Musings on Strange Angels by Lili St.Crow

Title: Strange Angels

Author: Lili St.Crow

Narrator:Alyssa Bresnahan

Publisher: Razorbill (May 24, 2009)

Recorded Books (October 26, 2009)

Series: Strange Angels #1

Source: Amazon/Audible

Length:  304 pgs./ 11 hrs.

Description from Amazon:

Dru Anderson is a very special girl - even if she doesn't always feel it. Gifted with "the touch", Dru travels about with her dad, hunting all manner of things that go bump in the night. But then her dad turns up dead - or, er, undead - and everything changes.

My Musings on the Book v. the Audiobook:

     This is more of a musing on my differing opinions of the book and the audiobook rather than an actual book review. I first read Strange Angels a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. I went on to tell all my friends how awesome it was and to eagerly await the release of the next books. The final book in the series came out not too long ago and it had been a while since I finished the one before it. To refresh my memory I was going to start the series over. I was pleasantly surprised to find the series on Audible. I could listen to one of my favorite series and work at the same time.

     When I first read Strange Angels I instantly fell in love with Dru, Graves and Christoffe. They quickly became my guilty character obsessions. I found their world and the lore behind it engrossing. Strange Angels was one of the few book in YA that I had read that had a bit of an edge to it at the time. That said, if I hadn't bought the audiobook and listened to I probably would have given this book a 4 to 4 1/2 STAR rating. I loved it that much.

     Some books I can reread/listen to over and over again and find that they are still just as good if not better than the first time I read them. Strange Angels just didn't hold true in it's audiobook form for me. It wasn't just because it  is on audiobook or that the narrator isn't one of my favorites. I've listened to Vampire Academy, Tithe, and Wicked Lovely some of my most favorite series and found nothing wrong with them. While listening to this audiobook the main character Dru started to quickly go down and down in my opinion. One of the things that I noticed more in the audiobook than I did in the written book was her cursing, especially the use of God D%#n. I'm the first to admit that I have a potty mouth sometimes, but this isn't a particular curse that I use. To each their own though. The thing is that it is used excessively. I would almost say its Dru's catch phrase.

     Graves is a unique character not only to this book, but to the genre in particular. There aren't many Asian characters that I have came across in my reading. I really enjoyed the fact that he was. Dru on the other hand seems to wallow in the fact that he is. It's almost as if she is constantly thinking Oh, there's my half Asian friend. He's such a good guy. She can't go one or two chapters without expounding on the fact that he is her half Asian friend or commenting  on his half Asian looks. Lastly while listening to the audiobook I came to the conclusion that Strange Angels really doesn't go anywhere. It's just a build up to the second book.This really could have been a prequel or combined with the second book. The end showdown with the "big bad" of the book was over in the blink of an eye.

     I know that I have complained and complained in this post. I don't hate Strange Angels I still like it a lot. Its just that I am amazed about the differences I noticed in my interpretation of the audiobook and the print book. I noticed different things in each. This has never happened to me before. I bought the second book on audio this week and will start listening to it when I go back to work. I have to know if it was just Strange Angels or the whole series that I have changed my mind about. None of the things above are huge deals, but they are annoyances. If you asked my to rate Strange Angels only having listened to the audiobook I would give it a 3 STAR rating.

    



Series that Totally Rock!

I’m at home, sitting in bed, and reading Glimmerglass (A Faeriewalker novel) by Jenna Black for the fourth time. I keep asking myself, ”Why am I re-reading this?”  The answer is, because I love it! The world that Jenna Black has created where Avalon is the link between the mortal world and faerie is amazing. The other thing that I like is that as the story progresses it matures along with the characters. I must admit that I’m not a fan of Ethan. I prefer the Earle King. There is just something about him ;)

This isn’t the point of the post though. I was talking with a friend the other day and she asked me what my favorite books were. As an avid book reader, blogger, and all around nerd this was a very difficult question. While I was naming them we both noticed that they are all series. I can’t think of one single book (not part of a series) that would make my top list. I like series so much because as they progress they suck the reader in. I feel so much more invested in the characters and the way everything turns out.  So I thought I would post a list of my favorites  I love and would recommend.  So here we go in no order:

The Faeriewalker series by Jenna Black- A girl who is part faerie part human and the only one who can go between the worlds

 Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling-If you haven’t heard of this series you must have been in a coma these past years.

 Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead- this series has my favorite heroine ever! Rose Hathaway is beyond amazing.  Picture a vampire boarding school, forbidden love, and pages and pages of butt kicking action.

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr- This series alternates between characters but stays in the same world. Faeries aren’t the frilly loveable creatures Disney showed us. They are powerful and they are deadly. No one can be trusted.

 The Last Survivors by Susan Beth Pfeffer- No one believed anything would happen, but the unimaginable did. The moon was pushed closer to earth and devastating consequences ensue. This series touched my heart. I cried and wasn’t able to get it out of my mind for weeks afterward.

 Twilight by Stephanie Meyer- The lion fell in love with the lamb…seriously despite it being the cool thing to hate on this series I loved it. “Normal” girl catches the eye of a vampire and a werewolf and trouble follows.

  Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine- Clare is a genius. She goes to college early in a small Texas town only to discover that it’s ran by vampires.

 The Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl- This series is unique in that it is from the pov of a male character Ethan Wate. Ethan is a human boy from a small southern town who falls for the new girl a Caster who must choose to be good or evil.

The Iron Fae by Julie Kagawa- What if you learned you are part faerie princess, your best friend is also a faerie, and you have stepped into an ancient war between the Seelie and Unseelie courts

 Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow- This is a seriously underrated series. It has all sorts of supernatural creatures, a love triangle, and an awesome heroine.  So much goes on I can’t fit it in a tiny blurb. Google it.

 Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare- You discover that your mom has lied to you your entire life about who and what you truly are. This book has everything Shadowhunters, werewolves, faeries, demons, vampires, angels, and the occasional human. PLEASE read this series so you aren’t left out.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- Go Watch the trailer on IMDB!

*** NOT A YA series that I love is the Gardellla Vampire Chronicles by Colleen Gleason- A Victorian era Buffy

This is just a short list of series that sucked me into their worlds that I thought you should know about.