My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Autumn and the City of Angels is a YA Romance with a dystopian/scifi flavor. It can be compared to works such as The 5th Wave and Collide and I find this a very enjoyable twist on the 'Paranormal Romance' scene, which is slowly taking a backseat and making more room for this kind of work.
The series follows Autumn who's life is thrown upside down when the Crimson fever strikes and takes with it all of her family and friends. Autumn is left with an empty apartment and no direction and ultimately faces the decision to leave her shelter and walk into a world more dangerous then ever. Her first trip does not go well and she eventually gets aid from a guy whom she cannot see. He makes her a promise, he will rescue and take her with him when it is safe to do so. On her second trip for resources after her elicit rescue, she runs into Evie and her brother Ben and they decide to stick together.~ He chuckled quietly. "I Didn't claim to have extra-sensory gifts. Based on what I can hear and feel, I can fill in what I can't see." "Do you want to know what I sense?" " Dare I ask?" I smiled, even though I knew he couldn't see it.
Months go by and when the stranger still has not come for her and they once again get forced to venture out, circumstances separate the group and Autumn is able to find the elusive other band of people, bringing with it a whole lot of other issues.
~ "It was the least I could do to ensure his life not end in his moment of bravery," Grey said in a thoughtful voice. "That's a weird way to put it." "Is it?" he asked. "You could have just said something like, 'no man left behind.'" "I suppose I could have."
~ "It's a small plane. The kind that only seats a few people." I closed my eyes and pressed my face into the crook of his neck as I whispered into his ear. I heard another, louder crack as the pane of glass began to give. "The runway is long, and there's probably tall grass growing through the concrete." "Fòmhair..." I heard Grey whisper. Tears began spilling down my face.
Where as Autumn comes over as a little shallow in the beginning, I find she evolves throughout the book and comes more into her own at the last quarter. This is what has me curious to pick up the next instalment. I am hoping the two authors of this series have continued the trend and that we eventually get a stronger and more focused female lead.
Ben and Evie are a good addition to this story and I found Ben's reactions probably the most relatable. I can not help but feel a little sorry for him and I'm secretively hoping he will have a little bit of a bigger role in the next instalment.
The ending is not entirely surprising. Even though some of their immediate issues are resolved, the bomb that gets dropped at the end (not such a surprising one) leaves this book on a nice little cliffhanger. Personally, I hope this gets resolved swiftly in the sequel Autumn in the Dark Meadows so it can concentrate on some broader issues. The third instalment is called Autumn in the City of Lights and is currently in the make. The first chapter of this can be found here.
Would I recommend it?
Yes I would. All in all it is a very enjoyably read. The writing flows nicely and consistently and have the odd bits of humor shining through. This story would suit the younger YA audience and a great gift for any 13 year old and up.
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About the Authors:
Dana
Melton and Jessica Alexander, who write under the name Kirby Howell,
have been writing together since 2000 when they met as freshman in their
first scriptwriting class at the University of Alabama. Dana, a native
Southerner, quickly showed Jessica the ropes and the joys of living
below the Mason Dixon Line. Having lived in nearly every other part of
the country, it didn't take Jessica long to acclimate to sweet tea,
grits, and football. They both now live in Los Angeles with their
husbands, and work in the television industry.
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