LET THE SKY FALL by Shannon Messenger

Due to being incredibly busy lately,
I’m going to be doing reviews a little differently for awhile. I’m
giving you a list of my thoughts after finishing instead of constructing lengthy
paragraphs. We’ll see how this goes.

Title: LET THE SKY FALL
Author: Shannon Messenger
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Number of Pages: 416
Source of Book: ARC from publisher at NCTE

A broken past
and a divided future can’t stop the electric connection of two teens in
this “charged and romantic” (Becca Fitzpatrick), lush novel.

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.

You can see the just released book trailer here.

First thoughts:

Loved
this book! Action, romance, snark, caring, excitement, entertaining
writing, and a unique twist on mythological/paranormal add up to one awesome book.
– Love, love, love Shannon Messenger’s writing style and the attitude she brings to her characters. It’s like I’m talking to a friend.
– I so enjoy dual perspective POV books and this one is no different. Multiple perspectives are important for this story, and the guy voice is really well done. Vane brings sarcastic humor and Audra brings the kick-butt-ness.
– The mythological aspect of the sylphs who are Windwalkers is unique and intriguing and something I haven’t read about before. Fascinating how they can talk to the wind and have it do things for them.
– As the story goes on, it becomes more and more clear what Vane and Audra’s connection is and why it is inevitable. It was fun to follow along with their back-and-forth dynamic and learning their story along the way as Vane learned his history with Audra.
– Family is at the heart of this book and finding one’s own strength through connections with others.
– Characters were relateable in their situations and why they built the walls they did.
– The action scenes with the way Windwalkers battle and fight were exciting.
– Ending is where it needs to end, but leaves it open for the next book. The biggest battle is not yet through. They need to find their own strengths first before it can really come to a head with the villains. 
Final thoughts: I adore Shannon Messenger’s writing and her books and look forward to much more from her!