World After Review: Penryn

Book: World After
Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn & the End of Days
Standing: Book 2
POV: 1st person by Penryn, present tense
Genre: YA post-apocalypostic, paranormal

Source: Physical copy
Pages: 320
Release: November 19th, 2013
Publisher: Skyscrape

Favourite lines: "You're a hero, Penryn, whether you like it or not."

"Don't talk. You'll spoil my fantasy of rescuing an innocent damsel in distress as soon as you open your mouth."

Rating: 5 Stars

Blurb: (Goodreads)
In this sequel to the bestselling fantasy thriller, Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world.

When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

                       ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭

Just when I thought the series couldn't get any creepier, disturbing, and amazingly better, I was proven wrong. This book is intense. 

Penryn is the ever amazing heroine. What I particularly enjoyed was the fact that she ultimately still human. That's right. She's nothing special or different from the other humans, yet she still is able to be the hero. She had skill, motivation, and the brains to make it through. Penryn doesn't need special powers or a supernatural boyfriend (or a boyfriend at all) to make a difference. Yes, she has Raffe's sword, but she doesn't rely on it. She doesnt need to rely on anyone, just herself. Seriously. THAT is how you survive an apocalypse. You don't need to be special to save the world. Just the heart of a hero, a brain, and the firm will to survive.

In the last book, we were introduced to some very disturbing angel-scorpion hybrids. We get the full scope of them in this book, and holy crap, it is by no means less creepy and disturbing. I mean, I would be running and screaming and probably one of the firsts to die. The disturbing new twist to the angel-scorpion hybrids is exactly what kept the book gripping, adding a new element of fear and terror to it. So good. 

Paige. Oh, Paige. My fears were confirmed about her...condition. But we get to understand her a little more, and we begin to sympathize with her. Penryn doesn't quite know what to do with her, and when you think about it, Paige must have been going through a lot of emotional pain, made no better by everyone's treatment towards her. I was also glad to see that her character was growing too, as she's trying to come to terms with her own new condition.

I was sad that we didn't get to see much of Raffe in this book, expect in the end. Though I was happy we at least got to see him in his glory days (by the way, I absolutely want a sword like his) and got to know what he was thinking in a few of the scenes from the first book. My heart was a mess of emotions when he and Penryn were reunited. Just...I cant. I can't. My heart, oh my heart. I ship them so badly.

We get to see a new side of the angels in this book, a more cunning side. There are stark differences between polititians and warriors, and they never truly understand one another. Clearly, some angels don't really understand how hot-blooded warrior angels can act. 

Though I was a little disappointed by Raffe's lack of appearance, Penryn's quick thinking and insane survival skills made up for it. Also, Raffe's sword is awesome, even if Penryn accidentally named it Pooky Bear. That was seriously funny moment! It's clear that the sword is sort of both Penryn's and Raffe's now, which in a way bonds them together ;)

All in all, this book was excellently paced, with brilliant solutions, new bone-chilling revelations, and a fantastic heroine. Just don't read this at night, and you should be fine...

Now that I have more questions than ever, and I think it's time for me to go find a copy of The End of Days!