Dru has always been able to sense the creatures of the night. She has spent most of her life hunting them with her father. When her father does not return from one of his hunting expeditions, Dru is left alone in a town somewhere in the Dakotas.Strange Angels is a unique book in the Young Adult Paranormal genre. The monsters are scary. They fly, they creep, they kill. The lore behind the creatures is imaginative. Dru refers to her world of monsters as the "Real World." Dru fights a zombie, but in her Real World, the zombie was created by a vampire, the same vampire that killed her father. The zombie is, in fact, her father reanimated. The Real World contains other creatures like the werwulfen and their counterparts the loup garou. There are also vampires and djamphirs which were a little reminiscent of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series. And we can't forget the flying snakes...The characters are interesting. Dru is an extremely well trained fighter, she is usually well armed, and she is brave and resourceful. She does have her moments of vulnerability as well. Dru's friend Graves was forced into her Real World after he was bitten by a werwulfen. His character is believable, reliable, and loyal. I love Graves' characters' underlying message reminding Dru how important it is that she stay in school. Christophe is a djamphir and a little bit mysterious. Christophe is part of the equally mysterious Order, a group that fights the monsters of the night.The book is packed with action. There always seems to be some sort of creature chasing after Dru and Graves. The narrative is clever, with touches of humor. The dialogue seems realistic, and is also laced with humor at times.At last, a young adult book that includes werewolves and vampires that is fun to read! I'm glad I found the next book Betrayals at the library as well.
