OUT OF THE BLUE

When angelic Beings inexplicably start plummeting to Earth, humans everywhere read meaning into these events.

While religious cults form in the wake of the Beings’ arrival, those dubbed “Wingdings” join ranks online to share sightings, auction off wing feathers, and plot how to capture one alive and reap a reward. Jaya Mackenzie, a 17-year-old from rural Scotland, is grieving the recent death of her Sri Lankan–British mother and worrying about her father, a white Scottish man consumed by Being mania. Believing the next colorful, metallic, gender-neutral angel will fall in Edinburgh, he quits his job and takes Jaya and her younger sister, Rani, to live in a run-down student flat in the city. After meeting local twins Allie and Calum, who are protesting the commodification and exploitation of the Beings, Jaya falls hard for Allie while also missing her girlfriend, who has been incommunicado since her mother whisked her out of town. She also needs to decide whether she can trust the twins—not to mention her own family—when she happens upon the first Being to survive a crash landing on Earth. Touches of humor (Jaya names “her” Being Teacake due to her sweet tooth) lighten the story, and the expert pacing is complemented by well-rounded character development.

A strong infusion of magic and wonder distinguish this debut novel.