On the Bright Side

Johannes (Untraceable) kicks off the Starlings series with this fresh novel about an angel's peripatetic path to earning her wings. Though the backstory is sad%E2%80%9414-year-old Gabby is killed by a drunk driver%E2%80%94humor prevails as Gabby grapples with the task assigned her in heaven: acting as guardian angel to Angela, who is dating Gabby's former best friend and secret crush, Michael. Several chapters are named for the rules that Gabby, as a "Bright in Training," breaks repeatedly and comically as she humiliates Angela in hopes of sabotaging her relationship with Michael. Along the way, Gabby risks banishment from heaven to return to Earth and set things right with Michael and Angela, and has a charged encounter with the devil and his henchmen. Gabby's repartee with her celestial best friend and fellow BIT, Jessica, as well as with her cranky mentor, is studded with puns: at the angel induction ceremony, Gabby tells a "paparazzi dude" that she's wearing Dolce & Nirvana, while her friend brags about her Vera Wing dress. A humorous addition to the angel story genre. Ages 12%E2%80%93up.