FALLEN ANGEL

Ellspeth Faneuil has been hiding her flying dreams and the “flashes” of people’s inner thoughts she receives when she touches them. When she meets and falls for new student Michael, Ellie discovers that her flying ability is not merely a dream and that tasting blood gives her more intense flashes and power. Not certain if she is a vampire, as Michael suggests, or the offspring of a Nephilim, or fallen angel, as her parents are forced to admit, Ellie tries to figure out who—or what—she is, helping scorned classmates, evading an evil Nephilim, tracking down a Harvard scholar who studies vampires around the world and falling in love in the process. What saves this YA debut from being another run-of-the-mill supernatural romance with a vulnerable girl, stereotyped characters, flat dialogue and clichéd chases are interesting explanations of the lesser-known legend that links Nephilim with vampires and the Book of Enoch, an apocalyptic religious text that was never included in the Bible. An abrupt ending with unanswered questions leaves room for a sequel. (Supernatural romance. YA)