Review: A Shimmer of Angels by Lisa M. Basso

Title: A Shimmer of Angels
Author: Lisa M. Basso
Series: Angel Sight, #1
Publisher: Month9Books
Publication Date: January 29, 2013

Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Rayna sees angels, and has the medication and weekly therapy sessions to prove it. Now, in remission, Rayna starts fresh at a new school, lands a new job, and desperately tries for normalcy. She ignores signs that she may be slipping into the world she has tried so hard to climb out of. But these days, it’s more than just hallucinations that keep Rayna up at night. Students are dying, and she may be the only one who can stop it. Can she keep her job, her sanity, and her friends from dying at the hands of angels she can't admit to seeing?


Verdict: Before I begin my review, I just want to say: Team Kade all the way! Okay, I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Although I was left with a few unanswered questions and no explanation for certain happenings, I'm really looking forward to reading the sequel [and seeing Ray get together with Kade]. Rayna (BTW- how is awesome is her name?) can see angels. But her whole life, her dad and her psychiatric doctors have told her they're nothing but a side effect of her schizophrenia. After a long stay at the mental institute, she is released with the verdict that she is in remission. Ray honestly thinks that she is certifiably crazy so she tries her best to act and be normal. She hangs out with her best friend Lee and gets a job waitressing at Roxy's diner. She is beginning to think she'll be able to pull off this normal thing until she gets to school and sees the new guy, Cam, and that he's got glowing white wings. Rayna is shocked and then terrified that she's slipping back into craziness. But how crazy can she be if she can actually feel the breeze his wings make against her face and the fact that Cam's started to take notice of the fact that she can't stop glancing at them? But that's not all, while at work Ray meets another angel named Kade and there's one huge difference between him and every other angel she's ever seen: he's got pitch-black wings..... and she's pretty sure that means he's evil.
I really liked this book despite the few holes in the story. I liked Rayna and the fact that she was determined to live her own life- free. I adored her best friend, Lee, who made Doctor Who references and is a fan of Ghostbusters! I didn't really like Cam and SPOILER: [I didn't like how fast Rayna fell for him. It felt a little unrealistic because I don't understand when she transitioned from being scared and untrustworthy of him to loving him. Plus, when he stood by and let those white-suits drag her back to that mental institute when he knew she wasn't crazy, I considered that a real deal-breaker! Luckily, Kade was around to bust her out! **sigh**] END OF SPOILER The reason I like Kade more than Cam is because he had more depth, real feelings, and yeah 'cause he's a bit of a bad-boy. I feel like a relationship between Kade and Rayna would be real and true while a relationship with Cam wouldn't be. In conclusion I loved the story as a whole and the concept of Lisa Basso's idea! Even while using the slightly over- used angel theme, she managed to liven it up with new twists that made it feel new, original, and enticing! <3

An ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

Rating: 4/5 Stars

-Kristen ♥