Bright Angel

by Isabelle Merlin

When Sylvie and her older sister Claire survive a horrific encounter with a gunman, they’re sent to stay with their aunt in the south of France for a change of scene. Sylvie is charmed by Gabriel, a young child who tells her he can see an angel sitting on her shoulder. Not so charming is Gabriel’s older brother, Daniel, who is just plain rude. But it’s love at second sight when Sylvie gets to know Daniel better—until Gabriel is kidnapped, and Sylvie starts to wonder if Daniel is telling the truth about his family. And then there’s Mick, the geeky guy who has a major crush on Sylvie. Why does life have to be so complicated? And how can such a pretty village hide such dangerous secrets? Sylvie will need all the skills of the mysterious Houdini—and the blessing of the angels—to see her friends and family again.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult

290 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2010

About the author

The first stories Isabelle Merlin remembers are the traditional French fairytales told to her by her French grandmother. Later, she heard family stories, which proved to her that magic and romance and terror don't only appear in fairytales: like the romantic story of the beautiful ancestor who caught the eye of the Sun-King, Louis XIV; or the amazing story of the wily ancestor who went from being a poor peasant to a multi-millionaire; or the tragic story of the curse of madness and misfortune that pursued other ancestors; or the spooky story of the chain-rattling ghost that haunted the family home deep in the green countryside of France. It's no wonder that she grew up with a head full of stories and a burning desire to become a writer.
Isabelle lives in Australia with her family.

Reviews

[leann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow that pace was a fucking mess. The plot was good, characters were good.. However the romance was rushed so much,, I simply couldn't comprehend how you could kiss someone you just hated literally 5 minutes ago???? Holy shit.. And Gabriel who was mentioned in the blurb was barely a focused character in the novel.

Can't say this was a good read, but I've read a lot worse so I'd say 5.5/10.

PS. I can't get over Mick lol, he was ny favourite character.

[Kate Forsyth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fourth in a series of funky romantic suspense novels for teenagers, all set in France, all featuring mysteries that have both a supernatural element and a very modern take with features such as Youtube videos, blogs, and other technologies. Highly enjoyable and a little bit different to the usual YA fare.

[Beattie Alvarez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had a horrible week, mainly because I have been minus my smartphone (yes, yes, I'm addicted to it).
And then I remembered books. Real books that you hold in your hand and flip the paper pages.
I started with Three Wishes, gobbled it up in no time and had to put off reading Pop Princess unti lI had made a mad dash to the supermarket to get some fresh bread and fancy cheese, because the food I had read about made me so hungry!
With Pop Princess safely in my possession I ate my French bread stick and brie happily, moving quickly Cupid's Arrow with a glass of elderflower cordial. Finally last night with a generous serving of chocolate pudding I finished Bright Angel.
Isabelle Merlin, I just wanted to say THANK YOU! Thank you so much for taking me to France and tantalising my tastebuds with beautifully described countryside, scrumptious sounding food and mysteries that made it impossible to put down the book!
You have reminded me that I like good food and it's not just for filling my tummy and that I don't need lots of money to travel - I just need one of your books!
Thank you!

[beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. I've read it once before now, about 4 years ago (when I was 9) and loved it then just as much as I love it now. It's fast paced, with heaps of twists and turns, so you're never bored, and is constantly keeping you on the edge of your seat, making you stay up at night in order to finish it (for the record, I finished it in 2 days!). 

As a character, I thought Sylvie lacked a little. Like when Mick/Steve left her in a caravan in the woods with a twisted ankle, a real person would be in so much more pain than Sylvie was. She was all "Oh, here's a stick I can use as a cruch. Awesome! Now let's walk for ages. Cool! That's pretty unrealistic. I mean, come on. I don't think her feelings towards Daniel could have changed that much so quickly as well. Not his to her. 
I also think Sylvie and Daniel's relationship was a bit lacking. I mean, you don't see someone 3 times and magically fall on love. You have to actually get to know the person first...
But apart from that, this book is exciting and keeps you know on the edge of your seat. A definite favourite. 

[Addie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa! This mystery is awesome. Isabelle Merlin is one of the greatest teen mystery writers ever!

this book will not let you put it down when you have reached a third of the book. Trust me.

(there are mild spoilers below. It is readable but I give a few hints off)

I have read 'Cupid's Arrow' by her so I think that is why I guessed why a specific person was evil.

the only thing I didn't like was that the romance was a bit too fast. They barely know each other. And the love thing. She said she was in love when she only knew him for less than three days. And 2 and a fourth of that was used hating him. Then they only knew each other for a week and he's moving to Australia...???

this is the kind of love I cannot read because it is SUPER far from realistic love. And that is wierd coming from me coz I think Nicholas sparks romance can still happen. At least his ones took time.

that was the only problem I have with Isabelle's writing. That one little thing in only This book that should could've made better.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if its because I'm used to Merlin's style of writing or because of my ability to predict the future (I wish :) but I was able to guess almost everything that would happen in this book. When I read my first book by Melin, I think what I really liked was the element of suprise. An innocent cover, title, blurb and opening leading to an amazing story! While I still loved Bright Angel I felt that.... it was very similar to Merlin's other books... Not that thats a bad thing, but I really do like a good suprise :)

[Mwansa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really good book and this made me rethink the abilities of small authors. I rarely like books that australian authors put out but these are the best ive read.