Title: Illuminate (Gilded Wings #1)
Author: Aimee Agresti
Release date: March 6, 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 534
Source: Publisher

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda 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 to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?

Illuminate is a fascinating new take on the old story of angels and devils.  Aimee Agresti has a strong debut and that end will leave readers eager for more!

For once I’m going to start my review with the bad because it is greatly outweighed by the good.  Illuminate starts off very slowly.  The first 100-150 pages did nothing for me.  There was some background on the characters, and the hotel and a little mystery thrown in but it was not enough to hook me.  I had to force myself through those pages because I knew it would get good.  And boy was I right!

Haven is not a super strong, amazingly brave character but I think that will only make readers like her more. She is scared, confused, and kind of a wimp at first.  She wants to back out, give up on her destiny, just plain run away from it all.  She doesn’t know what she is getting into but she knows she is in over her head.  It’s refreshing to see a character who doesn’t blindly accept her crazy destiny.  She’s a very normal girl, having to look within herself to find confidence and strength. Along the way she is greatly tested by both friends and foes.  Dante, Lance, Lucian, and Aurelia weren’t completely developed but I have hopes for that to happen in the next book.  However it was easy to love or hate them, I will say that.

Like I said, this is not your traditional story of angels and devils.  These devils look nothing like you would expect, at least on the outside. Inside however they are very twisted.  These angels are also very unique.  They are almost powerless at first, surrounded by temptation.  It takes a lot for these angels to earn their wings and this is only the beginning of their journey.

Aimee Agresti is an amazing writer.  Her writing is lush, descriptive, and gorgeous.  It’s impossible not to be drawn into the story with writing like hers.  However not every picture that is painted with her writing is pretty.  In fact some are downright gruesome.  These devils inspire terror in their true forms and Aimee Agresti does not shy away from those descriptions.  Be warned!

Overall, Illuminate will greatly appeal to angel fans.  This story, as well as Aimee Agresti herself, hold a lot of promise.  This is one debut author to watch for.