Bitter Angel

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Not only is it powerful, but what happens in the book really does go on everywhere. I know I say this for every book I read but this one is completely out of my comfort zone. I had no idea it would be that far out of my zone when I started it, but I am really glad that I did. It got too much and my stomach was in knots over what I was reading. I was crying my eyes out with sadness over the pain of the situation, knotted up whether anyone would help her get away.

It was too much for me but I powered through. Lila, the heroine, is a strong character. She loves her friends and her boyfriend Jay and would do anything for them — anything to keep them save and out of danger. I did admire her. I really liked Jay. You could see that Lila is his everything. That he loves her with everything he has and just wants to be with her. He hates living so far away from her for university and it kills him. Lila is his ONE. You really feel for him when Lila is frightened out of her mind and its scares the hell out of him not knowing what is wrong.

I loved that when he heard her dream and her plan to stop it, he stuck by her, even though he was cautious about it, and went with her to help her out. You will see Jay love Lila, help her out, do the best he can to protect her and even save her. Everything he did for her during the book was down to his overpowering love he has for her. I understood everything he did was for her safety but in the end, he gets Lila forever.

It was powerful, it was haunting, it had me crying my eyes out, but it also had me smiling at the love the characters had for one another. How close they are, how much they were there for one another. It had that much of an impact on me. Megan Hart, I love you and Bitter Angel. This is one hell of a great debut and I hope everyone wil give this book a chance. Apr 18, Heather rated it liked it. This was one of those books that I thought was going to be better than it was. Don't get me wrong; it's not bad by any means.

It's just an okay read. Lila, a college sophomore, has two dreams. In one, she went out clubbing for her friend's birthday, and the girls were drugged and taken to a remote location to be raped. This dream lead to a vision where both of her best friends were dead. In the other, she stayed with her boyfriend and all was hunky dory. Which dream was the right one?

I admit that the title of this book is what drew me in.

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Did I think it had anything to do with the book? Lila refers to herself as the bitter angel about twice in the book. This is never really explained why she calls herself that. I never really found her bitter, and I have no idea what an angel has to do with anything. Maybe it's just me being dumb. The cover of this book is interesting. I don't really know if I like it or not simply because I can't figure out what's going on with her lips on the bottom part of the cover. I've stared at this cover long and hard and still can't figure it out. The world building was alright except for how Lila and her boyfriend decide to act on a nightmare Lila had.

I could understand Jay's, Lila's boyfriend, reluctance, but I've never known anyone to do what Lila did based on a nightmare. I also didn't get how Lila woke up with Trigger's t-shirt if she just dreamt about what was happening. That part really left me stumped. Other than that, I had no problem setting up the world in my mind. In fact, Lila's world was even a little bit scary! For the majority of the book, I found the pacing to be a little bit too slow for my liking.

I felt that some of what was in the book wasn't really necessary such as Lila's mental letter for Jay. For that bit, I just skipped the whole thing. The pacing was good for the very beginning of the book and the last twenty-five percent. I admired the way Lila wanted to protect her friends no matter what, and I liked the way she kicked butt.

I just wish we had more of a glimpse into her background. I think a back story would've helped out a lot. I liked Jay, but I didn't love him if that makes sense. I liked the way he was good to Lila, but there wasn't anything special about him. As for Lila's two best friends, Heather and Nilah, I wish they were featured more in the book instead of just the beginning.

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I thought Trigger was a cool character. Maybe I just have a thing for nerds, haha. I felt that he really grew as a character in this book. I thought Alpha was a great baddie. I really, really hated him!! The author did a good job on him! I wish that it was explained better why Alpha did what he did.

The dialogue was okay. Sometimes it felt a bit forced especially between Jay and Lila. Lila's internal dialogue is what had me laughing. I loved how sarcastic she was and how she always had a fighting spirit and would coach herself. There is some swearing and scenes of violence though if you're not into that sort of thing. Overall, Bitter Angel by Megan Hand is an okay read albeit a bit slow. The last twenty-five percent of the book is what really saved it for me. I was expecting a book where there's a lesson to be learned, not one where the main character decides to act on some random nightmare she has.

The synopsis is a bit misleading I think. I did enjoy the ending between Alpha and Lila though, and as I've said before, I loved Lila's sarcasm. I also enjoyed reading the author's acknowledgements as well! I'd give Bitter Angel by Megan Hand a 3. I was provided with a free ebook of this title from the tour host in exchange for a fair and honest review. Mar 29, Rachael rated it liked it Shelves: If you take a look at my past WoWs , you might notice that a good number of books featured involve parallel worlds or different dimensions. As expected, my favorite part of the book was actually the beginning.

Basically, Lila lives the same night twice - once with her friends, celebrating, and once with her boyfriend Jay. After that, though, was where I started seeing issues. From what I know, most people are unable to even recover after such a short time, let alone try to save potential future victims. Throughout the story, I also felt like lots of her decisions were reckless or not well thought through. Though reckless, Lila is really determined and refuses to let any of her comrades get hurt.

At times, I even found her strength a bit too strong, as you see her withstand so many things. I feel like I should also mention Jay, Lila's love interest. As a whole, I really liked his character - he was always loyal and loving towards Lila and wasn't afraid to take action in order to save her. He wasn't a perfect character either, as you see his internal conflict to let Lila stay independent or protect her in his own way, and his struggle to restrain a more violent side that even Jay might fear.

But at the same time, I also felt that his character wasn't as developed as I wanted his to be. Specifically, though we had a general idea about his history and personality, we never really get to know the gritty details or specifics, instead focusing on Lila's goal of battling injustices.

Nonetheless, I did end up liking his character. I'd say that if you're looking for a quick and exciting mystery and seem to like Lila, this is definitely the book for you. If you're a fan of New Adult contemporary, this might also be a good read if you're looking for something different, though still featuring New Adult elements.

This did not affect my opinion of the book. Apr 20, Amy Fournier rated it really liked it Shelves: I feel like there have been a lot of parallel universe, or alternate reality books lately, but they still intrigue me. This one actually didn't have a whole lot of it, but it was enough to make an insane storyline that kept me wanting to know what would happen. This was quite an intense read too. There are a lot of crazy things that go on and situations that might be hard for some people to read.

It has a lot of violence so if you aren't big on that you might not like this as much. To me it was like a fantastic thriller. Lila seems like a normal college girl. She's lucky enough that her two BFF's are her roomies, and she has a boyfriend who loves her more than anything. She is a super loyal friend, but I have to say that she makes some really, really dumb decisions. I know that it comes from a good place, but sometimes I really just wanted to smack her and tell her she was being stupid. She really cares about her friends more than life though, literally. She is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure they are safe, even if it means risking her own life to do it.

But beyond that, she really just has this need to do what she thinks is right.

Bitter Angel : Amy Gerstler :

She is stubborn, and brave. I really liked her despite her bad judgement at times. Jay her boyfriend is kind of a pushover, but he doesn't want to be. He just loves her so much that he will pretty much just give in to anything she says. That is until she is at risk of being harmed. OMG one of the things he does, which he does because he cares, pisses me off like you wouldn't believe.

I totally do, but I can't blame Lila for how livid she is about it! He really, genuinely is just a great guy though. I can't say that he had me swooning, but I liked him because I could almost feel the love he has for Lila. The rest of the characters were interesting too. Quite a dynamic group really. Then the bad guys, seriously creeped me out. I mean they are crazy, for real!! Face me with a psychotic person and I will be more terrified than some paranormal or mythical being.

It is just more real and you know that there are people like that out there! So the story I thought was good, but some of it a bit far fetched. I get that it's fictional so I tend to let things slide, but it's also realistic fiction besides the odd living the same night twice thing. That's the only thing in it that seems to hint at paranormal at all.

I liked how it kind of switched back and forth between both times she lived Friday night, then the story continues with her trying to figure out what happened. So technically she lives Friday three times, but the third day she tries to fix what went wrong. After all the crazy ventures she doesn't keep repeating the night. I think that maybe she was meant to change things and then she did and everything is all good now sort of. In general I thought this was a great book.

Yes, there were little things here and there that bothered me, but it was full of action and suspense. I loved the thrill of reading it and hoping that Lila and Jay could basically save the day! It was fast paced since it all really occurs in one day or three really I guess. I thought that the concept was great and I liked the characters. If you are looking for a great thriller with a slight paranormal aspect to it, this is a book you should pick up. I did not receive any compensation. Feb 24, Kim rated it it was amazing Shelves: The synopsis was different and intriguing. But for some reason I put off reading it because it was not my typical romance type of book.

But I picked it up today and was soon sucked in. This book is unique, brilliant, terrifying, confusing, emotional, raw, and riveting. There is a romantic relationship with her boyfriend, Jay that is integral to the story, but it is not a romance book. It is more of a suspense thriller with a slig 4. It is more of a suspense thriller with a slight paranormal twist. I'm not crazy, I swear. I don't know how, but it did. I lived the same night twice--and not like that Groundhog Day movie, but like that Sliding Doors movie.

I did two completely separate things in one night, like two halves of me split off in different directions Like a choose-your-own-adventure book, I somehow know that I only lived one of them. I'm not sure which one. Lila wants to spend the evening with her boyfriend Jay, but her long time best friends Nilah and Heather are demanding she go out clubbing with them. At this point the story fractures into two separate realities: Her and her friends end up in a terrifying situation that has you anxious and squirming. But then she wakes up Was it a dream?

And from there the story takes even more twists and turns. There is suspense, danger, panic, fear, and really bad situations. It is a pulse pounding race to find answers and keep everyone safe. I am not going to give any spoilers because trying to figure out what is going to happen next is the best part of this book.

I kept flipping pages and resisting the urge to sneak to the end to see the resolution. Lila is strong and brave in some areas and insecure in others. Unfortunately, she can also be impulsive and single minded in her need to protect others. I loved her relationship with Jay. He was the perfect swoon worthy boyfriend who wants nothing but to secure her safety and happiness.

I never wanted this. I didn't ask for it. I'm no hero, no martyr. I'm just a girl who tried to do the right thing, who was supposed to do the right thing and couldn't. I'm a human tragedy that'll die only to become a bitter angel, whether that's soon or someday far from today.

No bell will ring for me. I'll never get my wings. If I live through tonight, I'll be messed up for the rest of my living life, so I guess it's neither here nor there. I literally felt like I was right there with them during this story and struggling to make sense of it all and figure out what to do about it. It had me on the edge of my seat, clutching my kindle, scratching my head, rethinking reality, and hoping for a good outcome. If you want to read something that is creative and unique and will make you think, then I recommend you pick this one up.

Thanks to Megan Hand for providing me with a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Will be Posted at Reviews by Tammy and Kim. May 10, Lelia Taylor rated it liked it Shelves: I love the idea of parallel existence and Ms. The plot itself, revolving around behavior that really does happen, is very well done and the author clearly has a talent for creating almost unbearable tension and suspense. Unfortunately, I found the character development to be rather uneven in several ways. I cared what might happen to them but the girls themselves were not appealing to me and I thought they were too shallowly drawn.

I came very close to heartily disliking Nilah just because she is so very narcissistic and I also thought both these girls were really inconsiderate for demanding that Lila immediately give up her plans when they could clearly have discussed it long in advance. Then she apparently turns into Superwoman and, from that point on, reality takes a hike. I like a strong female character but I just found it hard to believe that she would charge right in the way she does and some of her behavior is downright stupid. Having said all that, Ms. In the end, while I had some difficulties with Bitter Angel, I still enjoyed it and will look for more from Megan Hand.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, May Apr 03, June Luu rated it it was amazing Shelves: What do I think of this book?

Bitter Angel

What can I think about this book? I could not put it down! I mean, what was I thinking leaving this behind for so long?? Megan did an amazing job writing such a realistic book. Normally, books don't include such a deep real-life situations, but with Bitter Angel, it was just like I was living in it. We get to meet Lila, she's just a normal girl living her uni life with her two best friends.

I love Lila, I love how she was just so normal like me and everybody. And I love her relationship with her boyfriend. At first, when I read the blurb, I found it was quite interesting, but it wasn't really it for me. But I still took a risk and added it to my TBR shelf. But now that I finally got to reading it I feel like slapping myself for being so stupid. I love Megan's writing. The way her words made the book so alive. I felt like I was one of the characters in there, watching, listening, running, and fighting with Lila.

In her world, we get sucked into two lives. In this scenario, as her life split into two, one part of her goes clubbing with her two best friends. The other half stayed at home with her boyfriend. At first, I was like 'ooh, how is this going to work out? The part that went clubbing with her two best friends, she gets into a situation where it's a risk between life and death.

Lila and her friends get abducted and is about to be used for rape. But in the other life that stayed at home with her boyfriend, Lila had a nightmare about her best friends funeral I know, intense right? I was sucked in from then and all the way, I was like 'OMG what was going to happen?

I could feel the happiness that Lila felt when she was with her boyfriend, the fear that went through her mind as she fought for dear life. I mean, I even shivered under her words!! I love how the bond between the characters was so strong that it seared into my mind as I kept reading. Whether it was love, hate, jealousy, or betrayal. I could just feel the bond that connected these characters together. Megan's words just gave me shivers all the way, it made me beg for more, it made me think about what was Lila going to do next, or what was going to happen.

There were so much action going on in my mind as I pictured Lila's world in my head. I could practically see this as a movie. I won't tell you why because I don't want to give out spoilers, you just have to read this book! I'm telling you, you will NOT regret buying this book! I really can't wait to read what Megan has in store next!! Apr 24, Roses Book Blog rated it it was amazing. As I sit here writing this review I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything that happened in this book and I finished this book 24 hours ago.

I still can't get over what happened in this story it was fast-paced and exciting. As a reader and blogger I am always looking for an author that likes to think outside of the box, outside of the standard romance novel. I enjoy my romance novel as much as the next person but sometimes I like to read something non-conventional and Megan Hand has hi As I sit here writing this review I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything that happened in this book and I finished this book 24 hours ago. I enjoy my romance novel as much as the next person but sometimes I like to read something non-conventional and Megan Hand has hit this one out of the park what surprises me most?

That this is a brand new author and if all her books are like this one I will be reading Megan's books for a long time to come. This story is about a girl named Lila Spencer. Lila is a happy girl; she has her two best friends Nilah and Heather by her side in college and a wonderful boyfriend named Jay who comes to visit her for the weekend. Every birthday they have a tradition to let lose and party the night away but this weekend Lila must choose between going out with her friends or staying with her boyfriend Jay. Jay tells her that it's fine to go out with her friends so she leaves with them to go to a neighboring city an hour and a half away but what was suppose to be an innocent night of fun with her girls becomes so much more deadly for these three friends as they meet three guys and are quickly taken.

When I say taken I'm not saying picked up in a car to party and drink some more I'm talking taken like the movie Taken and so ensues the struggle for survival fighting against what these men have done to her and her friends. At the same time Lila is also in her dorm safe with her boyfriend Jay.

Safe in his arms where she belongs while struggling with the idea of moving forward with her relationship with Jay. Something is holding her back, but she can't figure out what that thing is. At this point I was like say what now? I knew the description behind this book but the way it was written really was like she was living her Friday night two different times like she was split right down the middle and half or her went one way, the other half went another.

I just couldn't stop reading because it was like on one end she's safe and happy and the other she's fighting for her life. But then when she wakes up it's like her worlds collide into one especially since the dreams feel so real and there's evidence from her having lived that Friday night for real even though it appears to only have been in her head. So now you will join Lila as she discovers the truth about her dream. Was it her imagination? Join her as she struggles to discover what's fact and what's fiction the entire time thinking to yourself what would you do if you were given the chance to relive a day again and change the course of your future?

Bravo on this one Megan 5 stars!!! May 31, Christine Shh Moms Reading rated it really liked it. What if you took a different path in life and how would it affect your existence as you know it? Lila Spencer is attending college with her two best friends. The love of her life, soul mate and her Penguin!

Jay attends college far away and is visiting her for the weekend. My first thought of this couple while reading this book is asking myself if they can survive three years apart and will they survive with small visits alone? I felt like they could as there is a deep love for each other. However, being in a relationship with someone I love so deeply and only get to see each other in small visits, would I have made the same decision?

When the girls go out, they go all out with dancing and drinking and having fun. And what becomes interesting in this scenario and scary as I continue to read is that the girls are obviously drugged and abducted and my heart is pounding as I realize that this could happen in everyday life and I am instantly afraid of what the outcome will be. And what becomes even stranger is that Lila wakes up in the arms of her boyfriend remembering spending the evening with him alone and letting her friends go out without her!

WTF just happened here?! And even crazier is that she wakes up wearing the shirt of one of her abductors in her dream.

Lila begins a quest to find out the truth behind the dream because in her mind it really happened. Maybe she was forecasting the future.. Lila enlists the help of her boyfriend to find the abductors and bring justice to these evil human beings. Lila is determined to do anything to get these men but at what price? But I finish and WOW! It is about a love so strong and powerful that it protects against evil. I look forward to reading more from Megan and recommend this to someone looking for a quick action packed and suspenseful read. ARC provided by the author for an honest review.

Dec 27, Justin rated it it was amazing. But the handful of self-published books I have read have been amazing. Megan is off to a fantastic start with her debut book Bitter Angel. I do feel like I would have got a lot more out of it if I had the chance to read it from start to finish quicker though. I will be going back and reading it over again eventually when I have the time to read it in a smaller amount of time. Bitter Angel is really fast paced, which goes back to me wishing I had been able to read it over a shorter period of time.

I feel like I was able to understand the story pretty well, even though it was spread out over a longer time span. But I am sure there are some tiny details I might have missed. I really liked how this story was set up though. There are moments that can get a little confusing but things always seem to be explained in the end. I was really impressed with how she was able to combine all of the different aspects you see in this book. I loved the characters. This is another reason I want to read the book again though. I was able to connect with them in the time I read it, but I feel like if I had the chance to read the book a little quicker I might really be able to connect with them more.

I really think that a lot of people will enjoy this book. If you like romance, mystery and just an exciting story then I would suggest that you check out Bitter Angel. Being a New Adult title, I think it is a great book for people that are looking to try to start reading NA. I hope that you all will enjoy this awesome book if you do decide to pick it up.

Apr 13, eileen rated it really liked it Shelves: I did not expect to love Bitter Angel, but, oh, how I loved it. Bitter Angel is one of the first new adult novels that I've read that wasn't purely contemporary. It was science fiction, as well a dash of thriller, and I got swept up in this new, exciting premise. From the synopsis, I understood that Lila would live through two versions of a Friday night, but I hadn't yet grasped the gravity of the situation, which was that Lila, Nilah, and Heather got kidnapped and raped by a gang.

It's a tough subject to deal with, and if you're expecting how these three girls deal with the aftermath of it, that's not what this book is about. The reality of the situation immediately had me intrigued, but it didn't focus on the raping rather than preventing it from ever happening. By taking that line of action, the story was immediately transformed, and I can't say that I missed the fact that we didn't focus on the traumatic experience itself, producing a high-stakes plot and intense series of events. And because I stopped worrying about if the plot would drag, because about two chapters in, I was positive that it wouldn't, I started to focus on the main character: Lila was strong and compassionate—two of my favorite features in my characters.

Not only was her unflagging determination to keep her friends safe from harm inspiring, the way she remained calm and composed through the scariest of scary situations touched me, too.

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However, as much as I adored Lila, I got a little annoyed at her inner dialogue. She would go on profusely long rants about how she had to keep Nilah and Heather safe, how she couldn't bear to let her boyfriend Jay go. As a result, the plot occasionally slowed down and I lost interest for a few pages, until the monologuing stopped and the action began again. Instead of having the action be the prominent portion during these parts, Lila's monologuing skills took over and thus began the rant. Otherwise, Bitter Angel's plot was perfect except for those small blips in the surface.

Creative and fantastic, Megan Hand's debut Bitter Angel will blow you away with its promising plot line and fresh premise. Apr 27, Oana D. This book definitely was something entirely different from what i expected. Different in a good way,which by the way means that i loved the book. Well,with a cover and a description like that it's obvious that it has to be something good,right? And you have to read it. The first chapters were not exactly my favorites,and at some point i thought that it was a little boring,but when the action started-well,when the real thing happened i fell in love with the story.

Maybe this sounds a little cr This book definitely was something entirely different from what i expected. Maybe this sounds a little crazy,but i don't really care. Lila Spencer lived Friday night twice. Once with her friends,celebrating one of her best friends birthday. Return to Book Page. Preview — Bitter Angel by Amy Gerstler. Bitter Angel by Amy Gerstler. A reissuing of Bitter Angel, poems by Amy Gerstler. Paperback , 80 pages.

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This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Nov 23, Kristin rated it liked it. Couldn't really keep my interest; I had a difficult time finishing this book, which is strange to say about a book of poems. I like the prose poems best, although those were also hit or miss. All of the poems in general were a bit too prosaic for my taste.

The book as a whole didn't seem to stand up to the promise that many of the best poems in it offered. Jul 11, Hans rated it liked it.

I liked many phrases or sections e. Their urine smells of pinenuts and justice. To be fair, I've recently fallen hard for the words and works of another poet--Mary Ruefle--so other poets' poems don't feel quite as shiny right now. It is probably just a literary crush story, so there will be room for other poets at some point.

She seems like a cool chick - modern, liberal in the true sense of the word , a bit edgy but tender when appropriate as well. Some of her pieces have longer lines than I prefer, but she sticks to the subject of humanity usually. As I mentioned in a previous review, I'm not a fan of nature poems. I think I was left with the feeling that she didn't tap fully into her potential. Mar 02, Emily rated it it was amazing. You can read a poem breathless to get to the end and still not know exactly what it is about. Mike rated it really liked it Dec 17, Emily rated it liked it Jun 17, Jessica rated it it was amazing Aug 29, Greta rated it really liked it Jul 08, Gina rated it really liked it Apr 14, Jessica Gilliam rated it liked it Dec 04, Richard rated it it was amazing Mar 28, Jamibea rated it really liked it Jul 17,

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