Review : Let The Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Let The Sky Fall (Let The Sky Fall #1)
Author : Shannon Messenger
Publisher : Simon Pulse
Publication Date : March 5th 2012
Goodreads - The Book Depository
Seventeen-year-old Vane Weston has no idea how he survived the category five tornado that killed his parents. And he has no idea if the beautiful, dark-haired girl who’s swept through his dreams every night since the storm is real. But he hopes she is.

Seventeen-year-old Audra is a sylph, an air elemental. She walks on the wind, can translate its alluring songs, and can even coax it into a weapon with a simple string of commands. She’s also a guardian—Vane’s guardian—and has sworn an oath to protect Vane at all costs. Even if it means sacrificing her own life.

When a hasty mistake reveals their location to the enemy who murdered both of their families, Audra’s forced to help Vane remember who he is. He has a power to claim—the secret language of the West Wind, which only he can understand. But unlocking his heritage will also unlock the memory Audra needs him to forget. And their greatest danger is not the warriors coming to destroy them—but the forbidden romance that’s grown between them.

Personal Thoughts

Let The Sky Fall, with its stunning cover and its enticing premise, drew me in from the very first page and it managed grip my attention so much that I didn't want to stop reading until I finished, but unfortunately studies got in the way and I had to take reading breaks.

Audra was a likable and sympathetic main character. She has endured a lot in her childhood and regardless of all of it, she vowed to protect Vane with every fiber of her being. Audra was the sort of character who was broken because of the events from her past that constantly haunted her. Her emotions were so vivid that I felt a lump in my throat whenever she would be upset. Audra wasn't the sort of person to express her feelings so easily. She wasn't open and had a tendency to hide her true self behind a strong, level-headed girl mask. On the outside, she was this kick-ass guardian who pushed Vane to the limits, never smiling and always putting on a serious face. On the inside, however, she was just like every other girl going through a difficult period in her life and battling with guilt. Audra was the kind of character that I really felt for and I kept wanting to hug and console her. Vane, on the other hand, was the opposite of Audra. He was loud, outspoken and voiced out his opinions and feelings, unlike Audra. I liked that they had opposite personalities because they complemented each other so well, that way. Vane wasn't without his issues. He too had gone through a traumatic event in his past and he was living with his sadness. When he first found out about what he truly was, he annoyed me a little with his whiny attitude but I really liked how driven Vane became after learning what might happen if he did not shoulder his responsibilities. When he put his mind onto something, he did everything he could to reach his goals even though he faced obstacle after obstacle. All in all, Shannon Messenger has crafted two characters that are easy to love and sympathize with. She has the ability to make names on a paper sprout to life.

The world-building was not only solid, but it was also unique and absolutely refreshing. The book introduces the reader to the world of Sylphs or Windwalkers. I had never heard of this lore before, but the book really helped understand it a little. I was fascinated by Vane and Audra's powers and it helped that Shannon Messenger's writing was vivid and provided a clear picture of the world. I did have some tiny issues with the plot. First of all, I thought the story dragged a little and the slow pace did frustrate me on one or two occasions. Also, the ending was not very satisfying for me. It fell a little too flat for me. However, I appreciated the twists and turns that the author presented because a lot of them were unpredictable and thus, completely blew me away. The romance was a focal point of Let The Sky Fall and while I feel it should have annoyed me, it didn't. For some reason, the romance in this book worked for me because it was honest, deep, emotional and made me swoon pretty hard. It might actually be one of my favorite part of this book. Shannon Messenger's writing itself was gorgeous and like I mentioned above, it made me want to keep on reading until I never stopped. Her writing was simple, easy to follow and extremely picturesque. The best part about her writing is her ability to make the characters' emotions palpable and heart-warming. This book in dual POV, and I personally think she did a fabulous job at giving Vane and Audra different voices that made it easy to follow the story line. Shannon Messenger is definitely an author to look forward to.

Vivid, stunning and breath-taking, Let The Sky Fall was a YA debut that worked really well for me. The well-crafted characters, the strong world-building and the heart-touching romance make this book an "unputdownable" read that will definitely appeal to readers looking for something new and fresh in the YA paranormal genre.

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 3/5
Writing : 4/5