Review of Halflings

Halflings by Heather Birch is the YA fantasy about when the supernatural and natural meet. Nikki Youngblood has always lived a normal life, somewhat. Her parents deal in antique weapons and she's in karate, but other than that, she's a normal teenaged girl. That all changes one night. Nikki is attacked by strange wolf-like creatures, but is rescued by a mysterious boy with heavenly eyes. And that's no understatement.

Mace, Raven, and Vine- these Haflings, half human half angels, are assigned to guard Nikki.  They must protect her from evil while hiding their most startling secret... wings! Trouble begins to brew as they uncover a terrible plot. They soon discover that Nikki is somehow tied to a laboratory and a dark plan that could change the world as we know it forever. Things only get murkier when Nikki discovers that there is a growing attraction to two of her guardians, who are as different as night and day. Mace and Raven must grapple with their own feelings, because, although Nikki's broken heart is at stake, they could very well lose everything, including their own souls.

Danger lurks in every corner. A budding romance could bring nothing but trouble.

A teenage girl. Three semi-heavenly beings. One world to save.

The premise is certainly unique. I always find it intriguing when a lead female character finds herself in a tug of war for her heart. In this case, the men pulling at the opposite ends of the rope are part angel. The suspense of why Nikki was being protected and what the evil plan was certainly kept my attention to finish the book.

Unfortunately, that was it. To be honest, I really disliked the book. It seemed like some kind of Christianized Twilight. Almost as if the author was trying really hard to create a less-controversial alternative for young Christian girls. I could see the whole Team Mace and Team Raven things going on. The romance seemed a bit forced, and poor Nikki was caught in the middle. To her credit, I really liked the character of Nikki Youngblood and the aura of mystery that surrounds her. I just really disliked the whole background of her heavenly-human compadres. It is very creative, don't get me wrong. I just found it too YA fiction-ish, as in trying too hard to please the romantic teenager. YA romance books, I suppose, are very "mushy" in dialogue and plot. And this book laid it on thick when it came to the romance. In addition, I believe some feathers will be ruffled by the fact that this book deals with angels, who are God's heavenly servants and messengers. I think making up fantasy from Christian theology could step on some toes. Dangerous waters.

I think when it comes to books like this, it's all about personal preference. And my preference says no.

All in all, I rate this book one out of five stars. Liked the lead character, not so much the plot and supporting cast.

Specifics (from amazon.com):
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Zonderkidz (January 9, 2012)

Note: Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for reviewing purposes.

Blessings,
~Prism~