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Angel

by Cliff McNish

3.49 of 5 stars 3.49 · rating details · 568 ratings · 87 reviews

Hardcover, 311 pages

Published February 1st 2008 by Carolrhoda Books

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Jan 09, 2012 Weishi rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I read this book quite a while ago, but I remember that I hated it. I actually wanted to throw it when I was done.
And i think it's to do with the characters.
Freya was so annoying. I mean, there were moments where I forgave her but I think she was such a weak character (I can't really remember, as I read it ages ago) that sometimes I just wanted to slap her.
And then there was Stephanie.
Oh, where to start on Stephanie.
OK, well I thought she was alright at first, I might have found her a bit stra...more I read this book quite a while ago, but I remember that I hated it. I actually wanted to throw it when I was done.
And i think it's to do with the characters.
Freya was so annoying. I mean, there were moments where I forgave her but I think she was such a weak character (I can't really remember, as I read it ages ago) that sometimes I just wanted to slap her.
And then there was Stephanie.
Oh, where to start on Stephanie.
OK, well I thought she was alright at first, I might have found her a bit strange. And crazy. But I guess the author was just trying to show how much she cared about angels. I was like "Ok, I can try to get used to this". But then it just got WEIRD. I remember one scene in particular where Stephanie tells Freya that "You're my guardian angel". Then when Freya says no, she starts rolling on the ground writhing and screaming like a maniac. On purpose, not that she's being attacked or anything. She's doing it consciously. Just so Freya can say stop and Stephanie goes "See, you try to look after me, you are my guardian angel." And I'm sitting there, wanting to slap this girl across the face so hard, thinking 'If a girl you know starts writhing on the ground screaming her head off waiting for you to help her, you're probably going to help her unless you're a psychopath or she's a serial killer.'
I just found Stephanie so.... pathetic. And annoying. I wouldn't care if either of the characters died halfway through the book. Especially Stephanie. I hated them that much. And both such weak characters, that it wouldn't really make any impact if either of them died.
Now the one character I liked, solely because he was in hardly any of the book, was the angel guy. Just because I didn't have time to hate him and he died saving that human at the end. He seemed OK. Good on you, Angel guy.
Overall, the book would have probably been ok, if I had liked the character's in the slightest. But i didn't. They were annoying and sometimes extremely stupid. And i don't even remember the minor characters which shows you how much impact they made on me.
Oh! Actually, I remember there was a brother. Luke. Yeah, he was likeable. The way he stood up against bullies and stuff. I wish he was in more of the book. If the whole thing had been just about him and his life, with a sister he thought was crazy, who was friends with the wrong types, I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more. Even though it would be missing the entire supernatural aspect of the book, i would enjoy the main character.(less)

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Jan 27, 2009 Aaron rated it 3 of 5 stars

Freya Harrison has been has recently come home after spending years in therapy due to the fact that she believed so she saw angels. Starting at age 8, she became obsessed with the fact that angels were interacting wither her, particularly one named Hestron.

Now, she is back in school and even part of the in crowd, a small clique of queen bees led by a girl named Amy. Amy helps set her up on her first date, and Freya seems like she is doing everything right.

All of that changes with the arrival of...more

Freya Harrison has been has recently come home after spending years in therapy due to the fact that she believed so she saw angels. Starting at age 8, she became obsessed with the fact that angels were interacting wither her, particularly one named Hestron.

Now, she is back in school and even part of the in crowd, a small clique of queen bees led by a girl named Amy. Amy helps set her up on her first date, and Freya seems like she is doing everything right.

All of that changes with the arrival of a formerly homeschooled girl named Stephanie Rice. She hopes to fit right in, only to find that she is the butt of people's joke when everyone learns that she is a huge fan of angels. At first, Freya tried to help, but she is not sure she is willing to risk her new status at the school to really help.

To make matters worse, Freya has started receiving visits from another angel named Mastraal, only this one is dark and grotesque looking. She (and her family) can't help but worry that the stress is starting to get to her and she is relapsing with her mental illness.

To make matters worse, Freya's brother Luke is confronting the school bully who has set his targets on a young boy named Sam. While his heart is in the right place, he could be placing himself in a dangerous situation he will be unable to get out of.

The concepts behind the story are really good. The idea of whether or not angels are walking amongst us verses the fact that Freya may be crazy is the basis of an interesting story. There are also a number of subplots that keep the reader engaged. The book is filled with rich language and descriptions, but the problem is that this imagery really slows things down. I am not sure that most readers would stick with this through to the conclusion. It is a shame because it has a strong message about cliques and bullies sent against the mystical background.

In many ways, the writing reminds me a lot of the writing style of David Almond, another British writer who specializes in tales with great writing and a touch of the occult. He has won a lot of recognition and awards. The problem is that his books, like this one suffers from being an award winner, which means it is well-written and respected, but the kids tend to not really get into them.(less)

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Oct 24, 2012 07NinaH Hawkes added it

Ladies and gentleman of the jury, I would point out my case. With Freya, being a girl with many problems of her own, she couldn't handle much else. She only wanted to fit in with the people who she thought she looked up too. But learned differently. As a little girl in an old town, back in the "oldies" would have been creepy enough. But, Freya encounters a creepy thing on her own. Only with it being an everyday topic. What was her problem? Well let's find out:)

Ghosts, were the things she was...more Ladies and gentleman of the jury, I would point out my case. With Freya, being a girl with many problems of her own, she couldn't handle much else. She only wanted to fit in with the people who she thought she looked up too. But learned differently. As a little girl in an old town, back in the "oldies" would have been creepy enough. But, Freya encounters a creepy thing on her own. Only with it being an everyday topic. What was her problem? Well let's find out:)

Ghosts, were the things she was among, but not ordinary ghosts, ghosts that only tried to tell a truth.
With this catching ghost tale, you know the there has to be some excitement going on. Or even a little spook and a boo sometimes. Was this book good with that? Yes! With its way of including other ghosts with very unique names. Mestrial, is a good example. Even though he was an angel, he gave the sound of a ghost. And with this being the entertaining book it was, It gave a little twister about what it had to tell. You usually hear "ghosts" and immediately think of something scary, but in this case, it meant a good thing. And it was fascinating not to hear the same ole' story. In my opinion, you usually think stuck up kids would be a negative, but not with this. Freya's "friends" Amy and her "cronies" added in more excitement. Leaving more trouble for Freya to solve. What do I mean by that? I mean that they tried to control Freya, but she knew she didn't want listen. A great example would be the new girl In the story. Stephanie. She was automatically excluded from anyone popular, but all Freya knew was that she was not just some girl. She sensed that she had a purpose to be there. Did Freya find out? Yes she did, she let Stephanie convince her of the rightful thing, some people would say. Another great thing would be the mental imaging. Some parts gave so much detail that you could see the scene in your head. which in my opinion, is always a great thing.This book, didnt leave anything unanswered from what I read, therefore, it's a recommendable book.

Now, of course you can't have the good without the bad. So of course this book had its flaws.
With this spooky tale being back in the day, it had a few things you wouldn't be familiar with today. And with the many young adults that read the book, probably aren't sure about about a few things. Trench coats do examples. You don't see many of those worn around now in days, let alone talked about. And with it being a "popular" trend back then, most children probably wouldn't understand. Along with phrasing and wording.

When you hear "ghost tale" you think of something shorter then a regular novel, but not with this. The story could of been shorter then it needed to be. Meaning that it was dragged in a few parts. Like Freya trying to decide with herself. Which was more then half the book. So yes, it was a little unneeded. But was it a little to descriptive? You could say so. "She had the look of suspicion. Dark, quiet, and not so flawless of a girl." Is usually not how you hear someone described. But did that make it bad book?

No, it didn't. The entertainment and the spookiness of it overlooked the flaws. Everything has flaws. It just takes the greatness to overlook them. And that's what this story did.
If you are a lover of ghosts, angels, or love having a little scare. I wouldn't definitely recommend this book. But if you arent, then maybe its not your style. Therefore, it is a great book, and I would definitely say it's a story to keep you reading.
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Jun 16, 2011 Airiz C rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: drama, paranormal, young-adult

Even before “angels became the new vampires” in literature—if you know what I mean—I’ve already encountered a novel that zeroes in on humans and angels and the possible connections and mutations between them (I know I still have the X-Men: First Class flick hangover, but 'paranormal' mutations do sort of apply in this book; if you figure out what I was trying to say, consider yourself SPOILED :p).

The premise is really promising. Freya is a teenage girl who has been obsessed with angels ever sinc...more Even before “angels became the new vampires” in literature—if you know what I mean—I’ve already encountered a novel that zeroes in on humans and angels and the possible connections and mutations between them (I know I still have the X-Men: First Class flick hangover, but 'paranormal' mutations do sort of apply in this book; if you figure out what I was trying to say, consider yourself SPOILED :p).

The premise is really promising. Freya is a teenage girl who has been obsessed with angels ever since she saw one in her bedroom. She had been put under therapy for seeing them, which therapists dismiss as hallucinations. Thinking that she’s already “healed”, Freya starts from scratch to build a new, normal life. That’s until the angels start appearing again, and this time they’re just not the beautiful beings with strong gossamer wings; there’s one that is as black as a raven, following her anywhere she goes. Freya tries to run away from the creature, but she knows she can't hide from the creature no matter where she goes…

The prose is not florid yet not too flat, and for that I’m giving this book a check. I prefer female protagonists who get to kick a lot of behinds, but I’m willing to give Freya a chance when I first got my hands on this book. Several chapters later, I guess the dynamite in my chest of “chances” have gone off, triggered by the fact that the characters do not 'grow'; they are not so well-inflated that you can see their fragile flatness as easily as you can pierce a water surface with your finger.

I confess that I was truly engrossed by about the first three quarters of the book, but the thrill dwindled a bit when I reached the near-to-last part. The main twist didn’t have much of an effect on me, and that’s saying something because it’s a big life-changing “bang!” for the character. As for the secondary character Stephanie, she is your standard heroine’s side-kick, and she kind of reminds me of Helen Burns, the childhood best friend of the title character in Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre.

Giving it three stars.
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Jun 12, 2011 Colleen rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't actually know what to rate this book.
I didn't really like it.
But there were a handful of bits that I REALLY did.
It was, for the most part, average with below average parts, so it'll get a below average score.
The main character was irritating, the main 'baddie' not even half as bad as the writer wanted to make us believe.
Her brother and his friend were the best characters but even they had their moments of being damn frustrating.
This book did everything that someone else has done but not...more

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Sep 12, 2010 Zarina rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Angel wasn't quite what I expected from the book when picking it up. Not so much falling in the current popular supernatural range of books, but not being preachy about angels either. It was something different altogether and I'm still not entirely sure if I liked it.

I am very intrigued by the intention of the story and the way it deals with a completely different background for angels than common in popular culture. However storytelling wise the book seemed slow at some points, hastened at oth...more

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Jun 23, 2010 Empire of Books rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know this book has been out for a few years now, but I re-visited this a few weeks ago and feel that I should review it (also I want some more content for my blog! :P)

Fourteen-year-old Freya has been ridiculed all her life. She's had a major obsession with Angels, claiming to see them, leading to her being institutionalized. Now older, and able to learn to keep her thoughts to herself, Freya begins to see angels again.

This book has to be an all time favourite. There are some quite haunting mom...more

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Jul 06, 2009 Jeanne rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

This book was mildly disturbing because I could not place its location. By language, I'd say it's British, but then at one point they count out dollars, not pounds or euros. The McDonald's and KFC references strike me as from the States, but maybe that's just my bias.

Beyond the geographic issues, I also had to put aside some of my prejudice regarding angels. McNish nicely steers us away from the belief in angels = belief in God problem by giving angels a very different origin. I'm not a big beli...more

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Aug 23, 2012 MissTaylorSwift *fear doesn't shut you down it wakes you up~ Four rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: okay

CAUTION SPOILERS

Freya had an obsession with angels it began with just her sitting by the window waiting for her 'guardian angel' and became an all out obsession claiming she could see them and refusing to leave the window, ever. Out of desperate fear for his daughters health her father lets matters fall into the hands of the hospital.

A year after getting out of hospital all seems perfectly normal Freya had made new friends and lives a perfectly normal obsession-free life. Until she begins to see...more

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Jul 03, 2011 Jessica Smith rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jessica by: Tori Wilson

Shelves: not-bad-could-be-better

I don't mind this book, its characters, or its writing. In general, each was clear, albeit cluttered every now and then, which is far more than I can say about other YA novels like Twilight and Starcrossed. However, Angel lacks something vital to all storytelling--heart, passion, or whatever else you want to call it. The way McNish tells his tale feels stale and lifeless, as if he didn't understand his characters. There's no feeling, there's just . . . nothing. I wasn't pulled into the story at...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Michaela rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

At first I was really intending not to read anymore after I realised that the author was talking about angels not being guardians for each person. But then I thought about it, and thought about it some more, then I realised, 'Hey, this could be interesting' and guess what? it was.

The literature was not as good as I hoped it to be and the whole story apart from the angelic side and all that, was primarily focussed on bullying. I found that I could not relate to any of the characters because the...more

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Jul 30, 2009 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen

Whilst working at Waterstones - as usual - I picked up this book as I was intrigued by the simple title. I read the blurb and was interested, especailly since I am veering in the direction of Supernatural at the moment. I started reading this and was immediately intrigued. The way Cliff McNish writes although not obvious is subtlely eery. Especially when introduced to Mestraal. The discription although not overly detailed was very real - I for one have looked at the slither of light underneath m...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Danielle rated it 2 of 5 stars

Freya's intense passion for angels led her into years of mental illness. Now, just when she's starting to believe she's normal again, a dark angel starts to follow her. Soon she learns a stunning truth: She is an angel herself. And an angel's job is nothing like she imagined it would be...

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But I cou;dn't get into it. For one thing, it bothered me, probably more than it should have, that I couldn't tell where the story was taking place. I just assumed Engl...more Freya's intense passion for angels led her into years of mental illness. Now, just when she's starting to believe she's normal again, a dark angel starts to follow her. Soon she learns a stunning truth: She is an angel herself. And an angel's job is nothing like she imagined it would be...

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But I cou;dn't get into it. For one thing, it bothered me, probably more than it should have, that I couldn't tell where the story was taking place. I just assumed England or some place in the UK by the way they talked, but sometimes is sounded like they were from somewhere else. Anyway, it was confusing.

Another thing, I didn't like the main character all too much. Freya...she just...I don't know...it wasn't even the whole angel obsession thing that bothered me, it was just her in general. She was too obsessed with being cool. That always irks me. Why do they feel they always have to be one of the "cool" kids? Especially, like in this case, the cool kids are a bunch of snobby brats? What really wanted me was the way she treated everyone. If she was trying to be one of the "cool" kids, she succeeded, because she was a snob. There was a moment when she was thinking about standing up for Stephanie (a homeschooled girl obsessed with angels; everyone finds weird) that I actually sort of liked her, but that's just it; she thought it. She didn't do anything. She let Any (the queen of her little pack) go up and mock her and tease her, for no reason, just because she was new. It bothered me, because Freya was the girl...at least she was until she dyed her hair blonde, put on make up, and bought expensive clothes. I get she had been through a lot, but still, there is a way you handle things. Just the way these 14 year girls acted really made me mad (as you can see)

I much preferred Freya's brother Luke. I was kind of down because he wasn't in there much more. At least HE stood up for someone who needed help :P

Anyway, in the end, Freya does come through for Stephanie (after crushing the poor girl's feelings). It was sort of predictable. Stephanie weirded me out a bit with her obsession with Freya, but she just wanted a friend and Freya was the only one who didn't think she was nuts, so I got it. In a nut shell, the book wasn't the worst book in the world, but I don't think I'd recommend it.(less)

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Apr 06, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal, ya

Freya has been obsessed with angels her whole life. Now that she’s out of the hospital, she is finally fitting in with the kids at school. Unfortunately, just when things seem to be going right, not only does Freya start seeing angels again, but there’s a new girl at school. Stephanie is just as obsessed with angels as Freya was, and it seems that Stephanie has latched onto Freya which makes them both a laughingstock. While Freya is working through this, her brother, Luke, is being bullied and b...more

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Oct 18, 2012 Becka dittmann rated it 3 of 5 stars

I thought the book was interesting. The characters reminded me of the people at our school. A girl named Freya was trying to fit in and be like the other girls but she had a secret that made her different then the others. She believed in angels and nobody was going to tell her different. She was fitting in well until a girl named Stephanie came to that school with the same beliefs. Freya had to get put in the hospital because her father thought she was crazy and she had just started to get over...more

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Mar 27, 2010 Caroline Alicia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: march2010, coping-with-loss, coming-of-age, fantasy, spiritual

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 16, 2010 Emma rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

After being visited by an angel when she is 8 years old, Freya becomes so obsessed with them, she is institutionlized. Now 16, she is back at school, in with the cool crowd, and definitely putting all that angel stuff behind her. But what will she do when she sights a dark angel following her into her home? Or, when she meets up with Stephanie -- the new girl who believes in angels almost as much as she did? Or, when she finds out that she won't exactly be able to shake off all that "angel-stuff...more

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May 05, 2009 Shila rated it 4 of 5 stars

the book was amazing i think, except for some swears. it takes the lords name in vain and says the D,B, and H word, so thats a downer,which is the only reason i gave it less than a 5. Another part that is dumb is when she walks in on her dad while he's not wearing pants-underwear, no pants. but other than that, it's really fantastic. it's about this girl who can sense angels and then gets a little obsessed. she ends up getting stuck in the hospital and forced to have an IV("because angels dont e...more

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Jul 08, 2009 Kristi rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book looked really good, but it wasn't quite what I expected. I like books about the supernatural and spirituality, but Angel didn't really quite fit either category. It was written for teen and is about teens. I thought it was going in the direction of teaching teens how to be kind to each other, but it seemed like it was written more for entertainment purposes. It was original. Maybe I just didn't like that these angels didn't necessarily believe in God and heaven. I thought angels and he...more

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May 25, 2010 Lacey rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book changed my view on angels. It gave me a new perspective on how a guardian angel feels and what it takes to be one. Freya has always been able to see angels but everyone around her tried to convience her they weren't real so one day after she was brought back home from the pysic ward she had given up on angels. That is until a dark looming feathered creature lurks in Freya's shadows. Soon Freya is pushed to the limits to discover who she really is and deal with what has become of her li...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Tori Wilson rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked Angel but at the same time, it confused me a little bit. Really I don't read stories about people who believe they saw a figure once and for all they know it could have been a dream. But it wasn't actually that bad to read. Mind you it did make Freya sound like a complete looney, but who doesn't now-a-days. Also if she didn't stick at finding the archangel she probably wouldn't have seen him again, but because she did stick at it, she saw him again. No matter how many people thought she...more

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Mar 02, 2010 ~Tina~ rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to ~Tina~ by: oliviasbooks

Shelves: angels, young-adult, read-2010

An interesting and captivating look at Angels and a dark one at that!

With Angel books being the new "it" theme these days, I was eager to read more YA stories about them. Angel did not disappoint.

While some may not like the writing style British author Cliff McNish brings into his stories, I for one was fascinated and enjoyed his style, the plot and it's characters.

Along side with Angels, this story is also about the lessons that go along with cliques and bullies, and while I was annoyed by them...more

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Mar 11, 2011 Tabby rated it 1 of 5 stars

This was different from all those supernatural/angel books stocked up on the YA bookshelves nowadays, which is good. But despite the different twist to the whole "angel" thing, to me, it was really cliched. The romance plot was unsurpsrising, and I disliked it. The whole shy-girl-turn-popular cliched was evident throughout this book, and that had to be combinded with the shy-girl-gets-popular-guy cliched, which made me want to hurl the book at someone. Freya is too much of a Mary Sue. If McNish...more

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Aug 16, 2011 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It's really more of a 3.5 star rating than a 4. I really didn't like this to begin with, but it slowly grew on me as I kept reading it. The character's annoyed me slightly, and I didn't like how with most of it, like Luke and her Dad, you didn't know where the storyline was going, or why it was important until the end. However, after about the first third/half of it I got into it more and I liked the underlying tones of 'how far would you go for someone else?' and 'how much would you be willing...more

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Dec 04, 2010 Corinne rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: angels, fantasy, healing-and-magic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Apr 09, 2009 Soriah rated it 5 of 5 stars

The first book I read by Cliff Mcnish was Breathe: A Ghost Story. When my library brought Angel to me, I couldn't wait to read it.

It was worth it. I loved it. Not a single page could turn fast enough.

The angel obsession that Freya has is so...real. And Stephanie was definitely an odd one.

Each character is very different and eerily easy to relate to despite the lack of similarities.

The ending is a satisfying one, and perhaps one of the few "happy" endings that don't ruin the quality of the story...more

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May 08, 2012 Leaf rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Freya loves angels, in fact she loves them so much she was hospitalized for being mentally crazy. She just got out a few months ago and is recovering but one day a new girl named Stephanie joins her class and Stephanie believes in angels. Now her world is changed forever as she faces the truth about who she is and what she is meant to be.

I picked this book up because I desperatly needed something to read and this looked intersting so I started reading it and found out that it was good. I thought...more

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Oct 03, 2011 TheBookAddictedGirl rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: All Who Need Inspiration, To Have Their Belief In Humanity Restored!

Shelves: borrowing-from-library-friend, in-my-mailbox, action-adventure, british-fiction, fantasy, magic, paranormal, read-2011, urban-fantasy, ya

Ever since she was a young girl, for as long as she can remember, Freya Harrison has wanted to be an angel. She was visited by one when she was eight. One so beautiful she was left desperate. She was hospitalized soon after. Now, she’s back at school and desperate to fit in. Stephenie Rice is friendless and strange. She believes in angels with all her heart, in everything Freya is denying to herself. But when Freya starts seeing a dark angel, horribly deformed, she turns to the only person who w...more Ever since she was a young girl, for as long as she can remember, Freya Harrison has wanted to be an angel. She was visited by one when she was eight. One so beautiful she was left desperate. She was hospitalized soon after. Now, she’s back at school and desperate to fit in. Stephenie Rice is friendless and strange. She believes in angels with all her heart, in everything Freya is denying to herself. But when Freya starts seeing a dark angel, horribly deformed, she turns to the only person who will believe her: Stephenie.
Meanwhile, Freya’s brother is being beaten up for looking after a Year Seven boy and her dad is living with a huge secret…
And then Freya is visited once again by her light angel. And her whole world is changed beyond recognition…
All the concepts behind this book were amazing: friendship, love, self-sacrifice… And the characters were all very diverse and interesting. The messages about the dangers of peer pressure and bullying were wonderfully strong. It was very new and different from all the other angel books I’ve read. I really was rather addicted, wanting to find out what happened to everyone. It wasn’t perfect, but I did like it.
Freya was damaged, delicate, fractured. I admired her determination, her stubbornness. But I didn’t like what she did with her new ‘friends’. I’m not saying that I didn’t like Freya, because I did. But I just saw how wonderful she could be, and I felt she could do so much better. She was strong, after the long struggle with the mental institutions. But that was why I got annoyed: she’d gone through all that, so why make someone else feel bad? Peer pressure at work there, people. And she didn’t see what was right in front of her face. She got better as the book went on, but she did annoy me a little to begin with.
Stephenie was sweet. And very strange. She didn’t have any friends, as she had been home-schooled and had her ‘friends’ and playmates hand-picked for her by her parents. She had more confidence, more backbone than many a person, and was also determined as hell. She was kinda creepy and very weird, but she would do anything to help Freya. I couldn’t help liking the girl: she was cute and innocent.
The rest of the characters were brilliant and completely believable. Freya’s Dad, so strong and loving. Her brother Luke, who got over his biggest fears to save a boy he barely knew. Then you had the classic mean-girl bully, Amy, who was a total wimp and overall horrid person. Gemma the sheep. And Vicky, who left me hopeful that she could better herself. And the angels, complete opposites and both so very strong and powerful.
It was the angels in this book that made it ever so special. They were completely different from anything I’d read about before. In some ways, they were very much your traditional guardian angel. Apart for one very, very big difference… It was wonderful to read about these beings, and I must admit that it was one of the key points that made me want to read on.
The writing was equally wonderful: hauntingly beautiful, and brilliantly simple. And this story was beautiful. It was about true friendship, sacrifice, forgiveness and love. I couldn’t help being touched by one of the prominent emotions: the need to belong. We all want to belong, don’t we? Well, that need was everywhere in Angel. I know that there have been many so-so reviews of this book, but I really liked it. Ok, it had it’s rough spots and I guessed some of the twists, but overall I really, truly liked it. It was inspiring.(less)

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May 22, 2008 Cheryl Rainfield rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fantasy

Freya saw an angel when she was a little girl–an angel who spoke to her, telling her she had greatness, or could have greatness–and she’s never forgotten it. She started looking for that angel everywhere, obsessing about him. Of course no one else believed her, and eventually she was given psychiatric care. Freya comes back home–and she sees the angel again. He has something important for her to do.

Meanwhile, Freya’s older brother is keeping a secret from her, and dealing with bullies. Then Frey...more Freya saw an angel when she was a little girl–an angel who spoke to her, telling her she had greatness, or could have greatness–and she’s never forgotten it. She started looking for that angel everywhere, obsessing about him. Of course no one else believed her, and eventually she was given psychiatric care. Freya comes back home–and she sees the angel again. He has something important for her to do.

Meanwhile, Freya’s older brother is keeping a secret from her, and dealing with bullies. Then Freya meets someone who believes in angels–Stephenie, a girl who’s an outcast at her school. Stephenie thinks she met Freya for a reason–to become her friend, to help her believe in angels again. But Freya is too afraid of becoming ‘crazy’ again, and she’s trying too hard to fit in and be accepted by a group of stuck-up girls to become Stephenie’s friend. And then things spiral out of control.

Angel starts out with a lot of promise. I was gripped by the incredible writing in the first third of the book–the wonderful connections that kept popping up between characters, the way everything all fit together, the emotion running through the writing, and, I admit, what seemed like hope. In the beginning of reading Angel, I had that thrill that a truly great book gives me, the excitement of reading beautiful writing and a gripping story.

Half way through the book, I wasn’t enjoying it as much, and by the end of the book, I felt dissatisfied and let down–Freya, the main character, was not very likable, she rarely ever acted to help other people in her personal life, there was little hope (which I, personally, like in a book) while there was a lot of darkness, and what hope their was seemed forced, just pasted in to make it hopeful. The most likable character was her brother, who had a real sense of justice, was brave, stood up for someone else despite his fear. I kept wondering–why isn’t the book about him?

McNish opened the book by immediately plunging us into fantasy–a great move, letting the reader know exactly what kind of book this was. Character interactions were good and believable, bringing some roundedness to them. And the mix between today’s harsh realities, Freya being considered mentally ill, and angels being real worked well. Most readers will also likely identify with Freya trying so hard to fit in and be accepted.

Read my entire review here.(less)

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Dec 19, 2009 Siobhan (Totally Bookalicious) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who likes angels

Recommended to Siobhan (Totally Bookalicious) by: My friend marianne

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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About Cliff McNish

According to my Mum, when I was arriving in this world on the night of 24th August 1962 the electricity in the house failed, and all the lights went out. So I was born part in darkness and part in candlelight. I’ve no idea what significance that has, but it sounds impressive somehow…

I was born in Sunderland, a city in the north-east of England. I’d like to say I picked up the local Mackam accent,...more According to my Mum, when I was arriving in this world on the night of 24th August 1962 the electricity in the house failed, and all the lights went out. So I was born part in darkness and part in candlelight. I’ve no idea what significance that has, but it sounds impressive somehow…

I was born in Sunderland, a city in the north-east of England. I’d like to say I picked up the local Mackam accent, but unfortunately I only stayed long enough to toddle a few steps before my Dad whisked me, Mum and my older brother, Andy, down south.

I don’t remember too much about my first 8 years of life. I think I just day-dreamed it away. One thing I do remember is that our family was always moving, so I had to get used to a new school and friends all the time. I got to dread that first day in a new class. When I was only six I distinctly remember being told off in my first week at yet another new school by a teacher. I had no idea what I’d done wrong, but the teacher shouted loudly and made me spend about 30 minutes standing on my chair in front of the whole class as punishment. That was the second most embarrassing moment in my life. The most embarrassing moment in my life occurred about a year earlier when, after repeatedly telling my teacher I had to go to the bathroom, and being told to wait and wait and wait, I … er, couldn’t wait a single moment longer.

What was I like as a youngster? I don’t know – cheerful and a bit vacant probably sums it up quite well. We had a hawthorn wood at the back of my house, and I’d play there with my friends all day long whenever I had the chance. I always came home covered in scratches.

My school reports were spectacularly average. My teachers were always noting that I ‘day-dreamed’ a lot. I didn’t read much either, and when I did it was comics – mainly Marvel superhero comics. There was one superhero named The Silver Surfer who went silently round the Universe on a kind of space-surf board. He was lonely, aloof, a genius.

I identified with him.

My first real book memory is being given C.S. Lewis’s The Magician’s Nephew by my English teacher, Mrs Baldwin. Wherever you are now Mrs Baldwin, I thank you, because you opened my eyes. I was so bowled over by it that I read all the other 6 Narnian books right away. I loved them. Actually, I went further than love. I remember lying in bed in the dark, staring at the ceiling and wishing, wishing with all my heart, not just that I could meet C.S.Lewis (he was dead, actually), but that I could be C.S.Lewis. I wanted to BE C.S.Lewis! Don’t ask me what was going on in my head ...

My Mum and Dad separated when I was eight years old, and my brothers, sister Caron and I moved several times again after this. Eventually we settled down in Luton in Bedfordshire.

As I entered my teens I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I had no ambition to write. When I was fourteen I briefly wanted to be a geomorphologist (someone who studies the landforms of the Earth), but only because I really liked my geography teacher, a brilliant Welshman called Gwyn Bennett. The last I heard he was still teaching, at the very same school in Luton I left 23 years ago. There’s a happy thought!

With no better idea what to do with my life I just carried on at school, did my A-levels and went on to study History at York University. I left after 2 years, bored with the course and somewhat unhappy, without my degree and with a need to earn some money.

My first job involved working in a warehouse, and I’m afraid my day-dreaming days returned. One of the jobs involved putting items into boxes and writing the customer addresses on them. Not too difficult, you might think, and you’d be right, but my attention strayed often and I kept putting the boxes in the wrong places or getting the addresses wrong. Luckily, I was moved into the accounts section of the company before they sacked me. I ended up doing some work on the office com(less)

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