Angel

by Cliff McNish

published

February 2008 by Carolrhoda Books

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binding

Hardcover, 304 pages

isbn

0822589001 (isbn13: 9780822589006)

description

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 sta...more

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CherylRainfield.com rated it:

05/22/08

bookshelves: ya-fantasy

Read in May, 2008

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 bull...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.

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Angel

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