Review: Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

Personal Demons-Lisa Desrochers
Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: September, 2010
Source: Review copy provided by publisher
Author Website

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance—-even her closest friends—-and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him. 
What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy—-all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.
But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.
(B&N)

I have to say that Personal Demons was a book that was quite different how from how I imagined it would be. I'm growing weary of angel stories in YA, and even more weary of love triangles, and while this book features both, I found the story had more depth than usual. I enjoy love triangles that aren't really love triangles for whatever reason, and I had to say I felt that the Gabe/Frannie/Luc triangle felt like one of these to me. Frannie falls to Gabe because of Luc's bad behavior, and while she cares for him and wonders how she can care for both guys, it seemed clear to me that the real love story was Frannie and Luc.

I also enjoyed Frannie's strength. Gabe and Luc have been sent to tag her soul for heaven or hell, but it's not just because she's a pretty face, she has a talent that she's just starting to understand herself. She's also not content to just go along with their plans for her. She wants her own life, and won't go along with their plans just because they're 'omg so hott!"

The only quibble I had with Personal Demons was Luc and Frannie's constant bickering. I couldn't keep track of whether they were on speaking terms or not. I also wish that Frannie's sisters would have had a larger role in the story. I hope her relationship with her sisters is further explored in the next books in the series.

I really enjoyed Personal Demons and it was a great break from some of the heavier books I've been reading lately. If you're looking for a sexy, fast paced read, this is the book for you.