15-year-old Owen Marlow is experiencing a great, disorienting loss after his father suddenly passed away and his mother moved them to a new town. None of his old friends knew how to confront his grief, so he’s given up on trying to make new ones. There is one guy at school who might prove to be different if he gives him a chance but lately, Owen has been overwhelmed by his sadness. He’s started to have strange, powerful hallucinations of skeletal birds circling above him. Owen tells himself that these visions are just his brain’s way of trying to cope – until one night, the birds descend and take him to an otherworldly forest. There, he is asked to go on a dangerous journey that promises to bring him the understanding he so desperately seeks – if he can survive it.
Grief Angels is an urgent and heartfelt look at the power of nostalgia and the many different forms of grief. It’s about young men learning how to share their stories, and teens discovering who they are, and who they might one day become.
"Owen has a real talent for creating believable, authentic teenage characters that you can really relate to and empathise with. He also tears into the ideas of toxic masculinity, somewhat of a recurring theme in his novels and explores the teenage male psyche... I felt like the way grief is portrayed was so accurate and it's all intertwined with these imaginative fantasy elements that are utterly enchanting. For me, it really hit home with my own personal experiences of loss, creating a brilliant dynamic that hopefully will help many other people." Emily Mitchell, @ashortbooklover
"Not many YA writers can combine authenticity with such tenderness, so raw at times it's painful. A unique premise told beautifully.’ Kiran Millwood Hargrave (via Instagram), author of THE GIRL OF INK AND STARS and THE MERCIES
"A truly extraordinary and original book. Utterly gobsmackingly brilliant. I felt elated, heartbroken and uplifted by the beauty of it. Raw and written from the heart, it’s a phenomenal read and an excellent starting point to discuss issues around grief, guilt, mental health and depression." Liz Hyder, author of BEARMOUTH