I love smart, irreverent narrators, and Kiriel is one of my new favorites. In A. M. Jenkins’ 2010 Grand Canyon Reader Nominee Repossessed, we meet a bored, unappreciated know-it-all, Kiriel. The thing is, he’s not your average suburban American teenager, he just took possession of one to experience physical existence. And don’t call him a demon, which carries way too much negative baggage; he prefers Fallen Angel. As he puts it, the main difference between him and the Unfallen Angels is that he “wondered, questioned, confronted, eventually demanded, and in general pushed the edges of the envelope till the envelope burst.” Perfect spirit to inhabit a 21st century American teen’s body/life.
Continuously funny, meditative and insightful in just the right way, and pitch-perfect presentations of teens today, this book is really enjoyable. It asks just the right questions and has just enough answers to get you thinking, and Kiriel is so likeable that you don’t want his physical existence to end any more quickly than he does.
Posted by Cori