Mass Appeal

I love it when I read a book that's aimed at one audience and I find that it fits others as well. I'm sure authors love it, too. In this case I'm talking about yet another teen novel that will be a strong contender for my Best of '09 list. What is it? Lilith Saintcrow's teen debut, Strange Angels.

Granted, I knew this book would be a good because I'm already a fan of the author, but I also know by now that some teen books, while fun, don't really appeal to a lot of adults. This one, I really feel, could tempt many an adult if they just give it a shot. 

Really, with the exception of the fact that the characters are teens, Strange Angels could very well be an adult urban fantasy. I spent my Saturday night curled up with one of the cats and this book, the perfect way to relish an evening with no boys in the house. I was a happy girl. 

In Strange Angels, Dru Anderson finds herself all alone in a new town, certain that someone has intentionally killed her father. Well, gee, he was killed so it must be intentional, right? See Dru and her dad don't live a normal lifestyle. Nope. They're hunters who track down the things that go bump in the night, the things that, as Dru says, exist in the real world. So when Dru's dad goes missing only to turn up as one of the walking dead, Dru knows it was no accident. Dru finds an unlikely friend in a fellow classmate and begins the search for the truth behind her father's last days. In doing so, she will learn much more about her family and herself than she ever imagined. 

I think this is going to be an excellent series. I'm on the edge of my seat wondering what will happen next for Dru and I'm 27, and I know my teenage sisters are going to eat this one up! In fact, I'm already prepared for them to be nagging me about the next book in the series (which hits shelves in 2010. In the meantime, though, Saintcrow (you'll find Strange Angels under Lili St. Crow) has been super busy! The third Jill Kismet book, Redemption Alley, is set for release this July and then Flesh Circus, book four, is due out in December. 

Adult readers who enjoy Saintcrow's other titles will not be disappointed. Urban fantasy fans definitely should check this one out for themselves and their teens.