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Night World #4
Dark Angel
The fourth book in L.J. Smith’s beloved bestselling Night World series is now available as a special collector’s edition!
On a cold winter day Gillian Lennow almost dies…but she is saved by an angel. His hair is golden. His eyes are as violet as her own. And when Gillian comes back from her near-death experience, he comes to her. An invisible guardian that only Gillian can see, Angel whispers the secrets of popularity in her ear. Overnight, the once-shy Gillian becomes a sensation and David, the boy she has loved for years, finally notices her.
But then Angel begins to make bizarre demands, drawing Gillian into a world of risk and dark excitement. At last, she has to face the terrifying Who is Angel? What has he brought back from the Other Side? And can she and David find out his secret before it’s too late?
On a cold winter day Gillian Lennow almost dies…but she is saved by an angel. His hair is golden. His eyes are as violet as her own. And when Gillian comes back from her near-death experience, he comes to her. An invisible guardian that only Gillian can see, Angel whispers the secrets of popularity in her ear. Overnight, the once-shy Gillian becomes a sensation and David, the boy she has loved for years, finally notices her.
But then Angel begins to make bizarre demands, drawing Gillian into a world of risk and dark excitement. At last, she has to face the terrifying Who is Angel? What has he brought back from the Other Side? And can she and David find out his secret before it’s too late?
224 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 1996
89 people are currently reading
2733 people want to read
About the author
L.J. Smith
337 books112k followersSmith was born in Villa Park, Orange County, California. In interviews, she has said she realized she wanted to be a writer sometime between kindergarten and first grade, “when a teacher praised a horrible poem I’d written”, and began writing in earnest in elementary school. Smith received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1987, followed by teaching credentials in Elementary education and Special education from San Francisco State University.
She taught kindergarten and special education for several years before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book, The Night of the Solstice, was published by MacMillan in 1987, followed by, Heart of Valor in 1990, and the 4-volume Vampire Diaries series in 1991-2. Three trilogies followed: The Secret Circle (1992), The Forbidden Game (1994), and Dark Visions (1995). The first installment of her popular Night World series was published in 1996, followed by eight more over the next two years. In 1998, Smith began a decade-long hiatus from writing, returning in 2008 with a new Web site and a series of new short stories. The Vampire Diaries series was reissued in 2007, followed by re-printings of The Secret Circle trilogy and Night World series in 2008/2009. The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valor was also reissued in 2008. Three new Vampire Diaries installments were published in 2009 and 2010.
Smith lived in the San Francisco Bay area “with one dog, three cats, and about ten thousand books.”
She passed away on March 8th, 2025, after a lengthy illness.
She taught kindergarten and special education for several years before becoming a full-time writer. Her first book, The Night of the Solstice, was published by MacMillan in 1987, followed by, Heart of Valor in 1990, and the 4-volume Vampire Diaries series in 1991-2. Three trilogies followed: The Secret Circle (1992), The Forbidden Game (1994), and Dark Visions (1995). The first installment of her popular Night World series was published in 1996, followed by eight more over the next two years. In 1998, Smith began a decade-long hiatus from writing, returning in 2008 with a new Web site and a series of new short stories. The Vampire Diaries series was reissued in 2007, followed by re-printings of The Secret Circle trilogy and Night World series in 2008/2009. The Night of the Solstice and Heart of Valor was also reissued in 2008. Three new Vampire Diaries installments were published in 2009 and 2010.
Smith lived in the San Francisco Bay area “with one dog, three cats, and about ten thousand books.”
She passed away on March 8th, 2025, after a lengthy illness.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
April 18, 2021
2.5 stars
It was decent but could've been better. I liked the concept, I haven't read something like it before. I didn't like how the ending was so rushed, but the book did keep me hooked. The writing style was mediocre and simple, but flowed well. Though it definitely was not my favourite thing in the world, I'll be reading the rest of this series!
instagram | goodreads
It was decent but could've been better. I liked the concept, I haven't read something like it before. I didn't like how the ending was so rushed, but the book did keep me hooked. The writing style was mediocre and simple, but flowed well. Though it definitely was not my favourite thing in the world, I'll be reading the rest of this series!
instagram | goodreads
March 31, 2019
I really like this one. For sure one of my favorite books from the Night World
January 18, 2019
This one was a little better than the previous books. Enjoyable even but still not great.
December 3, 2009
Night World #4: Dark Angel, by L. J. Smith
At first "Dark Angel" doesn't seem like a typical Night World book. Gillian Lennox is a normal teenager; someone that many teen girls could probably relate too. She's not one of the popular crowd but instead is a shy outcast. Her two goals in life are somewhat superficial: she wants to be popular, and she wants David Blackburn to love her. But then who wasn't superficial when they were a teen?
Gillian's introduction to the Night World comes when she has a near death experience. On her way home from school, she goes into the snowy woods after she thinks she hears a child crying. Instead she falls into a creek and hypothermia sets in. But she's rescued by Angel, a celestial being who guides Gillian back to the road. But Angel turns out to be more than just a lifesaver, as he starts to help Gillian fulfill her goals. He whispers the secrets of popularity in her ear, helping a shy girl transform into a vivacious butterfly. But as Gillian's status increases at school, she starts to become suspicious of her guardian angel...who is he really? And what does he want with David?
The Night World connection in this book is tenuous, but it does make sense. After all, in a world populated with werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural creatures, it's natural that spirits would exist as well. So far Gillian is probably the most identifiable of all the protagonists in the Night World books, as she's your everyday teenage girl who finds out that there's a secret world...and she's part of it. How many of us have wished for that? I know I have.
For me, "Dark Angel" is a solid chapter in the Night World series, but it doesn't really stand out, but then it isn't bad either. It's a good story of growth.
3/5.
At first "Dark Angel" doesn't seem like a typical Night World book. Gillian Lennox is a normal teenager; someone that many teen girls could probably relate too. She's not one of the popular crowd but instead is a shy outcast. Her two goals in life are somewhat superficial: she wants to be popular, and she wants David Blackburn to love her. But then who wasn't superficial when they were a teen?
Gillian's introduction to the Night World comes when she has a near death experience. On her way home from school, she goes into the snowy woods after she thinks she hears a child crying. Instead she falls into a creek and hypothermia sets in. But she's rescued by Angel, a celestial being who guides Gillian back to the road. But Angel turns out to be more than just a lifesaver, as he starts to help Gillian fulfill her goals. He whispers the secrets of popularity in her ear, helping a shy girl transform into a vivacious butterfly. But as Gillian's status increases at school, she starts to become suspicious of her guardian angel...who is he really? And what does he want with David?
The Night World connection in this book is tenuous, but it does make sense. After all, in a world populated with werewolves, vampires, and other supernatural creatures, it's natural that spirits would exist as well. So far Gillian is probably the most identifiable of all the protagonists in the Night World books, as she's your everyday teenage girl who finds out that there's a secret world...and she's part of it. How many of us have wished for that? I know I have.
For me, "Dark Angel" is a solid chapter in the Night World series, but it doesn't really stand out, but then it isn't bad either. It's a good story of growth.
3/5.
January 17, 2020
Ketvirtoji knyga. Tik neapsigaukit su pavadinimu! Tai istorija apie raganą, kuri visą savo gyvenimą nieko nežinojo ir dėl šito- šitoji knyga rišasi su „Kerėtoja“. Iki 106psl. galvojau, kad ši knyga visiškai ne į temą ir galvojau kažkoks nesusipratimas šioje serijoje. Galvojau, jog teks labai blogai įvertinti, nes ta pradžia buvo kažkokia nuobodybė ir nesąmonė. Bet vėliau reikalai ėmė taisytis ir tapti vis įdomiau ir įdomiau, vis daugiau plot twist. Tad įvertinimas drastiškai pakilo.
Dabar VĖL dėsiu vertėją į šuns dienas. „Cheerleader“ verčiasi kaip PALAIKOMOSIOS KOMANDOS ŠOKĖJA , o ne „kapitonė“. *Eyes rolling* Sumesčiau aš juos visus į vieną pragaro ratą skirtą tik vertėjams. xD
Biologijos mokytojas LEVERETAS. Buvau pritrėkštas prie sienos! MANO KNYGOS VEIKĖJO VARDAS. :D Užskaitau. Šitas vardas labai retas knygose ir džiaugiuosi, kad autorė jį panaudojo.
Taip pat pastebėjau, kad autorė pasidomėjo Tanios liga. Viskas teisingai: ši bakterija tikrai gali sukelti gyvybei pavojingą nekrotizuojantį fascitą, kuris atsiranda jei sukėlėjai įsiskverbia į gilesnius odos sluoksnius ir yra nesuteikiama pagalba laiku. (O pirmoj knygoj gi kaip tik ir burnojaus, kodėl tokios ligos nesugalvojo. Pagaliau gavau tai ketvirtoj knygoj xD) Tad dar vienas pliusas rašytojai už teisingą informacijos panaudojimą.
APIBENDRINIMAS: prasta pradžia, bet gera pabaiga, labai plona knyga ir skyriai tad neįkyri skaityt, visos paslaptys atsiskleidžia tik priartėjus prie paskutinių skyrių tad verta skaityti iki galo.
Dabar VĖL dėsiu vertėją į šuns dienas. „Cheerleader“ verčiasi kaip PALAIKOMOSIOS KOMANDOS ŠOKĖJA , o ne „kapitonė“. *Eyes rolling* Sumesčiau aš juos visus į vieną pragaro ratą skirtą tik vertėjams. xD
Biologijos mokytojas LEVERETAS. Buvau pritrėkštas prie sienos! MANO KNYGOS VEIKĖJO VARDAS. :D Užskaitau. Šitas vardas labai retas knygose ir džiaugiuosi, kad autorė jį panaudojo.
Taip pat pastebėjau, kad autorė pasidomėjo Tanios liga. Viskas teisingai: ši bakterija tikrai gali sukelti gyvybei pavojingą nekrotizuojantį fascitą, kuris atsiranda jei sukėlėjai įsiskverbia į gilesnius odos sluoksnius ir yra nesuteikiama pagalba laiku. (O pirmoj knygoj gi kaip tik ir burnojaus, kodėl tokios ligos nesugalvojo. Pagaliau gavau tai ketvirtoj knygoj xD) Tad dar vienas pliusas rašytojai už teisingą informacijos panaudojimą.
APIBENDRINIMAS: prasta pradžia, bet gera pabaiga, labai plona knyga ir skyriai tad neįkyri skaityt, visos paslaptys atsiskleidžia tik priartėjus prie paskutinių skyrių tad verta skaityti iki galo.
March 13, 2020
Continuing the intrigue of Night World!!! If your a fan of Vampire Diaries, you will love this! Although all the stories are different, they are all connected. The fun part is trying to figure it out. Enjoy the read!
February 18, 2024
A very darker take on those films like The Heavenly Kid and Susie Q where a spirit comes back and helps to make someone cool. Let's just get that right out of the way to show how old I am reading a book that was geared toward my demographic many years ago...
Gillian (her nickname would suggest it is pronounced Jillian so whichever I guess) Lennox is a sixteen year old junior who has a normal but dysfunctional sort of teenage life.
The way she wears her hair all long in her face and her short stature have people thinking Gillian is much younger than she is along with her shyness. She isn't a loner because she has a best friend named Amy but lately Amy has been dating a boy named Eugene and spending all her time with him.
This sounds vaguely familiar...I am having flashbacks.
Today, Amy blew off taking Gillian home because she was with Eugene so here she is walking home in very cold and snowy weather. Gillian hears a sound that she believes to be someone crying and her mind can't help but turn to a younger girl named Paula who has been missing for a year.
Highly unlikely that it is Paula but still sure it is a child in trouble, Gillian follows the sound to try and help but ends up in cold water. A slip and she falls into the very icy water to get carried downstream but is able to make it to shore.
Gillian is soaked to the bone and she tries to make it back toward the road so she can flag someone down for help but the cold weather has her on the verge of hypothermia and being so petite, Gillian loses energy fast.
She dies and has the whole experience of a tunnel and then a light and finding herself in a meadow where a figure comes to welcome her. Afraid at first, it fades slightly when it is a young man, not that much older than Gillian, who greets her with a handsome face and a warm smile.
He isn't dressed in white with wings and a halo but he introduces himself as Angel to tell Gillian that it was not her time to die. Being a supernatural being, he knows that life hasn't been the best for Gillian but tells her that she has a choice to stay and go to Heaven or to go back and have a chance to change things.
Gillian makes the choice to go back and the voice of Angel is in her head to direct her toward the road where a car is heading her way. Flagging it down, Gillian is shocked to find that it is her neighbor and crush, David Blackburn.
David moved to her neighborhood a while back and happened to save Gillian from being buried underneath the snow from a falling tree of a similar winter...she has had puppy dog eyes for the boy one year her senior ever since.
David recognizes Gillian and in concern, starts driving her back home, while Gillian is dazed and shocked basically. Her hair is literally frozen and her jacket as well so David gives her his coat and turns the heat on full blast but Gillian isn't so happy about going home.
For the past few years, her mother has been drinking and quit her job and has been fighting with her father. Gillian's dad works late every night until seven while her mom sleeps off hangovers so Gillian isn't thrilled that David will be in her house or have to explain anything to her mother.
Once they get inside, David tells Gillian that she needs to get into a hot bath to get her body temperature back up but she begs him to call the police because she believes there is still a child out there that needs help. David says he will and he seems embarrassed to try and get off the frozen clothes from Gillian but that's okay because his girlfriend Tanya arrives.
Yep...girlfriend.
Tanya saw that his car was in the driveway of the house next door and just decided to come inside where she finds her boyfriend getting ready to take off another girl's clothing. In David's mind it is purely innocent but he tells Tanya that she clearly is frozen but is breathing easier I bet to have an excuse to go and call the police as Gillian asked.
Tanya is all business at taking care of Gillian and offering to go and get her some clothes from her room yet Gillian is terrified. Her feelings only get worse when Gillian can hear Tanya and David talking out in the hallway and not because they might just wake up her mom. Tanya is sure that David believes Gillian is much younger because her room is still covered in stuffed animals but sets him straight that she even takes some of their classes.
David confirms he thought Gillian was in junior high to her despair before Tanya comes back with the clothes. The other girl enters the bathroom and the mirror glass cracks to alarm both Tanya and Gillian enough that Gillian tells her and David they can go despite you know...having died by freezing to death.
They leave, Gillian's mother wakes up soon after but Gillian doesn't tell her anything except that she got a little wet, took a hot bath and just wants to get some sleep. Gillian dozes for awhile but wakes up to discover that her mother made dinner but her dad has left and won't be back for awhile on business but Gillian isn't that dumb and it just makes her even more depressed.
Back in her room, Gillian finds that Angel is there. He came back with her to help heal Gillian enough for her to find help getting home and keep an eye on her as her very own Guardian angel yet he is not at all conventional. He has jokes and quips and snarkiness but Angel tells Gillian he can help her get all she wants as long as she listens to him.
His advice starts first with telling Gillian to cut her hair to get it short enough that her face isn't hiding behind it like a wall. Gillian does so and she does notice that her cheekbones and eyes are highlighted better so she doesn't mind when Angel's next tip is to change how she dresses since he sees her pajamas are flannel ones with bears on them.
The next morning, Gillian comes down to answer the door and find Amy there. Word has spread that she fell into the river trying to find a lost child and that David Blackburn found her and saved her. Amy is feeling a smidge guilty about blowing off Gillian because of that and despite being deserved, Gillian doesn't hold it against her.
Amy is surprised at Gillian's new hair and before she can try and shape it up for her friend, having similar short hair, Gillian's mom comes downstairs. She isn't horrified but a little shocked yet kindly takes over trimming the hair to make Gillian feel as if this were old times before her mother started drinking.
Gillian's mom and Amy are both taken aback when Gillian takes off her robe to show herself wearing clothes that show off her slender frame in a more feminine style than looking like a little girl with Angel's help. The two of them can communicate telepathically so Angel advises Gillian what to do when David's Mustang pulls into her driveway: blow off Amy the same way.
It isn't too much out of spite because David did offer to drive Gillian to school even if he did think it was to another school and he kept his word...it wasn't a bluff. David is a little surprised at Gillian's new look but not acting like a full on horny guy yet he can't help but find it a very nice change.
So much in fact that David has to pull over and tell Gillian he finds her attractive but that he is still going to be loyal to Tanya since they have dated for so long...where was this guy when I was in high school?
At school, everyone can't help but talk about Gillian's new look even though most believe her to be a brand new student entirely and Angel tells Gillian how to act and what to say to get the boys drooling over her yet also earning points with the most popular girls in school.
At lunch time, Gillian is sitting with the popular crowd but there are still some downsides because this is high school and things aren't perfect. Gossip is that Gillian's mother is an alcoholic and that she even went crazy a while back and despite Angel telling her to play it off as just gossip, Gillian is stung by the words.
The glass ceiling of the lunchroom breaks and pieces come down but no one is killed or maimed...just only scraped and cut slightly. After that strange event, Gillian tries to ask Angel about how this seems similar to the bathroom mirror at home shattering but he tells Gillian instead to think about where the rumor about her mother came from as it may help her get David.
Earning respect for a few popular girls who ignored the rumors, Gillian learns that it was Tanya who spread the rumor out of clear jealousy. Angel tells her to talk to Tanya after school but keep her head no matter what the other girl says and it works out to her favor because Angel knows things about Tanya that send her on the edge: like cheating on David.
Gillian repeats what Angel tells her and Tanya can't keep her mouth shut in her anger that both girls are surprised to find that David heard their whole conversation. Gillian leaves and ends up catching a ride home with someone who isn't Amy and later that night, David calls to ask her out on a date.
He admits that Tanya wasn't the girl he thought she was and he broke up with her so that he can go with Gillian after witnessing how nice she was despite Tanya screaming at her. Gillian is surprised but also thrilled that the boy she has had a crush on is now hers and she has found a place among the popular crowd.
When all of that is threatened, Angel tells Gillian that he has a way to help her. Again Gillian must put all of her trust in him but the requests are unusual and the places he instructs her to visit are unlike anything Gillian ever could imagine.
Strange and almost sinister yet it is only the beginning...
To say anything else would spoil all of the reveals and the twists we find in Dark Angel but the title should be enough to let us know that Angel is no angel. We do get introduced to another witch who is named Melusine, get some name drops and hints at future plot elements and are presented with a climax that is tense yet given an ending full of emotion.
Also a very short cameo from a past main character that brought a smile to my face despite the situation where it pops up...
Gillian is a very relatable heroine and she and David are probably one of my favorites pairings. It is also the first book in this Night World series that establishes early on just who the antagonist will be in the story instead of playing around. Again...the title of Dark Angel pulls no punches and it is kind of refreshing.
Clearly didn't expect it but pleasantly satisfied with the results.
Gillian (her nickname would suggest it is pronounced Jillian so whichever I guess) Lennox is a sixteen year old junior who has a normal but dysfunctional sort of teenage life.
The way she wears her hair all long in her face and her short stature have people thinking Gillian is much younger than she is along with her shyness. She isn't a loner because she has a best friend named Amy but lately Amy has been dating a boy named Eugene and spending all her time with him.
This sounds vaguely familiar...I am having flashbacks.
Today, Amy blew off taking Gillian home because she was with Eugene so here she is walking home in very cold and snowy weather. Gillian hears a sound that she believes to be someone crying and her mind can't help but turn to a younger girl named Paula who has been missing for a year.
Highly unlikely that it is Paula but still sure it is a child in trouble, Gillian follows the sound to try and help but ends up in cold water. A slip and she falls into the very icy water to get carried downstream but is able to make it to shore.
Gillian is soaked to the bone and she tries to make it back toward the road so she can flag someone down for help but the cold weather has her on the verge of hypothermia and being so petite, Gillian loses energy fast.
She dies and has the whole experience of a tunnel and then a light and finding herself in a meadow where a figure comes to welcome her. Afraid at first, it fades slightly when it is a young man, not that much older than Gillian, who greets her with a handsome face and a warm smile.
He isn't dressed in white with wings and a halo but he introduces himself as Angel to tell Gillian that it was not her time to die. Being a supernatural being, he knows that life hasn't been the best for Gillian but tells her that she has a choice to stay and go to Heaven or to go back and have a chance to change things.
Gillian makes the choice to go back and the voice of Angel is in her head to direct her toward the road where a car is heading her way. Flagging it down, Gillian is shocked to find that it is her neighbor and crush, David Blackburn.
David moved to her neighborhood a while back and happened to save Gillian from being buried underneath the snow from a falling tree of a similar winter...she has had puppy dog eyes for the boy one year her senior ever since.
David recognizes Gillian and in concern, starts driving her back home, while Gillian is dazed and shocked basically. Her hair is literally frozen and her jacket as well so David gives her his coat and turns the heat on full blast but Gillian isn't so happy about going home.
For the past few years, her mother has been drinking and quit her job and has been fighting with her father. Gillian's dad works late every night until seven while her mom sleeps off hangovers so Gillian isn't thrilled that David will be in her house or have to explain anything to her mother.
Once they get inside, David tells Gillian that she needs to get into a hot bath to get her body temperature back up but she begs him to call the police because she believes there is still a child out there that needs help. David says he will and he seems embarrassed to try and get off the frozen clothes from Gillian but that's okay because his girlfriend Tanya arrives.
Yep...girlfriend.
Tanya saw that his car was in the driveway of the house next door and just decided to come inside where she finds her boyfriend getting ready to take off another girl's clothing. In David's mind it is purely innocent but he tells Tanya that she clearly is frozen but is breathing easier I bet to have an excuse to go and call the police as Gillian asked.
Tanya is all business at taking care of Gillian and offering to go and get her some clothes from her room yet Gillian is terrified. Her feelings only get worse when Gillian can hear Tanya and David talking out in the hallway and not because they might just wake up her mom. Tanya is sure that David believes Gillian is much younger because her room is still covered in stuffed animals but sets him straight that she even takes some of their classes.
David confirms he thought Gillian was in junior high to her despair before Tanya comes back with the clothes. The other girl enters the bathroom and the mirror glass cracks to alarm both Tanya and Gillian enough that Gillian tells her and David they can go despite you know...having died by freezing to death.
They leave, Gillian's mother wakes up soon after but Gillian doesn't tell her anything except that she got a little wet, took a hot bath and just wants to get some sleep. Gillian dozes for awhile but wakes up to discover that her mother made dinner but her dad has left and won't be back for awhile on business but Gillian isn't that dumb and it just makes her even more depressed.
Back in her room, Gillian finds that Angel is there. He came back with her to help heal Gillian enough for her to find help getting home and keep an eye on her as her very own Guardian angel yet he is not at all conventional. He has jokes and quips and snarkiness but Angel tells Gillian he can help her get all she wants as long as she listens to him.
His advice starts first with telling Gillian to cut her hair to get it short enough that her face isn't hiding behind it like a wall. Gillian does so and she does notice that her cheekbones and eyes are highlighted better so she doesn't mind when Angel's next tip is to change how she dresses since he sees her pajamas are flannel ones with bears on them.
The next morning, Gillian comes down to answer the door and find Amy there. Word has spread that she fell into the river trying to find a lost child and that David Blackburn found her and saved her. Amy is feeling a smidge guilty about blowing off Gillian because of that and despite being deserved, Gillian doesn't hold it against her.
Amy is surprised at Gillian's new hair and before she can try and shape it up for her friend, having similar short hair, Gillian's mom comes downstairs. She isn't horrified but a little shocked yet kindly takes over trimming the hair to make Gillian feel as if this were old times before her mother started drinking.
Gillian's mom and Amy are both taken aback when Gillian takes off her robe to show herself wearing clothes that show off her slender frame in a more feminine style than looking like a little girl with Angel's help. The two of them can communicate telepathically so Angel advises Gillian what to do when David's Mustang pulls into her driveway: blow off Amy the same way.
It isn't too much out of spite because David did offer to drive Gillian to school even if he did think it was to another school and he kept his word...it wasn't a bluff. David is a little surprised at Gillian's new look but not acting like a full on horny guy yet he can't help but find it a very nice change.
So much in fact that David has to pull over and tell Gillian he finds her attractive but that he is still going to be loyal to Tanya since they have dated for so long...where was this guy when I was in high school?
At school, everyone can't help but talk about Gillian's new look even though most believe her to be a brand new student entirely and Angel tells Gillian how to act and what to say to get the boys drooling over her yet also earning points with the most popular girls in school.
At lunch time, Gillian is sitting with the popular crowd but there are still some downsides because this is high school and things aren't perfect. Gossip is that Gillian's mother is an alcoholic and that she even went crazy a while back and despite Angel telling her to play it off as just gossip, Gillian is stung by the words.
The glass ceiling of the lunchroom breaks and pieces come down but no one is killed or maimed...just only scraped and cut slightly. After that strange event, Gillian tries to ask Angel about how this seems similar to the bathroom mirror at home shattering but he tells Gillian instead to think about where the rumor about her mother came from as it may help her get David.
Earning respect for a few popular girls who ignored the rumors, Gillian learns that it was Tanya who spread the rumor out of clear jealousy. Angel tells her to talk to Tanya after school but keep her head no matter what the other girl says and it works out to her favor because Angel knows things about Tanya that send her on the edge: like cheating on David.
Gillian repeats what Angel tells her and Tanya can't keep her mouth shut in her anger that both girls are surprised to find that David heard their whole conversation. Gillian leaves and ends up catching a ride home with someone who isn't Amy and later that night, David calls to ask her out on a date.
He admits that Tanya wasn't the girl he thought she was and he broke up with her so that he can go with Gillian after witnessing how nice she was despite Tanya screaming at her. Gillian is surprised but also thrilled that the boy she has had a crush on is now hers and she has found a place among the popular crowd.
When all of that is threatened, Angel tells Gillian that he has a way to help her. Again Gillian must put all of her trust in him but the requests are unusual and the places he instructs her to visit are unlike anything Gillian ever could imagine.
Strange and almost sinister yet it is only the beginning...
To say anything else would spoil all of the reveals and the twists we find in Dark Angel but the title should be enough to let us know that Angel is no angel. We do get introduced to another witch who is named Melusine, get some name drops and hints at future plot elements and are presented with a climax that is tense yet given an ending full of emotion.
Also a very short cameo from a past main character that brought a smile to my face despite the situation where it pops up...
Gillian is a very relatable heroine and she and David are probably one of my favorites pairings. It is also the first book in this Night World series that establishes early on just who the antagonist will be in the story instead of playing around. Again...the title of Dark Angel pulls no punches and it is kind of refreshing.
Clearly didn't expect it but pleasantly satisfied with the results.
March 8, 2020
The fourth entry in L.J. Smith's Night World series, about a secret world of vampires, witches and shape-shifters that exists alongside the human one, Dark Angel follows the story of Gillian Lennox, a seemingly ordinary high school junior. When a brush with death leads her to "Angel," a beautiful, otherworldly being, Gillian suddenly finds everything she's ever wanted - a new appearance, popularity, a romance with cute senior David Blackburn - within her reach. She also discovers that she is a witch, gifted with extraordinary powers. But as "Angel" begins to ask her to do harmful and dangerous things, Gillian begins to wonder if he's everything he claims...
Generally considered the weakest in the series, I have read reviews that describe Dark Angel as boring and rather pedestrian. But while there is certainly a healthy dose of teen cliches to be found here, from the popular "mean girls" to the loyal but geeky "true friend," Smith does fairly well with a worn formula, communicating Gillian's sense of loneliness, and her desperate longing to belong: "There's got to be someplace I belong, something I'm meant to do that's different. Because I don't fit in this world, in this life. And if there isn't something more, I'd rather be dead." I imagine that Gillian's feelings will resonate with many teens, just as the fantasy of suddenly becoming popular will seem very familiar to them.
The real weakness of Dark Angel is not the teen melodrama, which any reasonable reader would expect from a series devoted to the idea of forbidden supernatural love as a pathway to redemption and healing. No, the chief trouble with this entry in the series is that it feels disconnected from the other books, and one sees very little of the Night World itself. There is one cameo appearance by Ash Redfern (of Secret Vampire and Daughters of Darkness ), as well as some brief interaction with a young witch named Melusine. But other than that, this could be a free-standing novel, which is something of a disappointment given the care that Smith has taken to build up her world in the first three books.
Generally considered the weakest in the series, I have read reviews that describe Dark Angel as boring and rather pedestrian. But while there is certainly a healthy dose of teen cliches to be found here, from the popular "mean girls" to the loyal but geeky "true friend," Smith does fairly well with a worn formula, communicating Gillian's sense of loneliness, and her desperate longing to belong: "There's got to be someplace I belong, something I'm meant to do that's different. Because I don't fit in this world, in this life. And if there isn't something more, I'd rather be dead." I imagine that Gillian's feelings will resonate with many teens, just as the fantasy of suddenly becoming popular will seem very familiar to them.
The real weakness of Dark Angel is not the teen melodrama, which any reasonable reader would expect from a series devoted to the idea of forbidden supernatural love as a pathway to redemption and healing. No, the chief trouble with this entry in the series is that it feels disconnected from the other books, and one sees very little of the Night World itself. There is one cameo appearance by Ash Redfern (of Secret Vampire and Daughters of Darkness ), as well as some brief interaction with a young witch named Melusine. But other than that, this could be a free-standing novel, which is something of a disappointment given the care that Smith has taken to build up her world in the first three books.
January 5, 2023
Rated
4 Shooting Stars: 🌠🌠🌠🌠
Owner Library
Great story but the romance or lack of, disappointed me. Then, I was a bit freaked out that Gillain cousin tries to convince her that he is her soul mates. Ewww!!!
Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance were well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors, and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
Full Disclosure : I participate in reviews with NetGalley, Author Review Requests, Publisher Requests, and Book Tours. An e-copy was provided to me by NetGalley and/or the Author, and/or the publishers. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
4 Shooting Stars: 🌠🌠🌠🌠
Owner Library
Great story but the romance or lack of, disappointed me. Then, I was a bit freaked out that Gillain cousin tries to convince her that he is her soul mates. Ewww!!!
Among some of my favorites. Outstanding literary work. The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more. It has a fairly original or uniquely well-developed plot. The pretense and romance were well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors, and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
Full Disclosure : I participate in reviews with NetGalley, Author Review Requests, Publisher Requests, and Book Tours. An e-copy was provided to me by NetGalley and/or the Author, and/or the publishers. No payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was not any obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist, or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.
May 24, 2019
23 May 2019
Dark Angel is book 4 in the Night World series.
I liked how Ash also shows up in this book, if only for a bit. And we see the good side of him.
The last few chapters really got me feeling bad for Angel.
Dark Angel is book 4 in the Night World series.
I liked how Ash also shows up in this book, if only for a bit. And we see the good side of him.
The last few chapters really got me feeling bad for Angel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2022
Fangen wir doch mit den guten Aspekten an:
Der Schreibstil ist leicht und flüssig. Ich habe das Buch in knapp 3 Stunden gelesen. Generell finde ich die Idee mit den übernatürlichen Wesen gut, aber nicht gut umgesetzt.
Was hat mir nicht gefallen?
Nun ja, irgendwie der ganze Rest... Gillian und Angel waren mir als Protagonisten wirklich unsympathisch. Gillian ist naiv und leicht beeinflussbar, dabei hatte ich oft das Gefühl, dass sie noch nicht mal richtig nachdenkt, sondern innerhalb eines Wimpernschlags Angel als etwas Göttliches ansieht und zur Marionette mutiert. Sie wird innerhalb einer Nacht zum beliebtesten It-Girl und das ganz ohne, dass ihr immer alles passt, was Angel ihr zuflüstert. Sie macht auch bei widerstrebend en Gefühlen einfach, was er ihr flüstert, einfach nur dämlich. Konsequenzen zieht sie manchmal gar nicht in Betracht oder denkt erst hinterher wirklich darüber nach. Dass Angel ihr gegenüber nicht nur Gutes will ist eigentlich ab Sekunde eins klar, aber Gillian denkt sich nichts dabei. Das hat mich das ganze Buch über gestört. Ebenso ihre Art mit ihrer beste Freundin umzugehen. Sie behandelt sie wirklich dreckig und als sie ihre Hilfe braucht, ist sie wichtig und ohne großes Trara ist auf einmal alles wieder gut. Vollkommen abwegig wenn ich ehrlich sein soll, gute Freunde hin oder her... Ebenso waren manche Szenen einfach nur seltsam unnötig, vielleicht waren es Hinweise auf andere Teile - ich kann hier auch schon sagen, dass ich keinen weiteren Band lesen werde 😅.
Insgesamt waren auch keine richtigen Probleme vorhanden die es zu lösen galt, es war ein stetiges in den Schoß fallen, was keinerlei Spannung aufkommen ließ. Leider viel verschenktes Potenzial und daher gibt es an dieser Stelle keine Leseempfehlung meinerseits.
Der Schreibstil ist leicht und flüssig. Ich habe das Buch in knapp 3 Stunden gelesen. Generell finde ich die Idee mit den übernatürlichen Wesen gut, aber nicht gut umgesetzt.
Was hat mir nicht gefallen?
Nun ja, irgendwie der ganze Rest... Gillian und Angel waren mir als Protagonisten wirklich unsympathisch. Gillian ist naiv und leicht beeinflussbar, dabei hatte ich oft das Gefühl, dass sie noch nicht mal richtig nachdenkt, sondern innerhalb eines Wimpernschlags Angel als etwas Göttliches ansieht und zur Marionette mutiert. Sie wird innerhalb einer Nacht zum beliebtesten It-Girl und das ganz ohne, dass ihr immer alles passt, was Angel ihr zuflüstert. Sie macht auch bei widerstrebend en Gefühlen einfach, was er ihr flüstert, einfach nur dämlich. Konsequenzen zieht sie manchmal gar nicht in Betracht oder denkt erst hinterher wirklich darüber nach. Dass Angel ihr gegenüber nicht nur Gutes will ist eigentlich ab Sekunde eins klar, aber Gillian denkt sich nichts dabei. Das hat mich das ganze Buch über gestört. Ebenso ihre Art mit ihrer beste Freundin umzugehen. Sie behandelt sie wirklich dreckig und als sie ihre Hilfe braucht, ist sie wichtig und ohne großes Trara ist auf einmal alles wieder gut. Vollkommen abwegig wenn ich ehrlich sein soll, gute Freunde hin oder her... Ebenso waren manche Szenen einfach nur seltsam unnötig, vielleicht waren es Hinweise auf andere Teile - ich kann hier auch schon sagen, dass ich keinen weiteren Band lesen werde 😅.
Insgesamt waren auch keine richtigen Probleme vorhanden die es zu lösen galt, es war ein stetiges in den Schoß fallen, was keinerlei Spannung aufkommen ließ. Leider viel verschenktes Potenzial und daher gibt es an dieser Stelle keine Leseempfehlung meinerseits.
August 6, 2017
Éste es el libro de la saga que menos me ha gustado.
May 12, 2019
The Night World
Dark Angel
L. J. Smith
Gillian Lennox didn’t mean to die that day.
Plot.
Gillian is a sixteen year old girl whom is practically invisible to everyone around her, except her best friend Amy.
One day on her way home from school she hears a child crying in the snow drenched woods, so Gillian heads in to try and find this child, but then she slips and falls into an ice cold river and dies.
Until she is brought back by an Angel, who wants to be called Angel.
Gillian now alive and a Guardian Angel whispering in her ear, things begin to change.
She has two goals in life:
1. get David Blackburn to fall in love with her
2. got go to a party usually for the populars
Angel says he can make these things happen.
What I Liked.
I liked that unlike the other books in the Night World so far, the female lead knows nothing of her heritage, and the enemy uses it to try and turn her bad.
This is a switch up from the guy is good and wants to protect her.
What I Didn’t Like.
Gillian is rather shallow, she believes pretty popular people get everything, have great lives, so she wants to be one... it’s eugh.
Overall.
This is one of the better books.
Rather enjoyable. Read it it one sitting.
4/5*
Dark Angel
L. J. Smith
Gillian Lennox didn’t mean to die that day.
Plot.
Gillian is a sixteen year old girl whom is practically invisible to everyone around her, except her best friend Amy.
One day on her way home from school she hears a child crying in the snow drenched woods, so Gillian heads in to try and find this child, but then she slips and falls into an ice cold river and dies.
Until she is brought back by an Angel, who wants to be called Angel.
Gillian now alive and a Guardian Angel whispering in her ear, things begin to change.
She has two goals in life:
1. get David Blackburn to fall in love with her
2. got go to a party usually for the populars
Angel says he can make these things happen.
What I Liked.
I liked that unlike the other books in the Night World so far, the female lead knows nothing of her heritage, and the enemy uses it to try and turn her bad.
This is a switch up from the guy is good and wants to protect her.
What I Didn’t Like.
Gillian is rather shallow, she believes pretty popular people get everything, have great lives, so she wants to be one... it’s eugh.
Overall.
This is one of the better books.
Rather enjoyable. Read it it one sitting.
4/5*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2017
This book was tough to get through. The beginning was exciting and eventuality for the first couple of chapters. But then the book just didn’t go anywhere. The next couple chapters were just about Gillian gaining popularity and getting noticed. And then more chapters after that. And then it got to the point where I almost put the book down and was going to consider it a DNF. -BUT- I’m glad I didn’t. The ending was almost worth the drawn out boring middle. The last 4-5 chapters were exciting again! The story picked up and things were starting to come together and questions were getting answered! Unfortunately to me, it just felt rushed and like a last ditch effort to finish the book and tie up the ends.
July 9, 2020
This story at first almost confused me. I was wondering what it might have to so with the Night world. But as the story grew it made more since. I think out of the whole book I only liked the ending it. It was quite beautiful. But as in all it wasnt my favorite. I didn't like the character Gillian. But I still enjoyed this story. I love how they are all different. But they still collide together with the Night World.
January 9, 2025
Secret Vampire ★★★
Daughters of Darkness ★★★★.5
Spellbinder★★★.5
Dark Angel ★★.5
Gary 🥰
David 🤨
No había puesto nada relevante salvo que la trama no estuvo tan increíble y que en lugar de darle un interés amoroso increíble a la protagonista, y que aparte estaba en bandeja de plata, la autora decidió darle un novio todo aburrido e insípido sin siquiera haber creado una relación.... válida con la chica. Como en los libros anteriores, que si hay más interacción entre intereses amorosos.
Daughters of Darkness ★★★★.5
Spellbinder★★★.5
Dark Angel ★★.5
Gary 🥰
David 🤨
No había puesto nada relevante salvo que la trama no estuvo tan increíble y que en lugar de darle un interés amoroso increíble a la protagonista, y que aparte estaba en bandeja de plata, la autora decidió darle un novio todo aburrido e insípido sin siquiera haber creado una relación.... válida con la chica. Como en los libros anteriores, que si hay más interacción entre intereses amorosos.
May 27, 2025
By far my favorite in the series so far! I read it in one sitting. I thought the beginning was actually pretty fantastic—unique and shocking. It had its ridiculous moments, like a haircut suddenly making you the most popular girl in school. But overall all the stuff with Angel was just a really intriguing story and I really enjoyed it!
November 5, 2022
I remember not liking this one that much when I first read these, seems that still stands.
August 27, 2020
Well this one is a little darker then the rest. I liked the idea of the Angel but I started to guess it wasn't a angel from about half way. Gillian seemed very easy to manipulate but I like the fact that after she was brought back to life she used it as an excuse to re-invent herself. The more of this series I'm reading the more i want to read it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2012
3 stars.
Not quite done with this one yet but I've realized that this is the one Night World book I haven't read yet. All of the others I've read at least once.
6/20/2012 Part A - So far my one major problem with this installment is that it's not until half way through the book that the Night World is mentioned. Since this is a Night World book I have an issue with that. Not much happens in this first half either. It's mostly Gillian, with her guardian angel, Angel, changing her image and becoming a part of the popular crowd. That's all I have right now, but I'll finish my review once I finish the book.
6/20/2012 Part B - Well I finished it and this one was a bit disappointing. There wasn't much of the Night World in this installment. Half of the book was devoted to Gillian changing her image and getting popular. The last half was more interesting but we're kind of left hanging on a couple of things. Gary (Angel), mentioned that Daryl had a secret, but we never find out what it is. There's a story line with Gillian's mother that doesn't get completely resolved. Hopefully these threads will be mentioned/touched in the other books.
Overall this was ok and I'd recommend it if you want to read all of them but this one doesn't really add anything new to the world. If I remember correctly the next one is better.
Not quite done with this one yet but I've realized that this is the one Night World book I haven't read yet. All of the others I've read at least once.
6/20/2012 Part A - So far my one major problem with this installment is that it's not until half way through the book that the Night World is mentioned. Since this is a Night World book I have an issue with that. Not much happens in this first half either. It's mostly Gillian, with her guardian angel, Angel, changing her image and becoming a part of the popular crowd. That's all I have right now, but I'll finish my review once I finish the book.
6/20/2012 Part B - Well I finished it and this one was a bit disappointing. There wasn't much of the Night World in this installment. Half of the book was devoted to Gillian changing her image and getting popular. The last half was more interesting but we're kind of left hanging on a couple of things. Gary (Angel), mentioned that Daryl had a secret, but we never find out what it is. There's a story line with Gillian's mother that doesn't get completely resolved. Hopefully these threads will be mentioned/touched in the other books.
Overall this was ok and I'd recommend it if you want to read all of them but this one doesn't really add anything new to the world. If I remember correctly the next one is better.
September 8, 2015
This is the most disappointing book in the series. As someone has already said in this book Night World is very little. I was a little disappointed with this book, as I wanted to know more about Night World.
Oh one thing good was a little cameo by Ash!! Our heart-stopper Ah! *sighs* He is reformed here but would have loved more of him too.. :D
The first half of the book was just about Gillian and her angel and her change from timid invisible girl to the popular girl. It was little irritating as no Night World was here. We don't get even a glimpse of them. I hated Gillian for all the things she did. She was totally immature. The first half was a drag and then come part two.
The part two had so many things.. We finally meet some Night World people. And we learn that her angel was not really an angel but a spirit-witch names Gary. He was absolutely gorgeous though... *winks*
David was the perfect guy who is good in sports and dates the hottest chic in the class. But also very sweet guy if you may say so..
The end was very sweet.. the boook somewhat redeemed itself. But, this is the weakest book in the series...
Oh one thing good was a little cameo by Ash!! Our heart-stopper Ah! *sighs* He is reformed here but would have loved more of him too.. :D
The first half of the book was just about Gillian and her angel and her change from timid invisible girl to the popular girl. It was little irritating as no Night World was here. We don't get even a glimpse of them. I hated Gillian for all the things she did. She was totally immature. The first half was a drag and then come part two.
The part two had so many things.. We finally meet some Night World people. And we learn that her angel was not really an angel but a spirit-witch names Gary. He was absolutely gorgeous though... *winks*
David was the perfect guy who is good in sports and dates the hottest chic in the class. But also very sweet guy if you may say so..
The end was very sweet.. the boook somewhat redeemed itself. But, this is the weakest book in the series...
July 19, 2020
I didn't remember this one very well at all. I did remember that 'Angel' was not good though! Poor Gillian!
March 15, 2011
Gillian and Angel. A superb book to read even though the storyline was simple. This is one of my favourite Nightworld books though. Perhaps it's because I was intrigued by Gillian's near-death experience and Angel's mysterious appearance. Is he a good angel or bad angel? Or is he really an angel?
May 4, 2011
(Im a spoiler(and 'spoiler' is just an understatement)!!..Beware)
A Guardian angel who saves a human girl.Guides her from shy-girl to the most popular at school..but it all comes at a price.
Ending: Angel passed on to The Other side.Gillian and David are soulmates.
Characters:
Gillian Lennox: witch..Circle Midnight(didnt know until Angel told her),hears a child's crie and walks into the snowy woods and falls into a icy river and dies by hypothermia(but on her way to heaven she meets an angel that tells her its not time and takes her back to earth),sixteen,four-foot nine,short pale hair,delicate face,pretty bone structure,pale skin,slender,deep-violet eyes,loves Cup Noodles,when touhing Anegl she feels a shock(a sign that they're soul-mates),lived in Hazel Street,goes to Rachel Carson High School, junior,cut her hair short(she looks more older and sophisicated..like a Parisian model),changes her outfits,overheard Tanya's plan with Angel's help,was the reason why the windows broke in her house and at school(she got angry and lashed out without knowing she had powers),used her powers to stop Tanya and Kimberly from going through their plan(made Tanya get a bad rash so she wouldnt use her hand..and Kim to get a sore throat. Temporarily for both. Voo-doo dolls+ peices of hair),soul-mate of David,kissed David for the first time in the hospital,tells David everything once she realizes they're soulmates,goes to Melusine to get help to heal Kim and Tanya and kill Angel(or at least send him away),has a plan to get Angel back to the other side: Finds out more about him when he was alive..Finishes the unfinished business that keeps him in the in-between place..and convinces him to cross all the way over,told Paula's parents about her death in the woods(fake story).
Mrs.Lennox: witch,drinks and is usually asleep,argues with her husband,dark blond hair.
Mr.Lennox: argues with his wife,left Gillian and the mother the night Gillian almost died(while she was asleep).
Amy Nowick: left Gillian at school and drove away with her new boyfriend(cuasing Gillian to take the road),sixteen,straight A-student,dark short hair..cropped close in back and full in front,five-foot,large..limpid blue eyes,needs glasses but doesnt want one,sweet face,drives a Geo,lets Gillian borrow her car and walks home.
Eugene Elfred: Amy's new boyfriend.
Angel/Gary Fargeon: an guardian angel that sent Gillian back to earth,warlock(Circle Midnight),an angel(thats what Gillian thought at first),tall,young guy(seventeen),drop-dead gorgeous,had a face like some ancient Greek sculpture,graceful body,strong shoulders,hair like unburnished gold,violet eyes with long golden lashes,feels a shock when touching Gillian(a sign that they're soulmates),can read Gillian's mind,helps Gillian become popular,can do mindmessages through Gillian's head,calls Gillian 'dragonfly',tells Gillian about her heritage,led Gillian to one of the NightWorld dubs(w/ vamps..werewolfs..witches), wants David to die so he can take possession over David's body,made Gillian and David get in a car accident with a phone-pole(David got hurt..which is what Angel wanted),lied to Gillian about them being soulmates,when Gillian died he pretended to be the welcomer to lead Gillian from the between place between Earth and The Other side..he sent Gillian back before a real angel can come(that was the thing that was whooshing at her when she was leaving)..he held on to her and whooshed along out into the real world with her and now hes free to interact with anybody/move objects&hurt people,a unhappy spirit,from Sterback,died when seventeen(was drunk and had a car crash),Gillian's distant cousin,Emmeth's great-grandson,wanted Gillian dead so she can join him(he was lonely),his unfinished business was he killed a person(Paula Belizer),showed gillian where he buried the little girl's body,moved on to The Other Side(he had to get forgivness first).
David Blackburn: Gillian's crush,popular,was the one who pulled over to drive Gillian home after her encounter with death,dark hair,lean face that still had traces of a summer tan,cheekbones to die for and dark brown eyes to drown in,a certain elegance of carriage,drives a Mustang,lived in Hazel Street,offered to give Gillian rides home from then on,senior,goes to Rachel Carson High School,starts liking Gillian once she changes her looks and herself,has a reputation as tough guys, dumped Tanya(overheard the convo between Gillian and Tanya..which was about Tanya flirting with other guys and the rumor),wants to get in Ohio University,takes Gillian out to get a christmas tree,worried about Tanya,got unconcious when getting hit in a car accident with Gillian,kissed Gillian for the first time in the hospital,Gillian's real soulmate,knows about the NightWorld and Angel,experienced what Gillian did with dying and being sent back but this time it was by a real angel,helps Gillian find Paula's body and report it to her parents,saw Gary's spirit.
Tanya Jun: David's girlfriend,smart and evil,interrupted David while he was trying to take Gillian's swater off(so she can go take a hot bath after her almost near-death),glossy dark hair,almond-shaped gray eyes,popular, senior,goes to Rachel Carson High School,strict,was the one starting rumors about Gillian,takes marketing ed,been fooling around with Bruce Faber(as in flirting),was in an arguement with Gillian and David heard it all,on the Centralia relief committee and the Food Cupboard project,got dumped by david,made a plan to ruin both David and Gillian: Shes going to write a letter to all the important people that could get David into the university he wants to go into..shes going to write he cheated on his english paper(that he bought it..which is true) and have Kim spread the rumor to the whole school,got a bad rash,hated by alot of people,had to be taken to the hospital.
J. Z. Oberlin: girl at school who worked as a model and looked like a Calvin Klein ad,hazy blue-green eyes,sexy and blank,has really short hair,goes to Rachel Carson HS,popular,doesnt like Tanya.
Bruce Faber: player,loves girls,athlete,tawny hair and his blue-gray eyes and tall football build.
Amanda Spengler: Bruce's girlfriend,cheerleader,shiny-brown hair,doesnt like Tanya.
Macon Kingsley: rich,hair was brown and styled,green eyes hooded,and there was something cruel to the sensual droop of his mouth,vaguely creepy,was the person Gillian picked to share textbook with(she pretended to lose one),had a party dedicated to Gillian.
Cory Zablinski: who was Cory the Party Guy because he constantly seemed to be arranging..going to..or just recovering from parties,wiry and hyper,with foxy brown hair and darting fox-colored eyes,had more personality than looks,friendly.
Mr. Leveret: the biology teacher.
Kimberlee Cherry: Kim the Gymnast,the bubbly,sparkly little dynamo with her sun-blond curls and her baby-blue eyes,popular,usually starts all rumors at the school,had to agree to help Tanya go with her plan,got a sore throat and couldnt talk.
Steffi Lockhart: the Singer,with her cafe au lait skin and her soulful amber eyes.
Daryl Novak: a languid girl with sloe eyes and drooping contemptuous lashes,in journalism class,rich Girl,weary World Traveler,popular, takes art,gets Amy to leave school to wait for Gillian(a favor she did for Gillian).
Ms. Renquist: the English lit teacher.
Elspeth: was born a witch(just didnt know her heritage cause she didnt grow up with her family),Gillian's great grandma,lives in England,white hair and white glasses,violet eyes,grew up in England..but she was born American,was only a year old when she was separated from her big sister Edith..who was raising her,one of the Harmans.
Emmeth: Elspeth's twin brother,has violet eyes.
Edith: witch,Elspeth's older sister,became the witch leader(the Crone).
Melusine: witch(Circle Twilight),nineteen and had dark brown hair and an interesting face..it was quite ordinary in shape and structure-a country girl sort of face-but the eyes were unusually vivid and intense,works at a store in Woodbridge,sells the things Gillian needs to stop Tanya's plan,right leg was missing from the knee down,helps Gillian heal Tanya and Kim,helps Gillian try to find a way to send Angel back.
Hecate: the Queen of the Witches,incidentally,witches's ancient ruler.
Hellewise: witches are decendants of her.
Maya: lamias are decendants of her.
Ash Redfern: vampire,has a soul-mate(Mary in book 2),a few years older than Gillian,lanky and elegant,ash-blond hair and slightly tilted eyes,was in the dub Gillian went into,knew Gillian was lying about her being a Harman,related to the Harmans,thinks Gillian is a human(she didnt tell him shes a lost witch).
Mrs. Beeler: Gillian's next-door neighbor.
Paula Belizer: died because of Gary/Angel(she was chasing her dogs through the woods while Gary was doing a fire elemental spell there..her dog escaped but not her),a little girl thats been missing over a year,her cry was the one Gillian heard,was buried in the snow by Gillian,nobody found her body yet.
Mr. Belizer: Paula's dad,forgave whoever killed Paula because he knows shes in a better place.
Facts:
-Circle Midnight: group of witches that does powerful spells.
-Circle Twilight: group of witches that do simple spells..as in healing.
-Streptococcus pyogenes.That's a bacteria that'll give a person a rash.
-Soulmates: It's something that happens with people who belong to the Night World. It means that there's only one love for everyone who exists. And when you meet that love, you know them. You know you were meant to be together, and nothing can keep you apart.
A Guardian angel who saves a human girl.Guides her from shy-girl to the most popular at school..but it all comes at a price.
Ending: Angel passed on to The Other side.Gillian and David are soulmates.
Characters:
Gillian Lennox: witch..Circle Midnight(didnt know until Angel told her),hears a child's crie and walks into the snowy woods and falls into a icy river and dies by hypothermia(but on her way to heaven she meets an angel that tells her its not time and takes her back to earth),sixteen,four-foot nine,short pale hair,delicate face,pretty bone structure,pale skin,slender,deep-violet eyes,loves Cup Noodles,when touhing Anegl she feels a shock(a sign that they're soul-mates),lived in Hazel Street,goes to Rachel Carson High School, junior,cut her hair short(she looks more older and sophisicated..like a Parisian model),changes her outfits,overheard Tanya's plan with Angel's help,was the reason why the windows broke in her house and at school(she got angry and lashed out without knowing she had powers),used her powers to stop Tanya and Kimberly from going through their plan(made Tanya get a bad rash so she wouldnt use her hand..and Kim to get a sore throat. Temporarily for both. Voo-doo dolls+ peices of hair),soul-mate of David,kissed David for the first time in the hospital,tells David everything once she realizes they're soulmates,goes to Melusine to get help to heal Kim and Tanya and kill Angel(or at least send him away),has a plan to get Angel back to the other side: Finds out more about him when he was alive..Finishes the unfinished business that keeps him in the in-between place..and convinces him to cross all the way over,told Paula's parents about her death in the woods(fake story).
Mrs.Lennox: witch,drinks and is usually asleep,argues with her husband,dark blond hair.
Mr.Lennox: argues with his wife,left Gillian and the mother the night Gillian almost died(while she was asleep).
Amy Nowick: left Gillian at school and drove away with her new boyfriend(cuasing Gillian to take the road),sixteen,straight A-student,dark short hair..cropped close in back and full in front,five-foot,large..limpid blue eyes,needs glasses but doesnt want one,sweet face,drives a Geo,lets Gillian borrow her car and walks home.
Eugene Elfred: Amy's new boyfriend.
Angel/Gary Fargeon: an guardian angel that sent Gillian back to earth,warlock(Circle Midnight),an angel(thats what Gillian thought at first),tall,young guy(seventeen),drop-dead gorgeous,had a face like some ancient Greek sculpture,graceful body,strong shoulders,hair like unburnished gold,violet eyes with long golden lashes,feels a shock when touching Gillian(a sign that they're soulmates),can read Gillian's mind,helps Gillian become popular,can do mindmessages through Gillian's head,calls Gillian 'dragonfly',tells Gillian about her heritage,led Gillian to one of the NightWorld dubs(w/ vamps..werewolfs..witches), wants David to die so he can take possession over David's body,made Gillian and David get in a car accident with a phone-pole(David got hurt..which is what Angel wanted),lied to Gillian about them being soulmates,when Gillian died he pretended to be the welcomer to lead Gillian from the between place between Earth and The Other side..he sent Gillian back before a real angel can come(that was the thing that was whooshing at her when she was leaving)..he held on to her and whooshed along out into the real world with her and now hes free to interact with anybody/move objects&hurt people,a unhappy spirit,from Sterback,died when seventeen(was drunk and had a car crash),Gillian's distant cousin,Emmeth's great-grandson,wanted Gillian dead so she can join him(he was lonely),his unfinished business was he killed a person(Paula Belizer),showed gillian where he buried the little girl's body,moved on to The Other Side(he had to get forgivness first).
David Blackburn: Gillian's crush,popular,was the one who pulled over to drive Gillian home after her encounter with death,dark hair,lean face that still had traces of a summer tan,cheekbones to die for and dark brown eyes to drown in,a certain elegance of carriage,drives a Mustang,lived in Hazel Street,offered to give Gillian rides home from then on,senior,goes to Rachel Carson High School,starts liking Gillian once she changes her looks and herself,has a reputation as tough guys, dumped Tanya(overheard the convo between Gillian and Tanya..which was about Tanya flirting with other guys and the rumor),wants to get in Ohio University,takes Gillian out to get a christmas tree,worried about Tanya,got unconcious when getting hit in a car accident with Gillian,kissed Gillian for the first time in the hospital,Gillian's real soulmate,knows about the NightWorld and Angel,experienced what Gillian did with dying and being sent back but this time it was by a real angel,helps Gillian find Paula's body and report it to her parents,saw Gary's spirit.
Tanya Jun: David's girlfriend,smart and evil,interrupted David while he was trying to take Gillian's swater off(so she can go take a hot bath after her almost near-death),glossy dark hair,almond-shaped gray eyes,popular, senior,goes to Rachel Carson High School,strict,was the one starting rumors about Gillian,takes marketing ed,been fooling around with Bruce Faber(as in flirting),was in an arguement with Gillian and David heard it all,on the Centralia relief committee and the Food Cupboard project,got dumped by david,made a plan to ruin both David and Gillian: Shes going to write a letter to all the important people that could get David into the university he wants to go into..shes going to write he cheated on his english paper(that he bought it..which is true) and have Kim spread the rumor to the whole school,got a bad rash,hated by alot of people,had to be taken to the hospital.
J. Z. Oberlin: girl at school who worked as a model and looked like a Calvin Klein ad,hazy blue-green eyes,sexy and blank,has really short hair,goes to Rachel Carson HS,popular,doesnt like Tanya.
Bruce Faber: player,loves girls,athlete,tawny hair and his blue-gray eyes and tall football build.
Amanda Spengler: Bruce's girlfriend,cheerleader,shiny-brown hair,doesnt like Tanya.
Macon Kingsley: rich,hair was brown and styled,green eyes hooded,and there was something cruel to the sensual droop of his mouth,vaguely creepy,was the person Gillian picked to share textbook with(she pretended to lose one),had a party dedicated to Gillian.
Cory Zablinski: who was Cory the Party Guy because he constantly seemed to be arranging..going to..or just recovering from parties,wiry and hyper,with foxy brown hair and darting fox-colored eyes,had more personality than looks,friendly.
Mr. Leveret: the biology teacher.
Kimberlee Cherry: Kim the Gymnast,the bubbly,sparkly little dynamo with her sun-blond curls and her baby-blue eyes,popular,usually starts all rumors at the school,had to agree to help Tanya go with her plan,got a sore throat and couldnt talk.
Steffi Lockhart: the Singer,with her cafe au lait skin and her soulful amber eyes.
Daryl Novak: a languid girl with sloe eyes and drooping contemptuous lashes,in journalism class,rich Girl,weary World Traveler,popular, takes art,gets Amy to leave school to wait for Gillian(a favor she did for Gillian).
Ms. Renquist: the English lit teacher.
Elspeth: was born a witch(just didnt know her heritage cause she didnt grow up with her family),Gillian's great grandma,lives in England,white hair and white glasses,violet eyes,grew up in England..but she was born American,was only a year old when she was separated from her big sister Edith..who was raising her,one of the Harmans.
Emmeth: Elspeth's twin brother,has violet eyes.
Edith: witch,Elspeth's older sister,became the witch leader(the Crone).
Melusine: witch(Circle Twilight),nineteen and had dark brown hair and an interesting face..it was quite ordinary in shape and structure-a country girl sort of face-but the eyes were unusually vivid and intense,works at a store in Woodbridge,sells the things Gillian needs to stop Tanya's plan,right leg was missing from the knee down,helps Gillian heal Tanya and Kim,helps Gillian try to find a way to send Angel back.
Hecate: the Queen of the Witches,incidentally,witches's ancient ruler.
Hellewise: witches are decendants of her.
Maya: lamias are decendants of her.
Ash Redfern: vampire,has a soul-mate(Mary in book 2),a few years older than Gillian,lanky and elegant,ash-blond hair and slightly tilted eyes,was in the dub Gillian went into,knew Gillian was lying about her being a Harman,related to the Harmans,thinks Gillian is a human(she didnt tell him shes a lost witch).
Mrs. Beeler: Gillian's next-door neighbor.
Paula Belizer: died because of Gary/Angel(she was chasing her dogs through the woods while Gary was doing a fire elemental spell there..her dog escaped but not her),a little girl thats been missing over a year,her cry was the one Gillian heard,was buried in the snow by Gillian,nobody found her body yet.
Mr. Belizer: Paula's dad,forgave whoever killed Paula because he knows shes in a better place.
Facts:
-Circle Midnight: group of witches that does powerful spells.
-Circle Twilight: group of witches that do simple spells..as in healing.
-Streptococcus pyogenes.That's a bacteria that'll give a person a rash.
-Soulmates: It's something that happens with people who belong to the Night World. It means that there's only one love for everyone who exists. And when you meet that love, you know them. You know you were meant to be together, and nothing can keep you apart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 7, 2020
While this wasn’t one of the best of the Night World books, you can definitely see Smith getting more comfortable with writing the world she’s created, and that alone raises the book’s standing in my eyes. It’s a good thing, too, because while the previous books have all dealt with people who are very much in the centre of the Night World society, Dark Angel deals with Gillian, a rather shy and reserved girl who only discovers that she’s part of a lost witch family thanks to a guardian spirit she calls Angel. The book brushes the edges of the Night World, for the most part, never really taking the plunge, and it makes for interesting reading, and a surprise departure from what I came to expect from the novels.
Gillian meets Angel during her near-death experience, and when he returns with her to the world of the living, he does assume the role of a guardian to her, helping her to improve her life by gaining popularity and the guy she’s had a crush on for years. She learns that popularity has its downsides, however, and in trying to quash somebody’s revenge scheme, she learns from Angel that she is actually a witch and can cast spells, thus leading her to curse the perpetrators of said revenge fantasy. Blindly following Angel’s instructions, though, the curse was out of proportion to the crime, and was the first hint that Angel might not be as divine as she thinks.
Smith does a very good job of showing the balance behind things, and not falling prey to stereotyping, something I see a lot of when it comes to dealing with the so-called “popular crowd” in YA novels. It’s a little cheesy, I admit, but Gillian learns that being popular will not solve all of her problems, but it’s not done in a way that feels over the top. Some people in the popular crowd are there because people fear them too much to show how much they’re not liked. Others turn out to be quite nice people, with problems of their own. Many YA novels I’ve read have the portrayal of popular people as beautiful teens who are nearly always mean under a thin glaze of niceness, with maybe one or two genuinely nice people in the whole bunch, who inevitably become the main character’s close and true friends. There’s more variety shown here, with more instances of people being people, truly varied creatures with more depth than many authors give teens credit for.
The romance was also quite interesting. Angel insists he’s Gillian’s soulmate, and will do just about anything to help her. Gillian is more interested in David, and takes Angel’s advice on how to attract his attention. Gillian even thinks to herself at one point that there’s no denying she loves both David and Angel, each somewhat differently but no less deeply than the other, which is wonderful to see in teenage fiction, especially in a story in which One True Love actually exists.
If it had any great failing, it was that it did nothing to really further the overarching plot of the entire Night World series. It revealed precious little that the previous three novels hadn’t told us, and what it did reveal it did so in passing, and then right at the end. It seemed to have little place in the continuum of the larger story, and much like Daughters of Darkness, it could have been skipped without any great loss to the reader.
Though it wasn’t the greatest book in the series, it definitely did have its good points, and I was pleased to see some real depth to the character, especially when you consider just how short the book is. But as I said previously, it can be skipped without much worry if what you want is to see how the series progresses. “Take it or leave it” is my final verdict, unless you’re a completionist and can’t bear to skip a book in a series.
Gillian meets Angel during her near-death experience, and when he returns with her to the world of the living, he does assume the role of a guardian to her, helping her to improve her life by gaining popularity and the guy she’s had a crush on for years. She learns that popularity has its downsides, however, and in trying to quash somebody’s revenge scheme, she learns from Angel that she is actually a witch and can cast spells, thus leading her to curse the perpetrators of said revenge fantasy. Blindly following Angel’s instructions, though, the curse was out of proportion to the crime, and was the first hint that Angel might not be as divine as she thinks.
Smith does a very good job of showing the balance behind things, and not falling prey to stereotyping, something I see a lot of when it comes to dealing with the so-called “popular crowd” in YA novels. It’s a little cheesy, I admit, but Gillian learns that being popular will not solve all of her problems, but it’s not done in a way that feels over the top. Some people in the popular crowd are there because people fear them too much to show how much they’re not liked. Others turn out to be quite nice people, with problems of their own. Many YA novels I’ve read have the portrayal of popular people as beautiful teens who are nearly always mean under a thin glaze of niceness, with maybe one or two genuinely nice people in the whole bunch, who inevitably become the main character’s close and true friends. There’s more variety shown here, with more instances of people being people, truly varied creatures with more depth than many authors give teens credit for.
The romance was also quite interesting. Angel insists he’s Gillian’s soulmate, and will do just about anything to help her. Gillian is more interested in David, and takes Angel’s advice on how to attract his attention. Gillian even thinks to herself at one point that there’s no denying she loves both David and Angel, each somewhat differently but no less deeply than the other, which is wonderful to see in teenage fiction, especially in a story in which One True Love actually exists.
If it had any great failing, it was that it did nothing to really further the overarching plot of the entire Night World series. It revealed precious little that the previous three novels hadn’t told us, and what it did reveal it did so in passing, and then right at the end. It seemed to have little place in the continuum of the larger story, and much like Daughters of Darkness, it could have been skipped without any great loss to the reader.
Though it wasn’t the greatest book in the series, it definitely did have its good points, and I was pleased to see some real depth to the character, especially when you consider just how short the book is. But as I said previously, it can be skipped without much worry if what you want is to see how the series progresses. “Take it or leave it” is my final verdict, unless you’re a completionist and can’t bear to skip a book in a series.
February 6, 2019
Dark Angel is the best of the Night World novels thus far, though I am perhaps bias because I can relate to the character of Gillian so much. As someone who was lonely and bullied for most of their childhood and teen years, it's easy to relate to a girl who feels invisible, like she has no chance at being loved, who's home life is falling apart, who feels like maybe dying is the answer... Gillian's arc is short and somewhat sudden, but still resonates with me.
Some people might think that she was rather petty to begin with, the little jabs like wanting her friend to feel guilty for forgetting about her, her mom to feel bad for being absent and unaware as she nearly died, being willing to hurt Tanya and Kimberly for their spiteful plot to hurt David... but it think this sort of response is more realistic than the ultra saintly act that a lot of books want their heroines to be. Gillian is ultimately a good person because when she realizes the extent of what Angel's been making her do, she stops cold and tries to remedy it. If Gillian was really a bad person, letting Angel's darkness flow freely wouldn't have been difficult for her to do.
I do suppose that, in terms of supernatural elements, this book is one of the weaker because Gillian is a lost witch and that her being drawn into this maybe could have been shown to have been more as a result of latent powers emerging and not just Gary knowing that Gillian was his distant cousin, a witch, and that he could use that to his advantage for his own goals. Like if Gillian had showed her powers, had a bad day at school, then had to walk home and all this happened, then it would have worked in her witch heritage a little better.
But that's neither here nor there. This was a decent read and I currently rank it highest, but it's nothing special or great. The ending was super abrupt and repetitive, the story moved lightning fast, instalove strikes again, etc. Well, I suppose it's instalove for David because Gillian has loved him since she was like 12, but because the book uses the "heroine's already in love" narrative it makes the entire romance feel like that.
Anyway, a very quick read! These books are all like 300 pages or less and super rapid fire and simple, so multiple books as easy to consume. Definitely the kind of cheap paperback teens bought for a fun, easy read that bordered on the titilating.
I do want to mention that Gary is Gillian's distant cousin (his great great grandfather and her great great grandmother or something were siblings) and he like, is romantically interested in her, so, there's that, though, uh, fun fact, in the united states there are still many states that allow first cousin marriage and if they don't, basically all others allow marriage by cousins with a farther relation than that. Yikes! Did Darwin's own lesson in humility teach us nothing? Tsk tsk.)
Some people might think that she was rather petty to begin with, the little jabs like wanting her friend to feel guilty for forgetting about her, her mom to feel bad for being absent and unaware as she nearly died, being willing to hurt Tanya and Kimberly for their spiteful plot to hurt David... but it think this sort of response is more realistic than the ultra saintly act that a lot of books want their heroines to be. Gillian is ultimately a good person because when she realizes the extent of what Angel's been making her do, she stops cold and tries to remedy it. If Gillian was really a bad person, letting Angel's darkness flow freely wouldn't have been difficult for her to do.
I do suppose that, in terms of supernatural elements, this book is one of the weaker because Gillian is a lost witch and that her being drawn into this maybe could have been shown to have been more as a result of latent powers emerging and not just Gary knowing that Gillian was his distant cousin, a witch, and that he could use that to his advantage for his own goals. Like if Gillian had showed her powers, had a bad day at school, then had to walk home and all this happened, then it would have worked in her witch heritage a little better.
But that's neither here nor there. This was a decent read and I currently rank it highest, but it's nothing special or great. The ending was super abrupt and repetitive, the story moved lightning fast, instalove strikes again, etc. Well, I suppose it's instalove for David because Gillian has loved him since she was like 12, but because the book uses the "heroine's already in love" narrative it makes the entire romance feel like that.
Anyway, a very quick read! These books are all like 300 pages or less and super rapid fire and simple, so multiple books as easy to consume. Definitely the kind of cheap paperback teens bought for a fun, easy read that bordered on the titilating.
I do want to mention that Gary is Gillian's distant cousin (his great great grandfather and her great great grandmother or something were siblings) and he like, is romantically interested in her, so, there's that, though, uh, fun fact, in the united states there are still many states that allow first cousin marriage and if they don't, basically all others allow marriage by cousins with a farther relation than that. Yikes! Did Darwin's own lesson in humility teach us nothing? Tsk tsk.)
February 6, 2022
Re-read. Here's the fourth installment of LJ Smith's Night World series - and what's funny to me to realize about this book now is that it's marketed as not really about the soulmate thing at all - or even about the Night World on its face. Instead, based on the back cover copy, we have the story of Gillian, who has a near-death experience and comes back with an angel protector - or maybe not, based on his "bizarre demands." Gillian must figure out, with "David, the boy she's loved for years," who and what this Angel character is about.
Maybe it's this disconnect from the world that Smith has been developing that makes me remember it, slightly disappointed, as "oh, that one."
Of course you know Smith is going to find a way to tie this story into the Night World, but for a good two-thirds to three-quarters of this book, we are treated to 1) a detailed description of Gillian's creepy accidental near-death, 2) Gillian's insta-makeover and one-day-turnaround from mousey nobody to pinnacle of the popular. For #2 most of it is engineered by Angel, the ethereal being who appears as a stunningly attractive boy with "eyes as violet as [Gillian's] own," and who's whispering secrets and bits of dialogue for Gillian to parrot back. It's through these - somewhat unfair - machinations that Gillian catches David's eye.
Listen, I'm not going to quibble with the way that Smith ultimately ties us back into the Night World proper - it's a bit of a stretch but ya know, it's not like these books are super-realistic, so okay, fine. What I am less impressed with in this particular story is just how easy things are for Gillian. She gets to be 1) beautiful, 2) popular, 3) get the boy, 4) . Her arc is helping Angel, I guess? And tbh, I wasn't sure that character had earned it other than helping him was "the right thing to do."
Soooo ultimately: maybe this is a cool story, but maybe also Smith should have expanded it and made it into its own thing? It does seem like a rather strange fit in the soulmate-focused Night World series, even though by the end of the book we have a new member on the board.
Maybe it's this disconnect from the world that Smith has been developing that makes me remember it, slightly disappointed, as "oh, that one."
Of course you know Smith is going to find a way to tie this story into the Night World, but for a good two-thirds to three-quarters of this book, we are treated to 1) a detailed description of Gillian's creepy accidental near-death, 2) Gillian's insta-makeover and one-day-turnaround from mousey nobody to pinnacle of the popular. For #2 most of it is engineered by Angel, the ethereal being who appears as a stunningly attractive boy with "eyes as violet as [Gillian's] own," and who's whispering secrets and bits of dialogue for Gillian to parrot back. It's through these - somewhat unfair - machinations that Gillian catches David's eye.
Listen, I'm not going to quibble with the way that Smith ultimately ties us back into the Night World proper - it's a bit of a stretch but ya know, it's not like these books are super-realistic, so okay, fine. What I am less impressed with in this particular story is just how easy things are for Gillian. She gets to be 1) beautiful, 2) popular, 3) get the boy, 4) . Her arc is helping Angel, I guess? And tbh, I wasn't sure that character had earned it other than helping him was "the right thing to do."
Soooo ultimately: maybe this is a cool story, but maybe also Smith should have expanded it and made it into its own thing? It does seem like a rather strange fit in the soulmate-focused Night World series, even though by the end of the book we have a new member on the board.
November 26, 2018
Plot
Gillian Lennox is a normal teenager; someone that many teen girls could probably relate too. She's not one of the popular crowd but instead is a shy outcast. Her two goals in life are somewhat superficial: she wants to be popular, and she wants David Blackburn to love her. But then who wasn't superficial when they were a teen? Gillian was walking past a snow-blanketed wood in her home town of Pennsylvania when the sound of crying draws her in to search for a child that could be hurt or lost. On her sudden search Gillian accidentally slips into an icy river. Although she is able to pull herself out, alone in the frozen woods she succumbs to hypothermia and quietly dies. However, as she is about to cross over to the afterlife, she is intercepted by a handsome spirit, calling himself Angel. He insists that it is not Gillian's time, and sends her back, reviving the girl. Angel tells Gillian that he will fulfill her heart's every desire. But when Angel starts making strange and sinister requests, Gillian must question who he truly is and where he came from.
Romance
The pretense and romance were well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors, and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Great story but the romance or lack of, disappointed me.
Character Building
The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more.
Overall
It was really different from the first three books, and I'm so happy. I really enjoyed reading it because it was different. There was still soulmate stuff, but not so extreme. As always, can't wait to read the next books.Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
Gillian Lennox is a normal teenager; someone that many teen girls could probably relate too. She's not one of the popular crowd but instead is a shy outcast. Her two goals in life are somewhat superficial: she wants to be popular, and she wants David Blackburn to love her. But then who wasn't superficial when they were a teen? Gillian was walking past a snow-blanketed wood in her home town of Pennsylvania when the sound of crying draws her in to search for a child that could be hurt or lost. On her sudden search Gillian accidentally slips into an icy river. Although she is able to pull herself out, alone in the frozen woods she succumbs to hypothermia and quietly dies. However, as she is about to cross over to the afterlife, she is intercepted by a handsome spirit, calling himself Angel. He insists that it is not Gillian's time, and sends her back, reviving the girl. Angel tells Gillian that he will fulfill her heart's every desire. But when Angel starts making strange and sinister requests, Gillian must question who he truly is and where he came from.
Romance
The pretense and romance were well balanced and done with properly distributed amounts of hints, behaviors, and chemistry. Not so much predictable if at all. Great story but the romance or lack of, disappointed me.
Character Building
The characters are well developed, interesting. The liked characters are likable and the hated are unlikable. The writing is captivating enough to keep you interested until the end and leave you wanting more.
Overall
It was really different from the first three books, and I'm so happy. I really enjoyed reading it because it was different. There was still soulmate stuff, but not so extreme. As always, can't wait to read the next books.Overall, loved it, I recommend reading!!
March 2, 2017
General review, spoiler-free:
The Night World is the world with every dark creature you can imagine. Every "fictional" creature you know came from somewhere: The Night World.
Now, something weird, even for the Night World, is happening. Soulmates are appearing again. Two beings so connected, they are just meant to be. Every story of this series meant to culminate with the end of the world as we know focuses on different characters and how all these end up meeting.
Amazing narrative. Interesting characters and quite outstanding the the 90s (if I say so myself). Love stories for love sick people. Awesome mythology.
Here my rating of favorites (A to C). All of them are good, but some are better than others. So I have A) the ones I love most, B) the special ones and C) the rest, the lovely ones but now outstanding in comparison.
Secret Vampire (#1) - C: Nice introduction to the world and a good view of how the series work, if you read after book 2.
Daughters of Darkness (#2) - A: Special pairing and development for me personal, I adore it. The one I've read the most. CUTE ROMANCE ALERT 1!
Spellbinder (#3) -
Dark Angel (#4) - B: Most interesting development of independent plot, this is a special.
The Chosen (#5) - B: Really good subplot and secondary characters, makes you want more!
Soulmate (#6) A: I love the characters and how the idea of soulmates is explained. CUTEST ROMANCE ALERT 2!!! And one more mystery but it's a spoiler.
Huntress (#7) C: So much fun!
Black Dawn (#8) B: Lovely characters and idea. Cute romance alert!!!
Witchlight (#9) B: Good character development and a better feeling about shapeshifters.
Strange Fate (#10) -
The Night World is the world with every dark creature you can imagine. Every "fictional" creature you know came from somewhere: The Night World.
Now, something weird, even for the Night World, is happening. Soulmates are appearing again. Two beings so connected, they are just meant to be. Every story of this series meant to culminate with the end of the world as we know focuses on different characters and how all these end up meeting.
Amazing narrative. Interesting characters and quite outstanding the the 90s (if I say so myself). Love stories for love sick people. Awesome mythology.
Here my rating of favorites (A to C). All of them are good, but some are better than others. So I have A) the ones I love most, B) the special ones and C) the rest, the lovely ones but now outstanding in comparison.
Secret Vampire (#1) - C: Nice introduction to the world and a good view of how the series work, if you read after book 2.
Daughters of Darkness (#2) - A: Special pairing and development for me personal, I adore it. The one I've read the most. CUTE ROMANCE ALERT 1!
Spellbinder (#3) -
Dark Angel (#4) - B: Most interesting development of independent plot, this is a special.
The Chosen (#5) - B: Really good subplot and secondary characters, makes you want more!
Soulmate (#6) A: I love the characters and how the idea of soulmates is explained. CUTEST ROMANCE ALERT 2!!! And one more mystery but it's a spoiler.
Huntress (#7) C: So much fun!
Black Dawn (#8) B: Lovely characters and idea. Cute romance alert!!!
Witchlight (#9) B: Good character development and a better feeling about shapeshifters.
Strange Fate (#10) -
November 8, 2021
I was going to give 4 out of 5 stars but as soon as I reached the end, it immediately changed to a solid 5/5. It didn't bother me that this was different to the rest of the Nightworld books or that Nightworld wasn't mentioned till well into the second half of the book. The reason why I was gonna give it a 4 was because I didn't dig David that much, he only noticed Jillian after she cut her hair and glammed up and got bold. So what, her being shy wasn't good enough for him. F him. Didnt like that he was her soulmate in the end. Also the cousins thing- Angel seemed to like Gillian in that way even though he knew they were cousins. EW. I know it doesn't bother some people but to me I just find the whole cousins thing ick, no matter how distant. However, the rest of the book is so beautiful, poignant and well woven and well done that it is a solid 5/5, I just loved it. The ending made me burst out into tears, it was such a beautiful deep ending that makes you think really. You end up having sympathy for Gary. And of course Ash making a cameo was a super highlight of this gorgeous book. Honestly I was gripped and read it all in two sittings. To me honestly I think this one is sadly way underrated and not given the appreciation/credit/recognition it deserves
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