Branded: Fall of Angels by Keary Taylor

Publication Date: March 4, 2010

Source: Teen Book Scene, Author

Summary from Goodreads:

Night after night, Jessica stands trial before a council of vindictive angels for deeds she didn’t commit. Condemnation brings a branding as they dementedly laugh and point but exaltation starts a war over her soul.These are Jessica’s nightmares.Alex is everything Jessica could ever want and she’ll do anything to be with him. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck.This is what she will fight for.But the nightmares rule Jessica’s life and she must find a way to stop the events that are pulling her toward her own judgment or become the object of her greatest fear. And lose Alex forever.

My Two Cents:

I know I know.....more angels! Angels for some reason have become the big thing in YA. Especially Fallen angels. However this sheds a whole different light on them. I wouldn't actually classify this as an "angel" book. It also has nothing to do with Fallen angels. This is a novel about love, true friendship, and right and wrong.


Main character Jessica is unlike any character I've come across. She's not what we would call "friendly" but she's a great friend. She's not exactly what we would call "boy crazy" but the first guy who she comes across in the book makes her heart flutter. She lived her life keeping this huge secret for fear of being put in the nut house.

The romance between Jessica and Alex happened fairly quickly. But when it does it's so sweet and genuine. I found Alex to be very swoon-worthy. It's almost as if his personality was taken from the Perfect Man list.  Caring? check. Hot? check. Catering? check. Protective? check! 

There was so much more beneath the surface in this one. The trials Jessica had to stand for every time she slept were intense. I found myself holding my own breath to see if she would be cast Up or Down. I definitely was not expecting the ending which is unusual for me. All of the pieces finally fit together and everything made sense. My only issue is that this novel probably could have been a bit shorter because at some parts I found myself skipping a page or two to get to the point. Other than that I enjoyed this ride. I'm looking forward to the sequel Forsaken.

Rating:






In case you missed it, I did get a chance to interview main character Jessica.  Also if you haven't already, make sure you enter my contest to win a signed copy of this book HERE