If I'd seen Confessions of a Fallen Angel in a bookstore I probably wouldn't have picked it up because of the cover. At first glance it looks something from a romance novel or the Lifetime channel – little gilt birds flying around a man and woman with wings, embracing. That would have been unfortunate because I really enjoyed this book. After reading Confessions... I see how the artist incorporated elements of the story into the artwork and I apologize for my initial, uncharitable, impression. The author, Ronan O'Brian is a solicitor in Ireland and this is his first book.

Confessions... is set in a fictional suburb of Dublin starting in 1984. There is a supernatural element to the story. The narrator, Charlie, has an accident during a football (soccer not American football) match when he is ten years old. He technically dies, has an out of body experience, decides that he isn't ready to die, and comes back. He is changed by the experience having brought back the ability to foretell the death of people close to him. Unfortunately, he is doomed to be the cause of the deaths. This “gift” isn't the real focus of the story, it's more of a constant presence and catalyst, and I won't want to give the impression that it is a Stephen King, Dark Zone knockoff.

The reason Confessions ... appealed to me is the way O'Brien is able to describe Charlie's life from age ten. The dialog and day-to-day life of a boy growing up lower class in Ireland rings true. We see Charlie go from a relatively happy, if rebellious, youth to descent to a really dark place, his rise, subsequent fall, and ultimately finding redemption.

It is a very character driven story and O'Brien does a wonderful job bringing out the character of Charlie. There were times when I didn't like Charlie very much for his self-destructive tendencies but I cared what happened to him. There are many interesting people in Charlie's life and I hope O'Brien writes another novel using some of them. I was left with a curiosity for “I wonder what happens to ...”