Compelling and unsettling, this book had me wrapped around it's finger from the first chapter.

I wanted to like this book so much. The concept is interesting, but I feel like Hanna was such a frustrating character that it was hard to really root for her or care how her story ended. She was constantly going from one end of the spectrum to the other - I will leave the community, I will never leave the community. There didn't seem to be any in between. I thought the author could have done a much better job describing the internal struggle Hanna had to have been feeling. Unfortunately, I will not be recommending this book.

Reading the synopsis of HANNA WHO FELL FROM THE SKY really peaked my interest. For some reason, I love reading about cults and this book was all about that. This story features a polygamic religious cult in a city called Clearhaven.

The main theme of the story is fear. Hanna is the oldest in her family’s clan of 9 children. The story starts 10 days before Hanna’s 18th birthday. On Hanna’s 18th birthday a man twice Hanna’s age, with 4 other wives, will marry and deflower Hanna. Hanna meets a boy named Daniel at church who starts to change her views for her future. He opens Hanna’s eyes and makes her question her options. Hanna, her siblings, and her mother and sister mothers live in constant fear of displeasing their father and the elder of the community. Disobedience in any form means immediate punishment. Hanna must decide if she will follow her marital fate or try for something beyond the community and leave her family behind.

This whole story takes place in about a weeks time and has a magical element that I didn’t see coming at all. I liked he descriptive details this author sprinkles throughout the story. I had no problem imagining the crumbling house she grows up in or the lavish accommodations of her betrothed. It felt like I was right there next to Hanna seeing things as she saw them.I had a hard time picturing the magical element but it did help the story progress.

This is a coming of age story about a relate-able girl. Hanna has hopes for herself and her sisters, especially her handicapped sister Emily. Her bond with Emily and need to protect her is admirable. There are quite a few female relationships in this story that, while uncomfortable, make perfect sense. I liked the closeness between Hanna and Kara, her real mother, and the almost rivalry between Jessamina, her families youngest sister wife. The dynamics of these females are pretty insightful.

What I didn’t like about this story were those descriptions of the elder men in the community. I have a hard time believing these people would cast most of their sons out, or that this whole community of men could all be so evil. Other than a few choice boys, all the males in this book are pure evil. I do wish there would have been more explanation for Hanna’s gift. I feel like the author left the reader hanging as to why and that left me a little disappointed. I also didn’t like Hanna’s choices at the end for her sister Emily.

This was a pretty addictive read for me from start to finish despite my small issues with the story. There is much more I could say about Hanna and town but I don’t want to spoil anything for potential readers. I would recommend this to people who don’t mind wondering about the author’s intentions. This could be a story of coming of age, or a fantastical story about a girl with a rare gift. The author left that for the reader to decide.

I honestly could not finish this book - deals with husbands with multiple wives & children & giving their children to other men as wives.

I read this aloud to/with my wife, and we both enjoyed it. Our only real qualm was that we were constantly afraid that it would end badly. Read it and you'll find out why. To reveal the end would be the ultimate spoiler. It mainly takes place in the town of Clearhaven which is a community run by a church that follows the precepts of The Creator. Hanna begins to suspect that there is more to the world than Clearhaven, and with some help from her "mother" she learns that this is in fact true. To say any more would truly be a spoiler. I did receive a free copy of this novel, in return for an honest review. Well, I think you should read it, and hang in there to the end. You won't be sorry

The author made a wise choice telling this story from Hanna's point of view. Her frustrations and fears become the reader's as you move through the story, even as your experience and knowledge of the world give you a sense of what is coming.

Gripping, engrossing and totally absorbing. That being said, it is not a comfortable read and not for pleasure either! This subject matter, for a seventies feminist, brings too many negative thoughts on the treatment of women. This is not an historic problem but still ongoing, just read the news. However, it is a novel I would buy for any college/university library and promote strongly.
Positives!! Beautifully written, easy to read and I found myself totally lost in the story, at one time looking up with a discombobulated, where am I feeling. So, well done, a great story and maybe I should have given 5 stars but still finished the book feeling very cross.

I loved the premise of this book and was looking forward to reading the story of a sheltered girl break free from the patriarchal cult that had essentially enslaved her. However, I was disappointed in Hanna's story. It moved slow and I had to force myself to keep reading. The ending left more questions than it answered and I found myself repulsed by the story I had read.

This book is unlike any other book that I have read. There are familiar elements: an impoverished family led by a drunken, angry, & often cruel man; children who cower & tiptoe around the house to evade the angry father; a main character, Hanna, the oldest daughter who feels it is her duty (and her joy) to care for and protect her younger siblings. Then the story gets a bit different. There are four mothers/wives in this family and the family lives in a community with many other polygamous families where the word and decisions of the father of each family is law. The leader & preacher of the community , Brother Paul, is the final word on all decisions in the community & enjoys a direct line from The Creator. These much older men enjoy having multiple wives and take new young wives as the family ages. This necessitates the community to purge many of the younger men on a regular basis; to eliminate competition to the older, powerful men in the town. Enter Daniel, the young man who catches Hanna's eye. Only Hanna is already promised to one of the much older powerful men in Clearhaven as his fifth wife. No matter how many lessons of obedience and understanding they have endured over their lifetimes their young hearts will not be easily assuaged and what follows is two young lovers trying to weigh what they feel against everything they have been raised to believe. Hanna's story is a coming of age story, albeit set in a very different kind of community.

I had mixed feelings about Hanna Who Fell from the Sky. Overall, well written. Good character development, engaging storyline, beautiful prose. By the end, though, it felt like there were missing pieces and plot choices that didn't quite make sense. Also curious about how much reality/research influenced the fictional community. The subject matter makes this a great choice for group discussion.

What a unique story. I loved the intensity of her living situation and the honor of the community in which she finds herself. The twist of her "falling from the sky" adds to the uniqueness of the YA book, and I think readers wil like its fresh premise.

Hanna Who Fell From the Sky begins like one of those women's novels about a young girl being raised in a polygamous cult. It was certainly not to my taste. I don't even watch Sister Wives or the Duggars. Then something very interesting happened. The story became a psychological study of a young girl finding the courage to break free from societal expectations. Situations that in the beginning of the book left her trembling now unleashed powerful emotions that enabled her to take control in miraculous ways. The second half of the book advanced at a gallop with dramatic conflicts in every chapter. My only criticism are some unanswered questions at the end, but all in all, I found this a good read. Don't skip the author's note at the end in which he describes how he came to write this story.

I read this book in one day. Hanna is a captivating girl and the world in which she lives in is so lovingly created that my heart broke for her over and over as she struggled between what was right for her and what was right for her family. Beautiful.

A story possessing a fantasy edge adding to entire story as well as main protagonist.

Normally a character vacillating as much as Hanna would have driven me batty. However, when you understand Hanna's capsulated life you comprehend her reservations, fear and want as well as curiosity. Hanna's decisions made sense, not only due to narrative but her personality. Meades allowed Hanna to grow, her trepidation and strength gave her a realistic feel despite her unimaginable circumstances.

I never would have fathomed a story of an angel falling from the heavens be filled with such misogyny, polygamy, and patriarchy. Once again the fantasy aspect muting the disturbing core of the story.

I really enjoyed the ending, felt an incredible fondness for Hanna.

Imaginative, solid tale of a young girl finding her empowered voice and place as she breaks free.

I loved this book. I can see how some of the other reviewers might not have enjoyed it, but it really resonated with me. Meades does an amazing job setting the scene, with the tone of the writing echoing the bleak existence into which Hanna was born/thrust. This book doesn't have a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat, but the writing is beautiful and the character development is so nuanced that I found myself yearning to go back to the book and find out what was next in Hanna's life. I also really enjoyed the element of magical realism, as well. It was unique and understated, but gave an added element of interest and moodiness. As a film director who specializes in stories that center on the young female psyche, I kept thinking how much I'd love to adapt this into a feature.

This was a quick and absorbing read. Hanna's dilemma was a compelling one and the writing is gorgeous. I didn't mind the touch of magic realism, nor the instant attraction between Hanna and Daniel. The one thing that did bother me was inconsistency in terms of Hanna's freedom. It was hard to suspend disbelief that she wasn't watched or caught during some of the antics she got up to, that such a prized bride-to-be in this polygamous society was allowed to wander on her own as much as Hanna was.

That said. I loved the shape of the story, the finely-tuned individual characters and the originality of the story line. Teens would love this.

A cliched polygamist society where the men are all arrogant, controlling and mean; and the women are submissive, abused and unkind to each other. A bit too repetitive with main characters angst.

This could have been a good short story with some edits. The story seemed to go on and on with little new information. The "Fell from the Sky"part was never explained, so the story never had any depth. The characters were just what one would expect with no growth or change. I read to the end hoping for some big surprise or twist or something. It never happened. It was just one more polygamist life story and very predictable. There are a lot of them out there. I am always in awe of authors who write a story and get it published. This just was not a story for me.

I decided in the first few pages that this book wasn't for me, but decided to at least finish the chapter before throwing in the towel. A few pages later and I was hooked. Hanna's story was riveting. I tore through the book desperate to find out what she was going to do to escape her terrible life circumstances or if she would even choose to escape. Parts of the story were odd without a lot of explanation, but overall I really enjoyed it.