#disabled wlw

Out of the Blue by Sophie Cameron

7/10

Do the wlw end up together : Yes

What does it mean when angels start falling from the skies? Jaya’s world was  turned upside down after her mother’s death, but the rest of the world was focused on the fatal crash of a winged, metallic-skinned Being. No one knows why they’re falling, where they come from, or even what they are, but upwards of 80 have now descended to the earth. Jaya’s father is obsessed and uproots the family to Edinburgh where he thinks the next fall will be. Little does he know that it’s Jaya who’ll find the Being, miraculously alive for the first time ever. Keeping her alive and getting her back home is a different story, as there’s a serious reward out there for anyone who turns a Being into the shady research centers cropping up across the world. If Jaya wants to succeed she’s going to need some help and a whole lotta luck. 

Right off the bat I’ll say that I think this book tried to do a little too much. Jaya’s falling for someone new while her previous relationship is never really finalized. Everything about her friendship-turned-relationship with Leah feels a bit shallow and they never really address the fact that Jaya has moved on by the end. It didn’t really drive any of Jaya’s actions so I’m not quite sure why the relationship was necessary when a friendship would serve to advance the plot the same way. Jaya’s grief over her mother’s death and the blame she carries I felt was much better done. There were some really heartwarming scenes as Jaya finally manages to open up to her family after hiding what she considers to be a damning truth about that day. I also really liked that Cameron’s angels aren’t majestic, magically English-speaking beings, but more like a goofy, confused Toothless running around eating cookies and falling off chairs. Teacake (because what else do you name an angel who loves teacakes?) provides a lot of hilarious scenarios in between some of the more serious conversations about loss and chronic illness. All in all, if you’ve ever wanted to read about a desperate quest to save a completely hapless magical being, pick it up!