Author: Lili St. Crow
Publisher: The Penguin Group
Publication date: May 14, 2009
Language: English
Print length: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1595142517
ISBN-13: 978-1595142511
Item Weight: ‎10.9 ounces
Reading age: 12 - 15 years
Dimensions: 5.45 x 0.81 x 8.2 inches
Book 1 of 5: Strange Angels
Grade level: 7 - 9
Lexile measure: HL810L

In Strange Angels, Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)
Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

Grade 9 Up–Sixteen-year-old Dru Anderson has grown up traveling the country with her demon-hunter father. When he tries to tackle a powerful sucker named Sergej in the Dakotas, he is turned into a zombie. After stopping him from killing her, Dru must save herself when she, too, becomes Sergej's target. She is befriended by Graves, a classmate who is quickly bitten and turned into a loup-garou (half werewolf), and meets Christophe, a djamphir (half-vampire vampire hunter). Dru also learns that she is growing into her own special powers. This is the first book in a series, and a large portion of it is spent developing the three lead characters, which occasionally slows down the action. While Graves seems to be the love interest, it is clear that both young men are attractive enough to draw Dru's attention, promising tension in future installments. However, the book is plagued by frequent odd descriptions (a werewolf the size of a Shetland pony and Graves, who is half Asian, described as a half breed), and the choppy pacing is sometimes distracting. Dru's inner monologue is a bit wordy during action scenes as well, which drags down the pace. Despite flaws, the similarities to Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Saga (Little, Brown) will make this book an easy sell (though Dru is, by far, a tougher heroine than Bella, both in her language and her behavior), and the cliff-hanger ending will leave readers eager for the sequel.–Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH

The book grabs readers by the throat, sets hearts beating loudly and never lets go. The first in a series, it will be all too hard to wait for the next. ---Kirkus Reviews