English-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.