The Day the Angels Fell Paperback – November 29, 2014

I am usually a non-fiction gal, but every so often I dive into a fiction book. I generally only do so after hearing it is good from many people. Example, last fiction I read was Hunger Games. Well, I did also read "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" this summer, but I ended up taking 2 months to read it and skimmed most of the last half just to finish it.

Anyway, all THAT to say I read this book in 24 hours and loved the biblical topics that were obviously used to design the basic foundation of this book. I didn't want to put it down and could have easily read it in a handful of hours if life hadn't needed to occur (like making supper for my family of 6, getting kids to bed, etc).

Very good and could easily see this being turned into a movie!

I did receive an advanced reader copy from the publisher. This is my honest review of the book.

I enjoy reading Smucker’s blog, especially the posts about driving for Über.
The Day the Angels Fell is sort of a supernatural thriller. The narrator is an old man, Samuel, about to attend the funeral of an old friend. For most of the book he recalls incidents that happened the summer he was twelve years old. You’d think a story about preteens would be middle-grade fiction, but I don’t think an upper-elementary student would get this book. I’m not even sure I do.
During a baseball practice, a violent thunderstorm hits. All the kids run to their parents’ waiting cars, but Samuel’s mother isn’t there yet. The coach tells him to run for shelter, so he ducks into the back door of the local antique store, where he accidentally overhears an odd conversation between a man and three women dressed as gypsies. One of the woman scribbles on the table, cash is exchanged, and the adults leave the room, the man expressing dissatisfaction. Samuel sneaks into the room and looks at the table. The only thing he can make out (the rest has been scratched out) is the phrase Find the Tree of Life.
When he’s able to leave the building, his friend Abra calls to him and leads him to his mom’s car.
On the way home, Samuel sees a stray cat and pleads with his mother to stop the car so he can retrieve it. He names it Icarus. After dinner he sits on the porch steps with Icarus, and bad weather rolls in again. The thunder and lightning cause Icarus to startle and dash up a tree. Samuel gets a ladder from the shed, sets it against the tree, and climbs up. He still can’t reach the cat, so he climbs into the tree.
His mother calls him to come down. She sends Samuel into the house and climbs the tree herself while Samuel watches from the window. As she climbs higher and stretches her hand out toward Icarus, a lightning bolt hits the tree and kills her.
In the aftermath of the mother’s death, strange things happen in the town. Three large aggressive dogs roam. Vultures circle overhead. A monster lurks in the shadows. A reclusive neighbor whom they’ve never met, Mr. Jinn, attends her funeral, as does a man named Mr. Tennin, who approaches Sam’s father and asks for a position as a farm hand on their farm. Mr. Jinn enlists Samuel’s help to find the Tree of Life, and as it turns out, Mr. Tennin is looking for it, too. Samuel agrees to look for it, because he believes the Tree can make his mother return to life.
Together he and Abra face many obstacles. They locate the tree and protect it, but don’t know who to trust. Their lives are in danger from the factions competing to gain possession of the tree for different objectives.
The story is somewhat allegorical. A statement Mr. Tennin makes to Samuel seems to be the central message: Death is a gift.
I think Smucker’s message for readers, particularly for Christians, and especially for Christian youth, is that death is not something to fear. Oh, yes, it brings sorrow for those left behind, who will grieve for the lost mother, relative, friend. But for the deceased believer, death is the doorway to eternal life with God. Smucker doesn’t come out and say this plainly, but the character of Mr. Tennin says, “…death is not a destination. It’s a passing, a transition into eternity, the rest of time. When you leave this place, everything you have known will seem like only a dream or the memory of a dream. Dying is the shedding of one cloak and the taking up of another. Death is a gift.” This concept resonates with Christians.
Some Scripture appears in the book, references to the Tree of Life, but it is not an overtly religious book. Samuel and Abra are compelling characters. The Day the Angels Fell contains lots of creepy stuff, and suspense, and fast pacing. It’s definitely worth reading.

Oh my goodness! This was so good. There are several references to various mythological creatures and ideas that fit into a Christian perspective without being preachy. So a little bit of mythological knowledge really enhances the reading experience.
I love Sam's voice both as a young kid and as an old man. I'm not sure that I like Sam, but there is a consistency in him that makes me admire him. Abra is fantastic in a best friend way that grows into simply being a fantastic person.
The questions are deep questions. They are not easily answered, nor are they lightly answered. This isn't an emotionally easy book to read, but it is important.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I will start off by saying I am a 26 year old male, and this book is categorized as "young adult." I feel like I outgrew that section of the library many, many years ago. When I heard of this book all I knew was that it dealt with the question "could death be a gift?" As a healthcare provider, I knew my answer to the question, but I have been interested in learning other theories.
This book did not disappoint. There is a mythical side of the book if you are into that, but the mythology does not overpower the storyline, but rather adds to it. I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed the book, and how excited I am for the sequel.
Do not let the young adult label deter you from this book. This book could also be a good place to start contemplating your own outlook on death and dying.

I likely would not have bought this book except that I met the author. As the book was coming to launch, he asked a question, "Can Death be a Gift?" Having been a caregiver for 13 years to my mother, I had and still have mixed answers to this question. As I dove into the book, I was captured immediately into the story as I related to the old farmhouse and immediately pictured the descriptive scenes in my mind. I love how Shawn has woven nuggets of truth throughout the story, and I am finding bits of highlight all through the pages. Shawn writes in a manner which brings the reader into the story as though we who read the pages are there, in person, gliding through the scenes along with the characters. A story woven with threads of love, loss, questioning, finding answers, friendship....If you enjoy a bit of mystery and intrigue with a hint of spirituality, this is a book you will enjoy.