The Day the Angels Fell

REVIEW ONLY -- THIS IS NOT A GIVEAWAY

SMUCKER, SHAWN
THE DAY THE ANGELS FELL

It was the summer of storms and strays and strangers. The summer that lightning struck the big oak tree in the front yard. The summer his mother dies in a tragic accident -- and young Samuel Chambers would have done anything to turn back time. Even today, he can hardly believe it all happened...

Prompted by three strange carnival fortune tellers and the surfacing of his mysterious and reclusive neighbors, Sam begins his search for the Tree of Life -- the only thing that could possibly bring his mother back.

His quest to defeat death will entangle him and his best friend Abra in an ancient conflict, forcing Sam to grapple with an unwelcome question. Could it be possible that death is a gift?

My Review:

Fantasy and the bible collide in this unusual tale of loss. An epic battle between good and evil ensues as twelve-year old Sam opens a proverbial Pandora's box in his quiet rural neighbourhood. Smucker has a lyrical writing style that reflects the air of a seasoned oral storyteller. He knows how to spin an intriguing tale that leaves the reader with more questions than answers by the conclusion.

Told entirely from Sam's point of view -- Sam as an old man -- both in present day and reminiscing  that fateful summer when he was twelve. This was definitely an 'out of my comfort zone' read and while I enjoyed Smucker's writing style and cleverly crafted tale, I just couldn't connect with Sam at all. I couldn't reconcile the rather miserable recluse with the desperate young boy who lived through something so astounding. Lived through and was touched by it in a powerful way. And yet it seems like he didn't live his life reflecting that.

There's this huge gap between Sam's preteen self and the aged narrator. Frankly, I didn't like the glimpse of the man he became and that was a huge disappointment. And a tad depressing, though it did encourage me to ponder my own spiritual encounters and whether I have allowed them to reflect positively in my own life.

Book provided courtesty of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications.