Illuminate (Gilded Wings, #1)

by Aimee Agresti

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything changes when she isawarded a prestigious internship at a posh Chicago hotel under the watchful eyes of agroup of gorgeous strangers: the powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; hersecond-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff ofglamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people arenot quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers the evilagenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able tothwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at thehotel?

• ISBN10: 0547626142
• ISBN13: 9780547626147
• Publish Date: 6 March 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 30 June 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Houghton Mifflin
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 528
• Language: English

Reviews

[violetpeanut]

Overall I enjoyed this book. A girl and two classmates are chosen for an exclusive internship at an up-and-coming hotel. Everyone there is beautiful and talented but something is just not right.

I thought the idea was original and generally well written. The dialogue was genuine and felt realistic to the age of the characters. The main character was likeable and I enjoyed the supporting cast as well - or hated them in the case of the "bad guys."

The reason I did not give this book a higher rating is because it was very drawn out and there were some inconsistencies that bothered me.

There were entire scenes in this book that were not necessary and other scenes that could have been much shorter and still have moved the story along. Because of this the book felt very drawn out in places. This did not need to be a 500+ page book. It could have been significantly shorter while still telling the story, setting the scene and developing the characters.

Some things just did not make sense to me. For example, `
For example, Dante being an angel. Haven and Lance were orphans but Dante was not as far as we know so how could he be an angel? Maybe this will be answered as the series continues. Also, why would the members of the Outfit be working at a hotel? Some of them are famous models and artists. Why would they be working the front desk or helping customers instead of fulfilling whatever wish they sold their souls for?

Maybe this will be answered as the series continues.


All in all I really enjoyed this despite it's failings and am looking forward to the next in the series.

[Artemis]

This book semi-surprised me. It kind of started off as another "awkward teen falls for gorgeous boy" type situation but it ended up being a little more than that. I liked the whole Angel vs Satan part of it, I also like that Haven wasn't a completely stupid girl and realized things at the hotel were off. The book didn't really "wow" me but the ending definitely made me look forward to seeing what happens in this universe.

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

Illuminate is an exciting mystical tale full of independence intermingled with luxurious splendor, and the knowledge of greater strength yet to be discovered. It is a cleverly written and breath-taking whirlwind of intrigue with a rich and wildly dark but compelling story arc. Powerfully alluring and filled with beautiful people and dark illustrious sinister plots sure to hook readers and draw them in this enthralling and enchanting world. It isn’t just another novel involving angels. It's so much more than that, boldly daring to be extraordinarily original. It is a tale readers won't be forgetting anytime soon, as it transports them to a magical place full of mystery, power, and undeniable suspense.

It is a lively and highly influencing story filled with dark and alluring characters. The beautiful people, as they’re referred to, full of so much power, flawed realistically, and fascinating mystery. Their tale is wondrous and will draw readers in and keep them enchanted and mesmerized. These are characters that are not to be forgotten anytime soon. Haven is such a delightful heroine to get to know and is well developed as the novel progresses. She is such a lovely well-rounded fearless character that possesses such a likeable quality, filled with compassion and intelligence. The romance she shared with Lance was one of the sweetest things about the novel. It's incredibly easy to connect with these magnificently written characters, as Agresti writes them in such a realistic and delightfully enjoyable way.

Illuminate is filled with wonderful twists and turns that will surely leave readers intrigued with the mystery all the way through to the end. It is such a beautifully written fast-paced, well-developed action packed tale full of heart stopping danger and wonderfully sinister villains with dark agendas of their own. It's exciting and daring and highly original, it is sure to make Agresti a fast favorite and stand out in the world of young adult fiction. Agresti is an amazing new debut author bursting onto the scene with such a captivating and compelling novel that readers are sure to love. Fans of the illustrious Michelle Zink, the awe-inspiring richly dark tales of Lauren deStefano, and the intriguing writing style of Kimberly Derting will be sure to enjoy this wonderful pulsating novel full of wonder and amazement.