Strange Angels

Alright, so I loved this book but I never planned on reviewing it. Now I am four books into the Strange Angels series and I kind of feel like I have to write something. It isn't because I love the series as a whole though...

Strange Angels is outstanding. Fifteen (or is it sixteen) year old Dru has spent the last few years hoping from town to town with her dad, helping him fight the things that go bump in the night. Her father, an ex-marine has schooled Dru is both weapons and hand to hand combat. She's tough, level headed and seriously determined.

Dru's life is turned upside down when her father comes home from a job...not quite himself. He has been zombified and Dru has to kill him (again) to save herself. Now Dru needs to find out what happened to her father because whoever or whatever turned him all Walking Dead is sending baddies after her.

So like I said, I loved this book. Yes, the story is similar to Supernatural in a lot of ways but I had no problem with that. Dru's story was interesting to me. It felt fresh. Lili St. Crow has a way with capturing the mood. Despite the fact that Dru's dad is really only in two scenes you still miss him when he dies because of the way Dru grieves.

The fact that Dru has to shoot her own father to death isn't forgotten a couple pages after it occurs either, and despite the fact that Dru continues on fighting for her own survival she also never forgets the fact that her dad is dead and not coming back. The emotions in this book are very much grounded in reality despite the fact that the situations are not.

Dru isn't the only character in this book that I enjoyed either. Along the way she picks up a sidekick who goes by the name of Graves. Graves is an outcast, a trench coat wearing Goth Boy who goes out of his way to befriend Dru. Graves is a loyal guy who never hesitates when it comes to helping Dru out, even when it doesn't end well for him. Simply put, he's a good guy. He wants to help Dru because he sees she is in a bad place and he has gone through some dark times as well.

Now...I have to rant a bit. I love books with interesting female characters that kick a bunch of ass. I love it when novels focus on smart girls who are motivated and determined. It feels good to read about them and to share in their adventures. I think more books need characters like this. Especially more YA books.

There seems to be a lot of books featuring female leads that are flat out dull or worse featuring female leads that are sniveling little turds with zero backbone who seem to think that Being Interesting = Being Cute And Having Boyfriends Yay! Authors will devote PAGES of description of a character's outfit and only briefly touch on who they are as a person. There seems to be a ton of female leads who spend a lot of time waiting to be saved. They sit around and think about how afraid they are and how little control over their own life. They are not smart, determined or proactive.

So what does the above rant have to do with Strange Angels? Well...it has nothing to do with the first book. The first book is great and I think everyone should read it. Unfortunately the second book isn't like the first. Dru stops being a tough and interesting character. She spends a lot of time complaining and crying and just being useless in general. She alienates Graves, she completely gives up control of her life despite the fact that she KNOWS something funky is up and the people she gives control to don't have her best interest at heart. She lets Christophe lie to her and leave her behind in a dangerous place. And the third book is even WORSE. Where did the ass kicking go? WHY DID YOU GIVE UP AND BECOME SO TYPICAL DRU!? You broke my heart.

Lili St. Crow is a talented author. She is able to bring to life beautiful scenery, stressful situations and the different relationships between characters. This makes it even more frustrating that she turns Dru into this shallow creature. I feel like Dru actually regressed as a character. It is FRUSTRATING!

So, to conclude? Lili St. Crow you make me sad. You had something great. Strange Angels COULD have been a great series. But ya wussed out man. Ya wussed out hard. Dru went from an ass kicking well rounded character to a turd. Not only that, Dru went from a character that you could relate to, not because you have gone through the same types of situations as her, but because of the way she responded to situations and to people. And for me, that's important in a character. That, and many other aspects, were stripped away from Dru.

Will I finish the series? Oh probably. Will I be happy about things? CERTAINLY NOT!