Immortal City by Scott Speer

Immortal City
Scott Speer
April 3rd, 2012
336 (hardcover)
Razorbill3rd personSource - Publisher (unsolicited)

Jackson Godspeed is the hottest young Angel in a city filled with them. He's days away from becoming a full Guardian, and people around the world are already competing for the chance to be watched over by him. Everyone's obsessed with the Angels and the lucky people they protect--everyone except for Madison Montgomery. 
Maddy's the one girl in Angel City who doesn't breathlessly follow the Angels on TV and gossip blogs. When she meets Jackson, she doesn't recognize him. But Jackson is instantly captivated by her, and against all odds the two fall in love. 
Maddy is swiftly caught up in Jackson's scene, a world of glamour, paparazzi - and murder. A serial killer is on the loose, leaving dead Angels' wings for the police to find on the Walk of Fame. Even the Guardians are powerless to protect themselves in the face of this threat … and this time it's up to Maddy to save Jackson.

While Immortal City had a fascinating premise, it somewhat failed to impress or even stand at the same level as other novels in its genre. As a mystery, this book is good. The mystery of who is killing off the angels is captivating, and it was interesting to see how the surprises Speer had in store for his readers played out. However, as a romance, the relationship was difficult to believe in. While some people may love and thoroughly enjoy the story Speer has crafted, I couldn't help but to feel as if I've read it all before. 

Highlights: An intriguing mystery is at the core of Immortal City. While I did guess the "bad guy" early on, Speer managed to throw in a few surprises along the way to keep his readers changing their minds. The guardian-angel-for-pay idea was interesting. The 3rd person POV was mostly enjoyable (shifting between three main characters) because it gave the story a more well-rounded feel. 
Lowlights: The writing style/tone of the story¹. A serious case of insta-love between Jackson and Maddy. Excessive brand name-dropping in the beginning was very, very frustrating. These characters and their relationships with one another needed a lot of work and much more authenticity. 
Final Thoughts: In the end, I found the story to be only "okay". However, despite any issues I had with the story, it had some nice moments. I've seen a lot of positive reviews for this book, so I may be in the minority. I would recommend reading the first couple chapters or to check it out at your local library to see if it's a story for you!
Rating:   

1 It probably didn't help that I read Finnikin of the Rock at the same time - which was exceptional and beautifully written. 

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