Angel Kiss tells the story of Jacki King, a not-so-typical teenager who moves with her mum from Dublin (Ireland's capital city) to Avarna - a quaint little village where everyone knows everyone else - including their business. Soon though, Jacki begins to realise, through her new found gift, that Avarna and it's people may not be as innocent as they seem. . .
First, I have to say well done to Cassidy for creating such vivid and living characters. Although sometimes there might be too much detail given concerning Jacki - it does help the reader understand her character. Of all the characters in this story, my personal favourite is Jacki's side kick, Colin - he is such 'craic' and was great at lightening the often tense tone of the book. For me personally, reading about Jacki was often quite eery as elements of her life and even her thoughts seemed to reflect my own.
Second, I enjoyed the mixture of thriller with a dash of the paranormal / supernatural within a young adult book - I don't think this is done often enough. In the YA, there is the trend to jump fully into the PR and leave reality behind, but I think Cassidy kept a nice balance and perhaps created a new genre of Rural Fantasy as opposed to Urban ;)
Third, although (from years of watching criminal minds etc.) I had a good idea of who the murderer was (and who it wasn't) I do think Cassidy did a very good job at throwing lots of twists, turns and red herrings to keep the reader guessing till the end. I did think the resolution of the murder plot was very sudden, as there was a slow burn through out the book and then all is revealed in a matter of a few pages. But I did like the summary of the events that followed which brought closure to this storyline. Similarly I think the 'nick' plot could have been developed more but then again I did enjoy that 'nick' wasn't the centre of the book's universe and that he was secondary to the primary plot - which is refreshing in YA.
Finally, I have to say Cassidy did a wonderful job with prologue and epilogue - the thematic/symbolic importance of the number four is haunting and I really enjoyed how she tied the story from the beginning to the end.
So if you're looking for something a little different in the young adult section (especially if you're non-irish) I would recommend Angel Kiss by Laura Jane Cassidy, as it has a nice mixture of thrills, drama and of course supernatural elements with a different cultural backdrop that will provide a unique read.
