NEW from the award-winning author of the UKYA Battle Ground Series! 2024 BBNYA Semi-finalist 2023 Wishing Shelf Book Award Finalist Wishing Shelf Editorial Review: Five Stars How do you live as your most real self in a world that wants to see you fail? Featuring a range of characters as they discover their identities, passions, and relationships, Angels is a university heartbreak story, an exploration of friendship and attraction, and an allegory for the LGBTQ+ experience. It takes courage to find your wings ... Angels have lived among us for as long as we can remember. They don't have powers, but they do have wings. They've always hidden their wings, and who they are – until Kane. Melodie Abbott remembers the day she saw Kane's taboo-shattering billboard. A beautiful model showing his wings on Oxford Street, on a photo as tall as a building. When sixteen-year-old Mel finally meets her idol, disaster strikes. Can she find a way to free herself from his shadow, and what will her future hold? In Rachel Churcher’s new angel-em-up, they don't have powers, but they do have wings, wings which they tend to keep to themselves until one breaks ranks … and from then on, all bets are off. – Dark Matters Book Blog An incredibly relatable cast of characters. Each and every one of them put my heart through the wringer as they found ways to deal with the hands that life had dealt them, and began to understand that a single catastrophic event will shape their lives, but it does not have to define them. – Mai's Musings Book Blog From a Queer point of view … it was good to see the obviously queer characters 'just' treated like any of the other characters, just being them, being happy, scared, worried and in pain, getting on with their lives. – Kevin Walker, author of Queer Folk Tales My heart was in my mouth for much of this book and our young protagonist, Melodie, has much to go through before the end. It is story of coming of age, but at what a price? – Sally Warrell, author of Cherry Pie and other poems A richly told, coming-of-age novel with a fine cast of memorable characters. Highly recommended! – The Wishing Shelf I was so immersed in the plot that I forgot I was reading a book ... a triumphant five stars. – Julia Blake, author of Black Ice A richly told, coming-of-age novel with a fine cast of memorable characters. Highly recommended! I must say, I very much enjoyed this young adult drama from the pen of Rachel Churcher. Over the years, I have enjoyed a number of this author's Battle Ground novels which were excellent, but very different from this latest offering. Angels is the story of, well, angels living amongst us, specifically Kane who showed the world his wings on a billboard! A number of years later, Mel, a sixteen year old girl obsessed by the angel gets to meet him - and that's when the story truly begins! There were a number of elements to this LGBTQ+ and coming-of-age themed novel I particularly enjoyed. Firstly, the author is a strong writer; there's a flow to her words which allows the reader to almost forget the storytelling and focus just on the story. Secondly, although there is a plot here, the focus is almost always on the characters. As a result, there is a considerable depth to them not often found in YA novels. And, thirdly, I loved the originality. This is not your typical paranormal romance; it's better than that, and totally captivating. So, if you happen to be say, 15 - 17 years olds and enjoy character-led novels, I suspect Angels is very much for you. It's in no way an adventure, but it is a compelling coming-of-age story led by the often vulnerable Mel, a protagonist I very much enjoyed getting to know. A 'Wishing Shelf' Book Review This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought: Title: Angels Author: Rachel Churcher Star Rating: 5 Stars Number of Readers: 15 Stats Editing: 10/10 Writing Style: 8/10 Content: 8/10 Cover: 4/5 Of the 15 readers: 14 would read another book by this author. 13 thought the cover was good or excellent. 15 felt it was easy to follow. 14 would recommend this book to another reader to try. Of all the readers, 5 felt the author's strongest skill was 'plotting a story'. Of all the readers, 6 felt the author's strongest skill was 'developing the characters'. Of all the readers, 4 felt the author's strongest skill was 'writing style'. 12 felt the pacing was good or excellent. 14 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted. Readers' Comments "Angels is a fab book for teenagers. The characters jump off the page, and the story is original. I enjoyed it a lot." Male reader, aged 15 "Although the blurb of this book suggests it 'might be 'paranormal', it's no Twilight. It's darker than that with a strong LGBTQ+ plot. It's about identity and equality but it's also a compelling story." Male reader, aged 16 "Loved the premise of 'ange