The novel initially received mixed reviews.[4]
The book received the following accolades:
- South Carolina Book Award for Young Adult Book Award (1991)[5]
- Charlotte Award (1992)[5]
- Keystone to Reading Book Award (1994)[5]
- Coretta Scott King Book Award for Author (1989)[6][5][7]
- Margaret A. Edwards Award (1994)[5]
However, Fallen Angels inclusion of offensive language, racism, drugs, sexual content, and violence have made it a frequent target of censors; the novel appears on the American Library Association list of the 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-1999 (85),[8] 2000-2009 (11),[9] and 2010-2019 (5).[10] It also appeared in the annual list of the top ten most commonly banned and challenged books in 2001 (9), 2003 (5), and 2004 (2).[11]
