The Unfinished Angel

The Unfinished Angel

3.41 of 5 stars 3.41  ·  rating details  ·  1,030 ratings  ·  302 reviews
Peoples are strange!

The things they are doing and saying--sometimes they make no sense. Did their brains fall out of their heads? And why so much saying, so much talking all the time day and night, all those words spilling out of those mouths? Why so much? Why don't they be quiet?

In the ancient stone tower of the Casa Rosa, in a tiny village high in the Swiss Alps, life fo...more
Hardcover, 176 pages
Published September 22nd 2009 by HarperCollins
more details... edit details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
Catching Fire by Suzanne CollinsWhen You Reach Me by Rebecca SteadThe Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline KellyThe Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamilloWhere the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
Newbery 2010
51st out of 104 books — 454 voters
Catching Fire by Suzanne CollinsCity of Glass by Cassandra ClareFire by Kristin CashoreWintergirls by Laurie Halse AndersonIf I Stay by Gayle Forman
2009 MUST READS: Children's and YA
160th out of 270 books — 739 voters


More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 1,672)
filter  |  sort: default (?)  |  rating details
Shonna Froebel
This lovely children's novel tells a tale of an angel who lives in an old house in a small village in Switzerland. For a long time the angel has been watching theneighbours, an old lady Signora Divino and her grandson Vinny, but not really doing that much. The angel feels like it doesn't know what it should be doing or how to do angel-like things. While it is supposed to understand all languages, it isn't really that good at them, and the words it uses aren't always right. It hasn't seen any oth...more
Steve
Sharon Creech may be my favorite author for young people. That said, of the books of hers I’ve enjoyed, there are many I would recommend before this one. It’s a cute little story of an angel who tells it from her tower in a town in the Italian-speaking part of the Swiss mountains. The angel, who is not named, speaks in mostly English, with a smattering of Italian thrown in, and a significant amount of cleverly invented words that are sort of, but not quite, English. She is accompanied by a young...more
Michelle Witte
There are so few books that have touched me deeply enough that I couldn't imagine my life without having read them: The Alchemist, The Little Prince, The Graveyard Book. And now, I add to that list The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech.

The story is simple. It goes like this: an angel lives in a tower in a small village in the Swiss Alps. This angel, he isn't sure what his purpose is. "Me, I am an angel. I am supposed to be having all the words in all the languages, but I am not. Many are missing...more
Terri
I would give "The Unfinished Angel" between three and four stars. It is a good little fable and would be great for a read aloud or a writing prompt. This slim volume is a fast, easy read definitely worth the time.

"The Unfinished Angel" is set in the Swiss Alps (Ticino, Switzerland), in a village filled with diverse "peoples" who speak a myriad of languages. The unusual setting for a Young Adult book is one of its strengths. The angel who narrates the story calls itself (we never find out if the...more
Mikejencostanzo
Sharon Creech is a genius at capturing the beauty of intergenerational relationship in juvenile literature. The first novel I read by her convinced me of her mastery with this theme as she wove tales of an elderly couple coming alongside kids in crisis and sharing life together. I wholeheartedly recommend Creech's Walk Two Moons and Ruby Holler for adults and kids alike as very special indeed.

I was expecting just the same from Creech's latest, The Unfinished Angel, and a Newbery runner-up at tha...more
Suebee
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Ashley
I absolutely love Sharon Creech, and have since I discovered Walk Two Moons in elementary school. I actually chose to do an artistic book report/project on it (that I did not have to do, I don't even think I got extra credit for it) because I wanted so badly to share that book with everyone. I still feel that way about that book and so many other books by Creech. I think she is a brilliant author. Sadly, this book didn't feel quite up to par with her what she's put out in the past. This book rea...more
Sarah
Mar 11, 2010 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars  ·  review of another edition Recommends it for: grades 3-5
This story is told from the point of view of an angel who is hundreds of years old and living quite peacefully in a tower of a house in the Alps until a family moves in. Zola and her father are Americans who move to Switzerland to get a fresh start; her father plans to open a boarding school. The angel isn’t used to people being able to see it, so it’s startled when Zola addresses it when she enters the tower.

The angel and Zola become wary friends; Zola often asks it questions it doesn’t know th...more
Josiah
This book goes down with the pleasant smoothness of a vanilla milkshake. Through the years Sharon Creech has become the unsurpassed master of distinctive voice, from Mary Lou Finney to Salamanca Tree Hiddle to Jack, but she has really outdone herself in this book! The manner of speaking that The Angel has just shouts of brilliance, or more accurately it quietly whispers it, because the presence of Sharon Creech as author is almost undetectable the whole way through. If I didn't know better, I'd...more
Sherry Dale Rogers
Jan 24, 2010 Sherry Dale Rogers rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: to anyone
Shelves: book-reviews
Sharon Creech has done it again with another remarkable book. She wowed us with her Newbery Medal Winner "Walk Two Moons".

In the Swiss Alps stands the ancient stone tower of Casa Rosa. Within this tower exist the angel. He swishes and floats about protecting the peoples of his village. Until the chippy choppy haired girl shows up with her many colored skirts and is always telling the angel "Do something".

Angel is at time confused as to what is mission is but through remarkable acts of kindness t...more
Brenda
I love Sharon Creech's books so I was really eager to read her latest one but this one was definately not one of my favorites. The story centers around an Angel who lives in Switzerland up in the rafters who feels like she/he is "unfinished" meaning she/he has never officially recieved a summons or job. The angel's life doesn't feel like she/he has any meaning until the day when an American girl named Zola moves in and starts demanding the angel "do something about the poor children." Sounds int...more
Barbara
A simple, sweet book told from the perspective of a good-hearted but often confused angel who's been quietly watching over a sleepy Swiss village and it's inhabitants for many years. Angel isn't exactly sure if she's doing her job correctly and worries that she may not not have gotten all the proper training, hence the feeling that maybe she's unfinished in some way. Then Zola, an American girl, arrives and suddenly Angel finds her world becoming more complicated. Zola can see her and asks all s...more
Tami
Sharon Creech is one of my favorite authors. Her 2009 book The Unfinished Angel was one I hadn't read before this year. I was delighted with it after reading it!

The main character refers to itself as an angel, although it is unsure of it is a boy or a girl. The angel lives in an abandoned home in the Italian area of Switzerland. As the story progresses we realize the angel has resided here for many, many years. An American man arrives with his daughter, Zola, having purchased the house and inten...more
Becky
The Unfinished Angel is a very quick read. It is just 164 pages long. Yet every single page and every single word were simply a joy to read. Creech has written the most beautiful and endearing story about one Angel who is trying his/her best to protect the people in his/her care. For the purposes of the review I'm going to refer to Angel as a "he" but that is most certainly debatable. It is really hard to not give a character a gender when you're writing about them.

Angel wonders if he has been...more
Daniela
What a lovely story! Zola, a remarkably spirited young girl, moves with her father to the Italian part of Switzerland, where she meets an angel. Yes, an angel. And an unfinished one at that. Or at least that's what the angel thinks. The encounter puts an end to the angel's up to then quiet and peaceful existence and propels him/her into action. Children need to be rescued! And in the course of events, a little village and its inhabitants are brought back to life.

Sharon Creech has already impres...more
Lucia
The angel's thoughts are very compelling and child-like, it's like someone is talking to you in person. Zola's actions to the angels seems like she is expecting the angel to do the things that she thinks stereotyped angels would do. Creech's writing of this story and concept is very excellent and it shows what a great author she is again through this book after Heartbeat, Walk Two Moons,Hate That Cat,Love That Dog.

I would highly recommend this to a person who likes a child-like sense of humor a...more
Oliva
Honestly i didn't like the book. I had to read this for school and i would have stopped half way through if i didn't have to finish it. I found that the plot was very confusing and it just never got interesting.None of the chapters have to do with each other and i found my self waiting for it to get good but it just never did.Some of the chapters were just so pointless to me. I also found the angels way of talking very annoying. The other thing that bothered me was that it switched back from Ita...more
Jen Ferguson
This story takes place in a village in the Swiss Alps. The story is about families who are merging together and an angel that protects the townspeople.

A new family comes to the town and the little girl, Zola, immediately recognizes the angel and talks to her. The angel is not used to people seeing her, but the two start to work on things together as Zola often demands that the angel "do something."

I loved the characters in this book. It is hard not to love Zola and her layered outfits. The wor...more
Jessica Mitchell
Nov 02, 2012 Jessica Mitchell rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Younger kids who still do bedtime stories, people who love cute things
Recommended to Jessica by: Samantha
Jessica Mitchell,10
Review for 'The Unfinished Angel'
by Sharon Creech
12:11 AM
Awh! Such a cute story! I honestly don't understand how this book only has a 3 star overall rating.
What made this book 'such a cute story' is that the little angel, (You go the whole story without knowing its name or gender)Is also having grammar and spelling issues. Like, for example, 'Peoples are strange', which, if you look right beside the book cover, you can see that as one of the first lines. And for another exam...more
Teri
Can I just say, I think my brain may be stuck at about 14 years old. I love a great love story and I love a great youth read. This is not a love story, I guess it kind of is, but not really. I love the other book I've read by Sharon Creech, Walk Two Moons, and so I picked this one up off the shelf the last time I was at the library. I want to read this again, soon, it really left an impression on me. The story is somewhat complicated, but it's told in the voice of a child almost. What a great bo...more
Robyn
A young girl named Zola moves to a small village in the Swiss Alps where she meets an angel who lives in the tower of her casa. Together they help fix some problems that have been occurring in the village. Okay it's more like Zola telling the angel something must be done to help, though always reluctant at first the angel gives in. A quick story leaving me with many questions, but a smile as well.

Peoples are strange! The things they are doing and saying - sometimes they make no sense. Did thei...more
Charlyn  Trussell
Apr 29, 2010 Charlyn Trussell rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Grades 4 and up
The unfinished angel narrates this unique book set in a tiny village in the Swiss Alps. The ancient angel's abode is Casa Rosa, where it (gender wasn't specific) remains unseen and free to do what it belives is its job, caring for its "peoples." But young Zola, an American girl who has moved into Casa Rosa with her father, not only recognizes the angel, but becomes its taskmaster, reporting every problem and expecting immediate results--divine intervention. This is a bit much for an angel who fe...more
Lacey Librarian
This book has such a strong, unique voice that it should be used in creative writing classes to teach voice. I was impressed by the consistency of the angel's halting English, and the fact that Sharon Creech found the perfect balance between playing with the language and still being able to say everything she needed to say in a way that made sense. The plot is simple and sweet, literary in that it focuses on the "slice of life" of a small group of characters and how they forge connections with o...more
Cheryl in CC NV
I have no idea why this doesn't have a higher average rating. It's sweet, but not sappy, and wise, but not didactic. I love the language - drawing a blank but someone else does something like this, was it Joyce, or cummings? It's short - read it yourself and see.

Meet the angel: "Sometimes when the wind is blowering hard... I slip through the trip door and into the bed with the feather duvet. An angel does not *need* a bed, but sometimes I think the bed needs an angel. (P) I do not know what I me...more
Ofilia
I did not get this book at all. The narrator thinks she/he is an angel, but is not sure what she/he is supposed to be doing. There are orphan children and old people in Switzerland but they speak Italian. The angel speaks in this broken English that gets old really fast. I picked up on this preachiness or maybe more of an attempt to impart some sort of lesson, but for the life of me I cannot tell you what it was. I am usually a fan of Creech's work, but this one just left me baffled. At times I...more
Cristy
THE UNFINISHED ANGEL was... well, was an ok story I guess. It's seems to have done well with high marks and great reviews, but honestly, I just didn't get it. Maybe it's because I'm Californian and an American mutt and not someone with an "Italian grandparent whom couldn't read or write, whom talked like the angel in the story"; or maybe it's that I'm just not "deep" enough to appreciate such obscure writing?.. Either way, I just found this quick read to be a bit bizarre and had to force myself...more
Sherry
"The Unfinished Angel" is a quirky kind of read, but it is interesting. A girl who dances to the beat of her own drum and her quiet father move from America to Switzerland, just north of Italy, to open a multicultural school for kids in a historic building. An angel who speaks in broken tongue flits about with concern and care over residents of the building as well as the town. The girl can see the resident angel and stimulates a two way conversation which includes philosophical musings: what is...more
Nobies57
An angel who lives in a small tower in southern Switzerland speaks enough broken English to tell the story of how Mr. Pomodoro and his young daughter Zola came to live there and are preparing to open a school where children from all countries can learn to live together. Surprisingly, Zola can see the angel, something most people cannot do. Zola becomes insistent that the angel help rescue 6 homeless children she has discovered in a nearby shed. What's more, Zola and the angel manage to melt the...more
Alyson Whatcott
Sweet, short book that I read in one sitting. I have mixed feelings about books with a strong dialect that are written for children. This one was narrated by an Italian Swiss trying to speak English so many words were just off and the syntax was often mistaken. It was cute and funny for me, but I wonder how much of this goes over kids heads or just confuses them. Part of me thinks all children's books should be written with only proper English so that they can get good rhythms and instincts in t...more
Becky
Jan 04, 2010 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: 4th-6th gr.
Well, I didn't adore this as much as I have Sharon Creech's other books -- the BFG-like voice got on my nerves at first -- but eventually it grew on me, as did the narrator, an angel who lives in a stone tower in a tiny village in Switzerland. I've seen this on a mock Newbery list and I don't think it's quite that caliber, but looking at the strange world of humans through the eyes of another being is ripe for classroom discussion.

Favorite quote:

"What, they are thinking time is going somewhere?...more
« previous 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 55 56 next »
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »
The Unfinished Angel (Paperback)
The Unfinished Angel (Paperback)
The Unfinished Angel (Audio CD)
The Unfinished Angel (Hardcover)
The Unfinished Angel (Hardcover)

11633
I was born in South Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, and grew up there with my noisy and rowdy family: my parents (Ann and Arvel), my sister (Sandy), and my three brothers (Dennis, Doug and Tom).
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of...more
More about Sharon Creech...
Walk Two Moons Love That Dog Ruby Holler Chasing Redbird Heartbeat

Share This Book

Your website
“Do the other angels know what they are doing? Am I the only confused one? Maybe I am unfinished, an unfinished angel.” 2 people liked it
More quotes…