Author: Rebecca Lim
Age Group: Young Adult
Release Date: October 19th 2010
Publishers: HarperCollins Children's Books
Available from: Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK
Mercy ′wakes′ on a school bus bound for Paradise, a small town where everyone knows everyone else′s business -- or thinks they do. But they will never guess the secret Mercy is hiding ....
As an angel exiled from heaven and doomed to return repeatedly to Earth, Mercy is never sure whose life and body she will share each time. And her mind is filled with the desperate pleas of her beloved, Luc, who can only approach her in her dreams.
In Paradise, Mercy meets Ryan, whose sister was kidnapped two years ago and is now presumed dead. When another girl disappears, Mercy and Ryan know they must act before time runs out. But a host of angels are out for Mercy′s blood and they won′t rest until they find her and punish her -- for a crime she doesn′t remember committing ...
*****
There have been quite a few angel stories lately, but Mercy is a little different. She doesn't know what she is, why she moves from person to person and always forgets her previous 'lives'. I enjoyed the premise of the story in Mercy. It's an interesting take on the angel theme. Mercy's character doesn't have a background and you don't really learn too much about her throughout the book. She's quite mysterious, and you only learn tidbits and have to make assumptions, although I found them to pretty obvious. Mercy isn't really about Mercy, which I found a little strange, but it did grow on me, as I realised this was partly about her but mostly about the characters around her. She constantly has to play a part, but is never given a script and has to work things out on her own. There is little romance, and that was a bit disappointing, but she does form a bond with Ryan. I want to see how that pans out over the rest of the books. Mercy is more of a mystery/thriller, with the paranormal aspect only somewhat playing a part. It is an intriguing idea, and have to admit I liked it. Mercy plays detective to help Ryan find his missing sister, Lauren. Is this why she has 'possessed' the latest person? I found I was wrapped up in the story of Ryan's missing sister, and their quest to find her. The paranormal was pushed to the back of my mind. Even though Mercy is in the body of a teenager, she was more mature which is a bonus for an adult reader as sometimes I find YA characters to be annoying. Rebecca Lim has created a very unique heroine and her storytelling is like no other. She has a way with words and I couldn't help but be swept up into the world she has created. Exile is sitting on my cupboard and I'm looking forward to getting into it and seeing where, and who, Mercy is going to be.
3.5/5
I haven't heard about this book before, but it looks like one that my daughter would love.
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