Review: Angel Kiss by Laura Jane Cassidy

Book Description via Goodreads:

Paperback, 304 pages

May 5, 2011, Puffin Books (Ireland & UK)

Jacki King is fifteen and adjusting to her new life in a small village. She's missing Dublin but she's making new friends: artistic Colin, feisty Emily - and Nick, gorgeous yet unavailable. But no sooner is Jacki settled than the torturous headaches and nightmares begin - followed by strange visions, voices and signs...Jacki refuses to believe that something paranormal is happening. But then she discovers the unsolved murder that occurred in the village years before ...

Source: Laura Jane Cassidy & Patricia at Puffin Ireland (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

I loved how the mystery side of the novel was balanced with just the right amount of interaction between Jacki and the people around her. She did not lose contact and awareness of the real world amidst the burden of her duty and the onslaught of the severe headaches, visions and dreams. The haunting was not relentless but it came with a steady flow of clues that I found to be creepy. The gaps in between the arrival of these clues were filled with the colorful history and the present of Avarna. Jacki was starting to make friends. Her first friend, Colin, was her key to getting to know the people of Avarna. He was artistic and was pleased by anything related to anime. He proved himself to be a good and dependable friend. He was my favorite character in the novel. He was naturally charming and kindhearted.

Nick, the undeniably handsome but taken guy, caught Jacki’s eyes. Jacki nurtured a crush on him despite his unavailable state. I like that she didn’t give up that easily behaving herself for the sake of Nick’s relationship with Sarah, the prettiest girl in the village. I wanted more between interaction between Nick and Jacki. I felt that there could have been more. She was starting to adjust, to find a place for herself in Avarna when the strange things that were happening to her reached a higher level. Something was happening to her. But Jacki did not know what. The only thing that she knew was that it was not normal – something that she refused to believe.

As the ghost’s calling became more insistent, Jacki had to face the truth: she needed to pay attention to the ghost and help her. With the help of Colin, she tried to gather information. But in a village so small, where people have kept secrets for years, could she manage to get the information she needed to find out who the killer was? I was filled with a sense of familiarity and comfort with the people of Avarna. Cassidy breathed life into them with glimpses into their history. One of the things that I liked was how I could see the past and present of the characters. The decisions they had made, their present and the what-ifs that filled Jacki’s mind made me feel close to them.

Angel Kiss is a creepy mystery that will draw in readers with its charming characters, chilling haunting and flawless writing. I was hooked with Jacki’s life so much, enjoying how she adjusted to the village and how she interacted with people. Then there would be breaks from that, paranormal touches that would make my hair stand on end. I found the flow of the mystery natural. It was the kind that moved in a steady, unhurried pace that would weave around the story, teasing the readers. I recommend this to paranormal readers and mystery readers.

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