I DNF'd this book after 11%. The character and storyline were not interesting to me. I knew this book wasn't for me when the main character was immediately attracted to the first two male characters she meets. All she does in the beginning of this book is complain about having to live in Ireland and then be immediately attracted to the first two male characters she meets.

As I did not finish this book - it did not suit my interests - I am not able to provide a full review. I can say that I was not a huge fan of what I did read, and was rather let-down.

For the life of me, I will never understand why YA authors are so determined to make insta-love the center of their novel. Plenty of decent novels are ruined because of it, and this is one of them. I could not get past the overly swoony love between Gavin and Maren. It literally killed the enjoyment of the story for me. And so help me, if I hear another description of how attractive Gavin is I will scream.

Another major issue I had centered around the story being in Scotland. While the landscape was described in beautiful, lush detail (which I adored) the culture was sorely misrepresented. It almost seemed like the author just wanted an exotic destination to add some intrigue to the novel, while leaving it as Americanized as humanly possible. Maren refused to acclimate, taking jabs at a variety of things that are Scottish (including the food). Then there was the appearance of jinn, which is part of Islamic/Middle Eastern lore. Why not just use the rich lore of Scotland since the story was located there? It made no sense to me.

On the positive, the author's writing style is lovely. I just wish she had not fallen into the YA trope of insta-love.

this book was so much fun!
I loved that it was set in Scotland, so mystical and fascinating, which fit the atmosphere of the story perfectly. I loved all the little puzzles that Maren had to solve throughout.
This had all the markers of a great paranormal romance: Freaky accidents, gnarly demons, and forbidden love.
Can't wait for the sequel.

I enjoyed this book, but not as much as I thought I would. I thought this book was poorly written, and had a basic, seen-before plot. I quickly grew bored of the repetitive, Mary-Sue type protagonist, and the boring storyline. I would not read another book by this author again, and I am sorry that I read this one.

This book is such an amazing read, it was very thrilling and exciting, and everything you want in a fantasy book. You get a lot from this book, starting with relatable characters to a changing setting across the U.K, and the fact that even some of this story takes place in Scotland is exciting enough for me.

So, Maren, is as I already stated, a relatable character. She has struggles during the story that you cannot help but sympathize with her. Her whole world gets thrown upside down, and you see how she handles that and grows during the story.

There was a romance in this story between her and an angel, who she isn't supposed to fall for. And vice versa. There romance was very sweet, but it happened rather quick, but nevertheless, I was happy with the romance.

I highly recommend reading this book if you are interested in fantasy or books with angels.

This is one of the best books I have read, with an intelligent storyline, a thought provoking ideal, and just enough action and mystery to keep you entranced until the end. I was wholly impressed with the story's world, following it was easy, yet, held a complication that kept my attention. I definitely suggest to those who loved the Hunger Games, Divergent, etc. to pick this up and read it. Hoping it continues into a series...

Title: Toward a Secret Sky
Author: Heather Maclean
Publisher: Blink, 2017 (April 4)
Genre: YA Fantasy

**I received a copy of this book free from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This review can be found on my Blog, TeacherofYA’s Tumblr, or my Goodreads page

My Review:

The cover is stunning. The Rose emblem against the sunset? It makes me want to weep, it’s so beautiful! Have you heard of this one? Did you miss it? Heather is a local author, I found out later, but when I saw it on Netgalley I wished for it, and my wish was fulfilled! Then Heather sent me my own physical copy with some cool book-related swag! 

We meet 17 year old Maren after she’s lost her mom, the one constant in her life. Though her mom travels and is busy at work all the time, she always tries to make special time for Maren. But now that Maren’s mom is gone, she is shipped off to Scotland to live with her dad’s parents, or her paternal grandparents. Growing up, she’s never met them: her mother told her that they didn’t like the fact that their son married her. 

Now Maren is the new girl at a Scottish school, and the only thing left of her mother’s possessions is a strange Rose necklace hidden in a wooden box. As Maren tries to make friends and fit in, she runs into a girl who has the same necklace: both girls are orphans and both have parents who were killed…but the girl seems to know more about Maren’s mom than Maren herself. 

Maybe Maren’s mom wasn’t really a systems analyst. Maybe she was part of an international organization. 

And maybe that international organization worked with a more paranormal clientele. 

One thing she uncovers? The cute guy hunting in the Scottish wood is not human. And since Maren can’t mind her own business, he’s become her personal bodyguard. Though I guess there could be worse things than being protected by a sexy angel while demons come after you…right? 

As Maren learns more, she uncovers a war that’s been going on for ages…Angels and Demons, and her parents right in the middle of it. And she has information that is very important – important enough to put her right in the crosshairs. 

As Maren and her guardian angel Gavin try to get the info to the right people, Maren realizes she’s doing the one thing she really isn’t supposed to do during the craziness around her….

She’s falling in love…with an angel. 

Is It Classroom-Appropriate?

Yes and no. It’s a cute and relatable book, and it’s definitely appealing for the YA audience: romance, intrigue, and clean enough to keep any concerns at bay. There are some interesting cultural facts about Scotland that are educational, and the culture clash would be a nice feature for the classroom. Also, currently it’s a standalone, so there’s no cliffhanger to make it confusing. 

However, there really isn’t anything to anchor it into curriculum material. It might be a good book to include in your classroom library (I already have it there), but I couldn’t see a unit built around it. It’s possible, but it would be quite hard. I would leave this one more for recreational reading, but I would definitely point the students in the direction of this book: I would recommend it to all my high school readers who love contemporary with a dose of fantasy, and vice versa.

For classroom use, I give it ★★★☆☆: you theoretically could use it, but I wouldn’t and there are easier and better choices. Leave this one to outside and recreational reading. 

Age Range

I’m starting to get annoyed at how many books are left off the Lexile website. Luckily, because this book is so clean, it’s easy to recommend for readers 13 and up. I wouldn’t recommend too young because of a particular scene where Maren is almost taken advantage of, but it’s also not explicit and just simply warns about the dangers of parties. I can comfortably suggest 13 and up, and the book isn’t complicated so even a reluctant reader should enjoy it. 

End Result:

I wanted to read this and it didn’t disappoint! I do wish there were more paranormal instances in Toward a Secret Sky, because I really loved the angel and demon dynamics. I wanted more of that. I feel the correct categorization of this book would be paranormal and not fantasy, as the majority of the book is our contemporary setting – there just happens to be Angels and Demons. I’m a bigger fan of heavier fantasy. However, I still liked Heather’s book, and would love to get more from a sequel. 

As it stands, it appears to be a standalone, but Heather alluded that there might be more for Maren. I certainly hope so. It felt a little quick…though that could have been me tearing through the pages as well. 

I would recommend this more for a fan of lighter fantasy than, say, epic fantasy. Definitely a good paranormal romance. If you like your love forbidden, this is the book for you! (I’m such a Romeo and Juliet fan it’s sick…but I’d totally rewrite it to where Juliet wakes up and says, “Psyche!” amd they run away together. Anyone want to do that for me?)

I give Toward a Secret Sky three and a half stars, but that’s not the world we live in, and only whole stars reign supreme. So I have to round it to ★★★★☆. 

I hope you give it a read and find out for yourself how you feel about this book!

This was so interesting! I loved the synopsis, I loved the cover, and I especially love the premise this books build on.

Firstly- I loved the setting. It created an atmospheric world which was just breathtaking, and it was so much fun to picture the main character there. The characters were real and fleshed out- but I feel like their actions weren't. The romance felt a little bit forced and too dramatic on some ends, which I didn't really like. Honestly, I really like slow burns.

----------
"'There are a lot more demons than you might think. When Lucifer was cast out of heaven, he took a third of the angels with him.'
'A third?' I said. 'How? How did he convince them?'
'Evil is contagious,' she answered simply."
----------

I have commented before on how much I enjoy world-within-the-world books, and this was no exception. Heather Maclean's tale of angels and demons that walk among, yet somewhat apart from, us was a very enjoyable tale about how complicated life - and love - can be. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and it sets up a new series nicely. But, funny thing, when I went to write the review I found that I didn't have all that much to say about the book... 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with the story - no gaps or continuity issues, no flat characters or half-hearted developments. I read it quickly and without breaks when I needed other books. But I when I sat down a couple of days after finishing it and started writing this review, I found myself unable to remember many details - and some of those I thought I remembered were actually from similar, but different, books...  I guess maybe the "good and evil are REALLY all around us" concept is playing itself out for me. This book was a fine addition to the genre, but wasn't so vastly different as to leave a lasting impression. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it, or that I won't look for the sequel - I did and I will. This is reading for fun - and that's a marvelous thing, it just doesn't make for the most exciting book reviews!

This was a perfectly pleasant story (well, not perfectly - poor protagonist Maren suffers WAY more than her share of grief, but you know what I mean), with well-drawn characters and an interesting and evenly paced plot. It isn't going to change your life, but it will be a thoroughly engaging read.

Firstly, I think this story did have a LOT of potential, and toward the end of the book, I was a little more involved in the story and what was happening.  The landscape and the place where Gavin lives is such a neat idea, and the whole connection thing was also really cool. 

     However, one thing that put a wrench in my enjoyment was that it felt like the characters were more concerned with the romance of the story than the actual problem in the story.  Like...creepy zombie demon people are coming after you, and you're worried about whether or not you're falling in love with this dude who clearly knows more about this situation than he is letting on!?! GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF, WOMAN!  It felt rushed and kind of fake, and a little Edward Cullen-esque with the whole "Let me watch over you while you sleep, girl. But I have to be on your roof, because we can't fall in love and CLEARLY if I'm in the room while you sleep, that means we're gonna fall in love?"
     Don't get me wrong. Once the actual action started and more of the mystery unraveled, I got more invested and involved with the story.  The ending was probably my favorite part, because it set up some really interesting events to come in the next book.

Overall, I didn't love this book, but I thought there were some decent parts and I will probably read the next one to see what happens next!

The last time I was so engrossed in a book was Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games. I  was pleasantly surprised by the sudden change in mood and emersion into Scottish culture--and the hilarious culture shock for the American protagonist Maren Hamilton, who unfortunately loses her mother in a car accident and is sent to live with her only known relatives.
There's so much mystery here. What did her mother really do for a living? How did her father die all those years ago, and why? Who is this beautiful, snarky young man she keeps meeting in the woods wearing a kilt? How is she connected to the other kids she meets at the new school? Did her grandparents hate her mother and why? The questions keep coming.
Here's the thing;  All of this could have easily become convoluted and confused. They never did. And it was well organized and action packed enough to keep me interested. That's good writing.
I want to talk about her going to the other dimension, but that would be a huge spoiler. The only reason I bring it up at all is because it could have been cheesy, but it wasn't. Again...good writing.
It's a good book and you should read it.

I like the cover, so that got my attention first. Kudos to the cover designer. YA readable in good form, it's a clean read that works for me as well. It's strong on the romance scale, but interesting as well. I would love to see Scotland one day, this book is a virtual trip to see it through the author's and characters eyes. The love at first sight works for this book, as it has for a few others I have read. I'm hoping to read the sequels. 

My copy came from Net Galley. I have left this review of my own free will, my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to Blink Publishing and Heather Maclean for the Granted Wish of a preview copy of Toward a Secret Sky for an honest review: 


This book was a gorgeous and glorious throw back to an age of Angel & Demon YA that YA Literature hasn't seen in a good while now, possibly the better part of half a decade to a decade. In the glut of that time it still would have shone like a light, but right now, on that history and time, it's an, even more, sumptuous delight to get lost in this book. 

The mystery of Maren's own history and the revelations about her parents, put me in the mind of The Shadowhunters, but this book went above and beyond with this idea. It played into a fast and grueling mystery of needing to solve the clues and puzzle pieces she found before others were definitely going to die. 

I like that what the storyline shows a lot of is the fact Maren is definitely the quintessential teenager: she is certain she can take care of herself, but she needs people; she doesn't handle the death of her mother or her move well; she can be stubborn as all get out, and her thoughts aren't always rational, but she's endearing and she grows through her trials. 

Best of all, this book has what I'm be saying YA needs forever: THERE IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE. I know the outset makes it sound like we're in for another YA triangle but it doesn't happen like that and for that alone, I want to give this book a hundred stars.

I will be ordering copies for the library. And looking forward to the second book.

Book was a bit bland. Characters were somewhat repetitive. I did like the idea and where it was going, but I think it was a bit poorly executed. But, angels and demons is always a cool thing to write about, YA can be tricky and this book had so much potential. It just seemed sorta lost.

I really enjoyed the intrigue & suspense & problems to solve. Hope there is more the story.

I love a good mystery and this did it for me. This book reminded me of a cross between The Davinci Code and Twilight.

It's a fun exploration of Scottish and British culture, as seen from a teenager's perspective, with touches of Indiana Jones-like puzzle-solving. MacLean's writing is, at times, quite illustrative. Consider this description:

"The last bubbles burped over the butter's muddy grave."

Or this one, of the house of one of her rich classmates:

"Hundreds of rose bushes hugged the hedge bottoms. I marveled at the luscious fruit trees, their branches heavy with the weight of snowball-sized blossoms, and the carved marble benches, their seats held high by miniature gargoyles. In the middle, a fountain corralled life-sized granite horses swimming among arcs of shooting water."

Or this:

"My first breaths in England's capital were heavy with anticipation."

The story is generally well-paced, perhaps even briskly so, with events unfolding when they should.


Heather MacLean
But ultimately, this story didn't pull me as much as other similar ones I've read (mentioned above), for various reasons. The main one is that some of the characters' actions and reactions seemed premature. Gavin reveals that he's an angel, and that he's tasked with protecting her, which makes him feel conflicted, pretty early in the tale. His and Maren's mutual attraction seems a bit rushed to me, as does Maren's willingness to risk her life for people she's barely met. Additionally, various instances of "telling" instead of "showing," pronoun slips, and out-of-the-blue or "off" details threw me out of the story a little bit.

For instance, when Maren goes to a party at her rich classmate's mansion, she says: "We learned that aside from the staff, there wasn't an adult anywhere in the building." It would have been stronger, more in-the-moment, for her to say something like: "I looked around for adults with uniforms or hawkish expressions, but saw none."

This sentence (at location 102) contains an example of a pronoun slip: "I discovered via an almost-accident that you had to pay money to unlock public restroom stalls, like a vending machine for pee." Not a big deal, but it would have been stronger, more in-Maren's-head if she'd said something like: "All of the restroom stall doors were locked, but coin slots next to each of their latches seemed to indicate that I had to pay to unlock one of them and pee."

And at location 1081, Maren talks about being in a forest just outside the angel village where Gavin lives, and a few paragraphs after, she's back in the village without having walked there.

Overall, though, I would still recommend it for young teenage girls looking for a "swoony" read.

I would definitely recommend this book. The world is so intriguing. It's complex and the character development is amazing. This book will be sitting on my bookshelves soon. Loved it.