Angels: The LGBTQ+ YA story you've been waiting for: friendship, identity, attraction, disasters ... and finding your wings

by Rachel Churcher

NEW from the award-winning author of the UKYA Battle Ground Series! A Wishing Shelf Book Awards FINALIST.

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Angels have lived among us for as long as we can remember. They don't have powers, but they do have wings. They've always hidden their wings, and who they are - until Kane.

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Melodie Abbott remembers the day she saw Kane's taboo-shattering billboard. A beautiful model showing his wings on Oxford Street, on a photo as tall as a building.

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When sixteen-year-old Mel finally meets her idol, disaster strikes. Can she find a way to free herself from his shadow, and what will her future hold?

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Angels is a coming-of-age story, a university heartbreak novel with a twist, a celebration of friendship and desire, and an exploration of attraction, identity and self-expression.

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It takes courage to find your wings ...

404 pages, Paperback

Published November 24, 2023

About the author

My new standalone UKYA novel is here, and gathering five-star reviews and award nominations! Angels is the LGBTQ+ YA story you've been waiting for: friendship, identity, attraction, disasters ... and finding your wings.

Available now!

All seven books of my near-future #UKYA dystopia series are available now on Amazon! Download Book One, Battle Ground , Book Two, False Flag , Book Three, Darkest Hour , Book Four, Fighting Back , Book Five, Victory Day , Book Six, Balancing Act , and Book Seven, Finding Fire and Other Stories for Kindle. Paperbacks are also available, and you'll find all seven books on Kindle Unlimited. For help with international downloads, visit the Taller Books website.

For a FREE tie-in novella, Making Trouble, and bonus short story, Lost Cause , visit freebook.tallerbooks.com.

Award-winning YA author and passionate YA reader. Always looking for the next great YA novel, whether it's a dystopia with an awesome female lead, a historical adventure, or a contemporary High School drama.

SF and dystopia are my comfort zones, but I'll step outside my happy place in pursuit of a good story. I have a book-buying habit, and a large library at home (I think of it as a portal to other worlds). I love physical books, and curling up in front of the fire to read. I firmly believe that there is no such thing as too many books - just not enough book shelves.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://wordpress.com/post/sarahreads...

[l i z [save the sharks‼️]]

ok so lowk why cant i find this anywhere??? if anyone has any leads pls hmu (im becoming sherlock holmes over here fr like 🕵🕵)

[Julia Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extraordinary read. In the blurb, “Angels” claims to be a coming-of-age story, a university heartbreak novel with a twist, a celebration of friendship and desire, and an exploration of attraction, identity, and self-expression. It is all of these things … and more.

I went into this book blind. Sure, the title hinted at paranormal beings, and I wondered if this would be yet another YA fantasy of girl meets angel blah blah blah, yawn. And yes, a girl does meet an angel, but there it goes off trope. Angels live among us; they have always lived among us. But these are no angelic entities with supernatural powers. They have wings – more a genetic anomaly than divine intervention – although they cannot fly. They are like us, but different … and we all know how well we as a species react to different. Afraid of intolerance and hatred, angels have hidden what they are for centuries. Sound familiar?

The underlying theme of this book is undoubtedly a cry for equality for all, whatever their sex, gender, or orientation. Unable to be true to themselves and their nature, they bind their wings and live a shadowy existence. This may have remained the status quo, but then there was Kane.

Five-year-old Melodie Abbott becomes aware of angels when confronted with a stunning poster as tall as a building in the heart of London. The gorgeous model, Kane, is modelling a pair of jeans with his glorious wings on full display. In a heartbeat, everything changes. Not just for Melodie, but for society. Unable to deny their existence, the world struggles to come to terms with the emergence of these beings and the complex emotions they engender.

Meanwhile, Melodie is growing up although her obsession with Kane has never faltered, if anything, it has developed into an all-consuming passion and when her artist mother is commissioned to paint Kane’s portrait, Melodie is overwhelmed at the thought of finally meeting him in the flesh. But life has a habit of not turning out the way we expect, and the consequences of this meeting will send shockwaves around the world and change Melodie’s life forever.

There are so many layers to this book, and it is difficult to place it in any one genre. Yes, there are angels, but they are not the shimmery magical beings of YA fantasy. And yes. it is a coming-of-age tale, but it is so much more than that. It is a friendship novel and an exploration of how intolerance can stain that which is innocent. How the narrowness of people’s expectations and acceptances can destroy our wings, and how it takes bravery to embrace your true self. As it states on the cover – “It takes courage to find your wings.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this book because I genuinely had no idea which direction it was going to take me. Beautifully written, there were moments when I was so immersed in the plot that I forgot I was reading a book. The ending is poignant and sad but also hopeful that maybe we can learn to be better people. A triumphant five stars from me and I thoroughly recommend you read this book yourself.

[Kevin Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have only recently 'met' the author Rachel Churcher, so grabbed her latest novel to read first, even though I am certainly no YA. But I am part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Firstly, the look of the book. Intriguing. The colours and artwork are attractive, and as you read the story, you realise what a clever image the cover contains, but I won't spoil it for you.
The story itself is gripping. I couldn't put the book down and read it in only a few days, speedy for me.
I can honestly say, even though the whole book is amazing, the first third was astounding. I gasped at some of the images she presents to us, absolutely astonishing. And, after reading this part, I honestly reacted in exactly the same way as the main character does, but again, I won't spoil the story.
The main group of friends are handled beautifully, and I totally bought into their close friendship, they 'meant' something to me, so, during the twists of the story, I really felt for them, laughed with them, cared for them, needed them to succeed.
The storyline is extremely clever and had me guessing as to its possible outcomes.
It is an emotional book, it challenges us, it clarifies issues and I would love to read what other readers made of the main concepts.
And as from a Queer point of view. It was good to see the obviously queer characters 'just' treated like any of the other characters, just being them, being happy, scared, worried and in pain, getting on with their lives. It was the main concept that would set any mind racing with options. It could be taken literally and still be enjoyable, but if one digs deeper, the whole novel takes on a new journey, and I for one hope it makes a certain kind of person really think about their binary view of human nature.
Well done Rachel, I now look forward to the movie.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are several things to say about Rachel Churcher's new novel, Angels, and one is that she has taken a leap in her considerable storytelling skills. Angels is a definite step up from the (very fine) Battle Ground series. Another is that the broad outline of the story takes on the current battles for the ability to live an authentic life to a new level. There are characters who live authentically as queer, as angels - the metaphor come to life the story is wrapped around, and the prices we pay for living inauthentically, for hiding and hiding from our true selves. There are spoilers galore in going down that aspect of Angels, but Churcher does an excellent job of making the various people involved human, three-dimensional, and believable.

It's a tearjerker about four different ways but the hope and the message that love and authenticity win over hate at the end is palpable. Churcher has captured a range of characters who are all on this continuum of how best to live their truths. It invites an exercise in comparing and contrasting: How do you live your most real self in a world that wants to see you fail (or to see you dead) and for which making you fail or killing you is almost a sport.

The vehicle of our narrator's coming of age and coming into her own authenticity is a beautiful way of bringing these points, and all of the characters to life. And while Mel has a certain privilege, she doesn't let it get in the way of her love and humanity.

As soon as I started writing about it, I wanted to dive back in and reread it from the top and get fascinated all over again, even knowing how it turns out.

(My review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher.)

[L.L. Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfect
The author didn’t hold back any punches. This was such a rollercoaster journey with all the emotions.

one of those reads where you are fully invested and living through the character which is ultimately the best kind of read!
strong themes of fitting in, finding your place, finding yourself were so excellently done. I think the raw writing style would be relatable to anyone- so subtle and thought provokingly beautiful.

Towards the end I was air punchingly happy for the the MC Mels strong development throughout its very rare that im so happy with the ending of a book this really blew me away as its unlike anything else.
Much like the MC Mel this story is truly one of a kind I had no idea where the story was going the twists and turns we’re genuinely a big surprise (which doesn’t happen to me anymore as Ive read so many books- i find they nearly always follow a trope or a formula thats been done before) so that alone is a huge reason why I will be shouting about this book to everyone I meet 😍
The refreshing characters though… they will always stick with me. Especially Georgie! (spinoff please? 😉) Shes absolutely everything a LADY should not be and i f*cking love her for that. such a badass.
Mel is so relatable and so easy to root for and love.
Jez is relatable too I cant give too much away though
My favourite part of this story though is the PTSD representation, it was realistic to life and felt so deep. Ive read trauma and PTSD in a lot of books but this is my favourite reflection of it by far.

There are so many worthy quotes I highlighted but when it came to writing this I didn’t want to use any as I want to keep the mystery for the next reader you’ll just have to trust me on this one and dive into the unknown. you wont regret it.

[Ian Hornett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the concept of this book: angels living as part of society, their wings making them different with some people accepting them, others treating them badly meaning that some angels are forced to hide their wings.

The main character, Mel, has been entranced by them since she was a young child, and by one in particular called Kane. Her mother, an artist, paints Kane and this provides the opportunity for Mel to meet him properly. Things don’t turn out as planned and Mel, as she grows up and attempts to find her own way in a complicated world, is in danger of being forever defined by events.

I really enjoyed this. The characters have depth and the subject-matter is a delicate one, handled sensitively. An entertaining coming-of-age book that, as the blurb puts it, is an allegory for the LGBTQ+ community.

[Maria Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going into Angels, I was aware that it was going to be a very different book from Rachel's previous work, but aside from that, I didn't really know what to expect. What I got was a lot more than I bargained for, and my heart was not prepared.

In Melodie and her friends, Rachel Churcher has created an incredibly relatable cast of characters. Each and every one of them put my heart through the wringer as they found ways to deal with the hands that life had dealt them, and began to understand that a single catastrophic event will shape their lives, but it does not have to define them. The beauty and emotion of this book brought tears to my eyes on more than one occasion.

Despite the book being about angels living among us, this is not a story that focuses on the fantastical. Instead it is a story of prejudice and acceptance, of love and friendship, and of learning to spread your wings (real or metaphorical).

[Sally Warrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart was in my mouth for much of this book and our young protagonist, Melodie, has much to go through before the end. It is story of coming of age, but at what a price? It is also a story of intolerance and hiding in plain sight. Strike any bells? Those who reveal themselves suffer. Innocence is trampled upon.
Yet is also a celebration of friendship and love. The characters are very well drawn, the friendship between Melodie and Georgie, her university friend, rings so true, as does the friendship between Melodie and Sam. The dialogue between human and angel is clever.
Altogether this book gets my five stars. Highly recommend.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thought-provoking coming of age novel with a twist.

Angles are real. They have stunning wings, but other than this, they are just like you and me. But they are disapproved of and shunned by society. That is until Kane, a model, makes a stand.

The story follows Melodie Abbott, an artistic young woman and huge fan of Angels as she finds her own way in life and learns the hard way that prejudice and intolerance take their toll on everyone, not just those with wings...

Fantastic new novel from the author of the 'Battle Ground' YA dystopia series.

[Catherine Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real page-turner with relatable characters and an intriguing concept. Although I don't normally read speculative fiction or books aimed at this target audience I could really believe that there are people with angel wings living amongst us as a persecuted minority who only reveal themselves to those who understand. A sensitive take on LGBTQ+ issues

[Katie winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a beautiful book.

[Willow Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an awesome book. Diverse and heartwarming but also shares the trauma of prejudice and hate. We all have wings and gifts to share. May we all be brave enough to show them too.🏳️‍🌈 Xxx

[Billy Buttons · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
8th December 2023
TITLE: Angels
AUTHOR: Rachel Churcher

Star Rating: 5

‘A richly told, coming-of-age novel with a fine cast of memorable characters. Highly recommended! ’ The Wishing Shelf

REVIEW
I must say, I very much enjoyed this young adult drama from the pen of Rachel Churcher. Over the years, I have enjoyed a number of this author’s Battle Ground novels which were excellent, but very different from this latest offering. Angels is the story of, well, angels living amongst us, specifically Kane who showed the world his wings on a billboard! A number of years later, Mel, a sixteen year old girl obsessed by the angel gets to meet him – and that’s when the story truly begins!
There were a number of elements to this LGBTQ+ and coming-of-age themed novel I particularly enjoyed. Firstly, the author is a strong writer; there’s a flow to her words which allows the reader to almost forget the storytelling and focus just on the story. Secondly, although there is a plot here, the focus is almost always on the characters. As a result, there is a considerable depth to them not often found in YA novels. And, thirdly, I loved the originality. This is not your typical paranormal romance; it’s better than that, and totally captivating.
So, if you happen to be say, 15 – 17 years olds and enjoy character-led novels, I suspect Angels is very much for you. It’s in no way an adventure, but it is a compelling coming-of-age story led by the often vulnerable Mel, a protagonist I very much enjoyed getting to know.

A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review



This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought:
Title: Angels
Author: Rachel Churcher

Star Rating: 5 Stars
Number of Readers: 15
Stats
Editing: 10/10
Writing Style: 8/10
Content: 8/10
Cover: 4/5

Of the 15 readers:
14 would read another book by this author.
13 thought the cover was good or excellent.
15 felt it was easy to follow.
14 would recommend this book to another reader to try.
Of all the readers, 5 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘plotting a story’.
Of all the readers, 6 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘developing the characters’.
Of all the readers, 4 felt the author’s strongest skill was ‘writing style’.
12 felt the pacing was good or excellent.
14 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted.

Readers’ Comments
“Angels is a fab book for teenagers. The character jump off the page, and the story is original. I enjoyed it a lot..” Male reader, aged 15
“Although the blurb of this book suggests it ‘might be ‘paranormal’, it’s no Twilight. It’s darker than that with a strong LGBTQ+ plot. It’s about identity and equality but it’s also a compelling story.” Male reader, aged 16
“Loved the premise of ‘angels’ living amongst us – no powers though, just wings, and they, like many, worry about prejudice. Coming of age story, character focus, not a fast paced read, but I still got totally into it.” Female reader, aged 15
“Very, VERY different to the Battle Ground books. Possibly for a different reader with different interests. This is a story of acceptance and battling prejudice. It’s not a particularly happy tale; in fact, it’s a bit depressing in parts. But I liked getting to know the characters and following them in the story.” Female reader, aged 16

To Sum It Up:
‘A fantastical, coming of age tale with a strong message of acceptance. A FINALIST and highly recommended!’ The Wishing Shelf Book Awards


www.thewsa.co.uk