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Ideal Angels
Is it possible to keep secrets in the age of social media? When someone lives their entire life in the spotlight, what could they possibly hide from you?
Ideal Angels explores just that. It’s the story of one man, one woman, one week. They meet, fall in love, and never look back. Eloise’s phone is never far away, furiously cataloguing their ups and downs.
But there are always shadows, lurking just out of reach. The moments after the camera flashes, unseen, uncaptured. The threat of an inescapable doom.
How much can one person change you?
How much can one person be your downfall?
Ideal Angels explores just that. It’s the story of one man, one woman, one week. They meet, fall in love, and never look back. Eloise’s phone is never far away, furiously cataloguing their ups and downs.
But there are always shadows, lurking just out of reach. The moments after the camera flashes, unseen, uncaptured. The threat of an inescapable doom.
How much can one person change you?
How much can one person be your downfall?
- GenresFiction
176 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 16, 2018
1 person is currently reading
55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 28, 2019
Hey, well the author lists his biggest influence as Brett Easton Ellis and as a previous reader of his novels you can see his style in this book
The story is a modern day fairy tale love story between the guy ( you never actually know his name as is written in ‘second person’ ) and Eloise
The second person narrative is well written and I felt I was feeling his emotions and story, I really liked ‘him’, his self deprecating style and humour and his brutal honesty and at times resigned hopelessness
Eloise took me a while to like as much and throughout I felt a bit like a ‘mother hen’ looking out for him and making sure she was all she seemed and tutting, loudly, as she led him into a more hedonistic life than he was used to, saying that he loved it but still the caution over Eloise was there!
The relationship is set over a week and shows just how much of life is based via the internet, Facebook and selfies and everything that comes with it....he is anything but a Social Media King, she is everything that a Social Media Queen is and its interesting how his love accepts this and tries to adjust to it
I kept thinking there was going to be a ‘bad thing’ or he would
have his heart broken....they were both just so happy and the transformation in him was immense, I wont say anything about the ending, well apart from the fact it was unexpected and caught me surprising emotional
An unusual for me kinda book but was almost immediately addicted and did really enjoy it
Quirky and look forward to reading other books by this author
February 29, 2020
Ideal Angels, told in second-person, follows our self-deprecating, unnamed protagonist fall in love with wild child Eloise. However, there is a third party in their relationship: her mobile phone. This book was an all too real depiction of how much our lives are based on selfies and Instagram uploads, and how easily it disconnects us from the world around us. Social media truly is entrenched in our daily lives.
Thank you Robert for kindly sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Popsugar Read Challenge: A book about or involving social media
Thank you Robert for kindly sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Popsugar Read Challenge: A book about or involving social media
August 2, 2018
[Full disclosure: I was sent this book by the author to review.]
Ideal Angels is a story about how love can both save and destroy you.
Told from the viewpoint of a socially inept office drone, it describes his brief but intense relationship with a beautiful, gregarious art student named Eloise Dunhill. Eloise is obsessed with social media, and from the moment they meet, she records every single thing they do together. (Fortunately, he’s completely obsessed with her, so it’s okay.)
Interestingly, aside from Eloise, no other person is actually named in the book, not even the boyfriend who’s telling the story. Of course, in the context of the story, Eloise is really the only one who matters. Wherever they go, everyone tries to be part of Eloise’s intimate social circle. Selfies become a form of currency, a way to elevate oneself by appearing close to her.
As we read, though, questions arise: Who is Eloise, and where does she come from? Why does she feel the need to record every single experience they share? What drew her to someone so unlike her, and why is she so intensely interested in everything about him? As events unfold, and the answers become clear, we begin to feel an increasing sense of foreboding, particularly for her boyfriend.
Throughout the story, author Robert Welbourn uses a stream-of-consciousness style favoured by authors like Bret Easton Ellis. It’s a risky approach, but Welbourn is a skilled writer, and the result is both natural and unaffected.
Although Welbourn lists Ellis as his greatest influence—and the similarities are apparent—Ellis’s characters tend to be constructed of a myriad of surface details, while Welbourn also burrows underneath to add some depth. As a result, we actually care about what happens to Eloise’s boyfriend, and even to her. Welbourn operates in the same dark universe as Ellis, but in Angels, we get glimpses of genuine humanity and warmth; interestingly, this actually magnifies the underlying sense of horror instead of alleviating it.
The end result may not be comforting, but it is certainly riveting.
Ideal Angels is a story about how love can both save and destroy you.
Told from the viewpoint of a socially inept office drone, it describes his brief but intense relationship with a beautiful, gregarious art student named Eloise Dunhill. Eloise is obsessed with social media, and from the moment they meet, she records every single thing they do together. (Fortunately, he’s completely obsessed with her, so it’s okay.)
Interestingly, aside from Eloise, no other person is actually named in the book, not even the boyfriend who’s telling the story. Of course, in the context of the story, Eloise is really the only one who matters. Wherever they go, everyone tries to be part of Eloise’s intimate social circle. Selfies become a form of currency, a way to elevate oneself by appearing close to her.
As we read, though, questions arise: Who is Eloise, and where does she come from? Why does she feel the need to record every single experience they share? What drew her to someone so unlike her, and why is she so intensely interested in everything about him? As events unfold, and the answers become clear, we begin to feel an increasing sense of foreboding, particularly for her boyfriend.
Throughout the story, author Robert Welbourn uses a stream-of-consciousness style favoured by authors like Bret Easton Ellis. It’s a risky approach, but Welbourn is a skilled writer, and the result is both natural and unaffected.
Although Welbourn lists Ellis as his greatest influence—and the similarities are apparent—Ellis’s characters tend to be constructed of a myriad of surface details, while Welbourn also burrows underneath to add some depth. As a result, we actually care about what happens to Eloise’s boyfriend, and even to her. Welbourn operates in the same dark universe as Ellis, but in Angels, we get glimpses of genuine humanity and warmth; interestingly, this actually magnifies the underlying sense of horror instead of alleviating it.
The end result may not be comforting, but it is certainly riveting.
June 30, 2018
Robert Welbourn has managed to encapsulate a generation. Whereas Stephen King describes characters so brilliantly, Robert describes lifestyles with the same fascinating clarity. We’re all aware that people in the 21st century are living their lives like the characters in his book, but very few of us can so eloquently paint a picture of it like he has done in Ideal Angels.
There’s also a confronting honesty in the way Robert writes, doing away completely with jaded euphemisms and the typical illusions with which so many of us use to justify our daily lives. The reader can relate immediately to the characters portrayed in his impressive debut novel, and this makes it a book that is hard to put down.
I also really enjoyed the subtle dry humor throughout the narrative. The romance was delightful and also delicately navigated without too much gratuitous detail. Funny, witty, and intelligent, this is one of the most entertaining reads I’ve had in a while. The author finishes his story with a knockout punch, one that left me reeling. This is not one to miss.
There’s also a confronting honesty in the way Robert writes, doing away completely with jaded euphemisms and the typical illusions with which so many of us use to justify our daily lives. The reader can relate immediately to the characters portrayed in his impressive debut novel, and this makes it a book that is hard to put down.
I also really enjoyed the subtle dry humor throughout the narrative. The romance was delightful and also delicately navigated without too much gratuitous detail. Funny, witty, and intelligent, this is one of the most entertaining reads I’ve had in a while. The author finishes his story with a knockout punch, one that left me reeling. This is not one to miss.
February 26, 2019
Ideal Angels is about an unnamed protagonist who lives a normal, fairly underwhelming life going to work and coming home, spending a lot of his time alone. Then on a night out he meets Eloise and immediately feels a connection to her. They swap numbers and the next time they meet up things become intense very quickly. Eloise is obsessed with social media and records every little detail of their time together. He isn’t keen, he doesn’t use social media but he allows her to keep taking photos because he is infatuated with her.
I found myself swept up in Ideal Angels from the opening pages. It’s written in a stream of consciousness style a lot of the time so you very quickly get inside the narrator’s head and come to understand why he is the way he is. He maintains that he’s okay alone and doesn’t need anyone but he radiates loneliness. I worried for him when he met Eloise, it felt from the off that he was going to get his heart broken. She’s so vivacious and spontaneous and he just isn’t so I felt she would quickly pull away from him and he would be distraught. There is a sense of melancholy even in the happiness he has found, like he has the fear of it ending even as it’s just beginning. I think most of us can identify with that feeling – that moment when you know you’re in love with someone, and the realisation that you are so vulnerable now, so out there to be hurt.
I loved reading about these two falling in love over the week they spend together in this novel. There are moments of real joy and happiness, and I was rooting for it all to work out. The protagonist becomes more accepting of Eloise’s need to be sharing everything about their life online, yet is steadfast in his not wanting to be online himself. It’s as if he’s decided that as long as he’s not looking at her online profiles then it’s not like she’s really sharing every minute detail of their lives.
I can totally see how social media is an obsession for Eloise and why she needs to keep up her profile, and to play to her ‘friends’. We all want to be liked and these days having lots of twitter followers makes us feel part of things: validated. I first joined twitter almost ten years ago in the worst moments of my life, I was lonely and I had no one. There was always someone online to talk to, and it was such a friendly place back then. I still have friends now that I made back then, one of them became my husband! In the end twitter got too big, it was impossible to keep up and people were less and less chatty, it felt like shouting into a void. I tweeted less and less – I became much more like the protagonist in Ideal Angels, social media was something I was aware of but didn’t really participate in. It’s a double-edged sword – it can make you feel part of something, but it can also make you even more aware of how lonely and isolated you really are.
On a side note I loved the references to Hull in this book. I felt like I was right there with the protaganist and Eloise as he shows her where he grew up. I remember when the shopping centre stripped out all the interesting shops on the top floor and made into a cinema. And I spent many a night at the Welly back in the day. Perhaps it’s in part that I know those places but I really connected with how removed he felt that everything had changed. I guess we can all understand how sad it is to go back to a place from our past and find nothing is the same, we can’t keep things the same except in our memories. This seems like such a poignant moment for me, the realisation that the Eloises of this world are perhaps desperately trying to hold on to everything but it’s not possible to have that much control. Life moves on, things change. Social media isn’t always about people showing off to their followers, sometimes it’s trying to preserve something in order to feel like you have meaning.
In the end we come to see that both of these characters are struggling in their own ways. Eloise appears to be living a happy full life but really there’s no substance to the instagram side of her and she has insecurities underneath. As I came to see there were cracks under the surface I could see how these two people connected with each other so quickly and how they fell for each other.
From the very beginning of this novel I felt like I was going to get my heart broken by these characters, and this feeling lingered even in the happy moments. This novel is such a mirror of how life can be – it’s hard to live in the moment, and when you let yourself relax and be happy at the good life has brought you there can be such a sting in the tail.
This book is so prescient in the social media age we live in, and also with regards to its look at mental health. It’s a stunning novel and one that has really got under my skin, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I finished reading. I loved the wry humour that runs through it, and also the beautiful way with words that Robert Welbourn has in his writing. And even though this novel broke my heart in the end, I completely and utterly fell in love with it. I can already say for sure that Ideal Angels will be one of my favourite books of 2019 because it’s such an incredible novel.
Ideal Angels is prescient, stunning and unforgettable! I highly recommend it!
I found myself swept up in Ideal Angels from the opening pages. It’s written in a stream of consciousness style a lot of the time so you very quickly get inside the narrator’s head and come to understand why he is the way he is. He maintains that he’s okay alone and doesn’t need anyone but he radiates loneliness. I worried for him when he met Eloise, it felt from the off that he was going to get his heart broken. She’s so vivacious and spontaneous and he just isn’t so I felt she would quickly pull away from him and he would be distraught. There is a sense of melancholy even in the happiness he has found, like he has the fear of it ending even as it’s just beginning. I think most of us can identify with that feeling – that moment when you know you’re in love with someone, and the realisation that you are so vulnerable now, so out there to be hurt.
I loved reading about these two falling in love over the week they spend together in this novel. There are moments of real joy and happiness, and I was rooting for it all to work out. The protagonist becomes more accepting of Eloise’s need to be sharing everything about their life online, yet is steadfast in his not wanting to be online himself. It’s as if he’s decided that as long as he’s not looking at her online profiles then it’s not like she’s really sharing every minute detail of their lives.
I can totally see how social media is an obsession for Eloise and why she needs to keep up her profile, and to play to her ‘friends’. We all want to be liked and these days having lots of twitter followers makes us feel part of things: validated. I first joined twitter almost ten years ago in the worst moments of my life, I was lonely and I had no one. There was always someone online to talk to, and it was such a friendly place back then. I still have friends now that I made back then, one of them became my husband! In the end twitter got too big, it was impossible to keep up and people were less and less chatty, it felt like shouting into a void. I tweeted less and less – I became much more like the protagonist in Ideal Angels, social media was something I was aware of but didn’t really participate in. It’s a double-edged sword – it can make you feel part of something, but it can also make you even more aware of how lonely and isolated you really are.
On a side note I loved the references to Hull in this book. I felt like I was right there with the protaganist and Eloise as he shows her where he grew up. I remember when the shopping centre stripped out all the interesting shops on the top floor and made into a cinema. And I spent many a night at the Welly back in the day. Perhaps it’s in part that I know those places but I really connected with how removed he felt that everything had changed. I guess we can all understand how sad it is to go back to a place from our past and find nothing is the same, we can’t keep things the same except in our memories. This seems like such a poignant moment for me, the realisation that the Eloises of this world are perhaps desperately trying to hold on to everything but it’s not possible to have that much control. Life moves on, things change. Social media isn’t always about people showing off to their followers, sometimes it’s trying to preserve something in order to feel like you have meaning.
In the end we come to see that both of these characters are struggling in their own ways. Eloise appears to be living a happy full life but really there’s no substance to the instagram side of her and she has insecurities underneath. As I came to see there were cracks under the surface I could see how these two people connected with each other so quickly and how they fell for each other.
From the very beginning of this novel I felt like I was going to get my heart broken by these characters, and this feeling lingered even in the happy moments. This novel is such a mirror of how life can be – it’s hard to live in the moment, and when you let yourself relax and be happy at the good life has brought you there can be such a sting in the tail.
This book is so prescient in the social media age we live in, and also with regards to its look at mental health. It’s a stunning novel and one that has really got under my skin, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since I finished reading. I loved the wry humour that runs through it, and also the beautiful way with words that Robert Welbourn has in his writing. And even though this novel broke my heart in the end, I completely and utterly fell in love with it. I can already say for sure that Ideal Angels will be one of my favourite books of 2019 because it’s such an incredible novel.
Ideal Angels is prescient, stunning and unforgettable! I highly recommend it!
January 20, 2023
Definitely a read in one sitting kind of book!!! 100% recommend!
January 17, 2019
In a world where screens and social media dominate our lives it is hard to be invisible. Wherever you go there are people glued to their phones taking photos, updating statuses and checking in. We live in a world where our privacy settings are public and we share every single detail about our life online. What we had for breakfast, what we are watching on Netflix; an endless list of mundane information that we feel needs to be told. Welbourn uses this to his advantage in Ideal Angels and sets in motion a modern-day love story showing the reader how much of their relationship revolves around the internet. The reader follows the ups and downs, all the while wondering if these two characters with such a different view on social media can really last. I couldn’t stop reading until I knew their fate. I was hooked. Welbourn writes in such a way that you sympathise with the main character (who is unnamed) you want him to be happy and for his relationship to work out. Because it is written in the second person you feel as though you are him, feeling all these emotions, living his life. You feel connected.
We all want to be loved, it’s human nature. It means a lot to us to be liked online because it simulates and to some, signifies that we are wanted, we are needed. A message Welbourn demonstrates to the reader within the story and characters. This constant need to be approved and accepted can have devastating effects that could end up destroying you if you allow it to spiral out of control.
“You wonder how many takeaways will end up on the internet tonight, how many people think that other people care what they’re eating, how many people like other people’s food hoping for reciprocation, how much time that could be spent with friends, lovers, spent doing something great, spent changing the world, will be wasted bragging about nothing online.”
Welbourn cleverly throws the main character and Eloise together: Eloise, who is a walking advertisement of how much this generation live on social media. Two complete opposites, yet it works beautifully. The main character can see some of the benefits to being present online yet also wants to keep some things private. It’s a push and pull power struggle that keeps the reader on edge. Brilliantly done and the end result is heartbreaking.
With themes of depression, alcoholism and addiction Wellbourn portrays a realistic view of the world. It’s raw, fresh and intoxicating. He pulls the reader into the crazed social media hype and shows them how much it has taken over. It’s scary and questions the reader as to why do they choose to do this. To escape online instead of disconnecting and living a life without wifi. Are we even capable of doing this or have we as humans evolved to heavily rely on the use of technology?
“So much of life is spent waiting, watching screens while watching time pass, so much time spent doing so very little. It’s become a part of your condition, a part of you, of who you are.”
I enjoyed how this book made me question myself, if we all realise that we live two separate lives. Online and offline. They are drastically different as our online life is picture prefect, we present only the good and what we want people to see. Our offline deals with everything else that we can’t edit out so we conceal it, not allowing it to come into contact with our online life in fear of rejection. The rose-tinted glasses are removed from the reader and they begin to re-evaluate their purpose in life.
The ending ruined me, I was a blubbing mess. I also found it painfully ironic. Without giving away any spoilers, it’s heart-wrenching and makes you see that maybe sometimes you need to capture those moments, to be able to see and feel how happy you were. You will be immortal online, frozen in love.
I give Ideal Angels By Robert Welbourn a Four out of Five star rating.
I loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone! We need to start seeing what the world has become around us. So start by getting off your phone and go do something that is real, that means something. Feed your mind with books and reading. It’s a beautiful place to be.
We all want to be loved, it’s human nature. It means a lot to us to be liked online because it simulates and to some, signifies that we are wanted, we are needed. A message Welbourn demonstrates to the reader within the story and characters. This constant need to be approved and accepted can have devastating effects that could end up destroying you if you allow it to spiral out of control.
“You wonder how many takeaways will end up on the internet tonight, how many people think that other people care what they’re eating, how many people like other people’s food hoping for reciprocation, how much time that could be spent with friends, lovers, spent doing something great, spent changing the world, will be wasted bragging about nothing online.”
Welbourn cleverly throws the main character and Eloise together: Eloise, who is a walking advertisement of how much this generation live on social media. Two complete opposites, yet it works beautifully. The main character can see some of the benefits to being present online yet also wants to keep some things private. It’s a push and pull power struggle that keeps the reader on edge. Brilliantly done and the end result is heartbreaking.
With themes of depression, alcoholism and addiction Wellbourn portrays a realistic view of the world. It’s raw, fresh and intoxicating. He pulls the reader into the crazed social media hype and shows them how much it has taken over. It’s scary and questions the reader as to why do they choose to do this. To escape online instead of disconnecting and living a life without wifi. Are we even capable of doing this or have we as humans evolved to heavily rely on the use of technology?
“So much of life is spent waiting, watching screens while watching time pass, so much time spent doing so very little. It’s become a part of your condition, a part of you, of who you are.”
I enjoyed how this book made me question myself, if we all realise that we live two separate lives. Online and offline. They are drastically different as our online life is picture prefect, we present only the good and what we want people to see. Our offline deals with everything else that we can’t edit out so we conceal it, not allowing it to come into contact with our online life in fear of rejection. The rose-tinted glasses are removed from the reader and they begin to re-evaluate their purpose in life.
The ending ruined me, I was a blubbing mess. I also found it painfully ironic. Without giving away any spoilers, it’s heart-wrenching and makes you see that maybe sometimes you need to capture those moments, to be able to see and feel how happy you were. You will be immortal online, frozen in love.
I give Ideal Angels By Robert Welbourn a Four out of Five star rating.
I loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone! We need to start seeing what the world has become around us. So start by getting off your phone and go do something that is real, that means something. Feed your mind with books and reading. It’s a beautiful place to be.
March 16, 2019
I am all for reading books by local authors, and I'm ashamed to say that Ideal Angels has been sat on my TBR pile for far too long. Shame on me!
We meet an unnamed protagonist in Ideal Angels. On a Friday night out after work with his colleagues he meets the enchanting Eloise. A few days later Eloise messages him and they go out for dinner and their relationship very quickly (and intensely) blossoms. But Eloise has many traits that our leading character couldn't get on board with. Whilst he lived in a very low key way, Eloise was obsessively documenting every little thing online. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, her whole life (and now his) was being uploaded for everyone to see.
Ideal Angels takes us through their week long journey which leads to catastrophic consequences...
I loved our protagonist. He had a very self deprecating sense of humour and was very grounded. Welbourne has written such a well constructed character I felt like I wanted to swoop him out of the increasingly dark lifestyle that Eloise was leading him into. He goes against his better judgement and allows Eloise to pull him into a lifestyle that he's uncomfortable with but blinded by lust for her he can't seem to get off the rollercoaster she's taken him on.
However Eloise also had a huge positive impact on him. He was incredibly happy. Happier than he had ever known.
As you begin to really root for 'him' and Eloise as their happiness encapsulates you, you get the feeling that Welbourne is stringing you along (in the best way) to lead up to a shattering heart break.
What I absolutely didn't see coming was that ending. It absolutely threw me and was incredibly crushing to read as I'd become so invested in this couple. Absolutely no spoilers coming from me, but buckle in for a great ride. .
Welbourne does raise many valid points in his book. How much stock do we as a society put on the validity of social media? Can we not live in the moment or fully enjoy an 'unplugged' life?
For a debut novel this is one read that packs a punch
I would heartily recommend Ideal Angels. A 5 star read for me.
I would like to thank the author for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
We meet an unnamed protagonist in Ideal Angels. On a Friday night out after work with his colleagues he meets the enchanting Eloise. A few days later Eloise messages him and they go out for dinner and their relationship very quickly (and intensely) blossoms. But Eloise has many traits that our leading character couldn't get on board with. Whilst he lived in a very low key way, Eloise was obsessively documenting every little thing online. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, her whole life (and now his) was being uploaded for everyone to see.
Ideal Angels takes us through their week long journey which leads to catastrophic consequences...
I loved our protagonist. He had a very self deprecating sense of humour and was very grounded. Welbourne has written such a well constructed character I felt like I wanted to swoop him out of the increasingly dark lifestyle that Eloise was leading him into. He goes against his better judgement and allows Eloise to pull him into a lifestyle that he's uncomfortable with but blinded by lust for her he can't seem to get off the rollercoaster she's taken him on.
However Eloise also had a huge positive impact on him. He was incredibly happy. Happier than he had ever known.
As you begin to really root for 'him' and Eloise as their happiness encapsulates you, you get the feeling that Welbourne is stringing you along (in the best way) to lead up to a shattering heart break.
What I absolutely didn't see coming was that ending. It absolutely threw me and was incredibly crushing to read as I'd become so invested in this couple. Absolutely no spoilers coming from me, but buckle in for a great ride. .
Welbourne does raise many valid points in his book. How much stock do we as a society put on the validity of social media? Can we not live in the moment or fully enjoy an 'unplugged' life?
For a debut novel this is one read that packs a punch
I would heartily recommend Ideal Angels. A 5 star read for me.
I would like to thank the author for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.
January 25, 2019
I read that Robert Welbourn is holding a book signing at my local WHSmith and, as a fellow Leeds-based author, I was interested to see what Ideal Angels was about. After reading the sample content on Kindle, I was hooked and bought the full book immediately. Apart from Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney, I can't recall reading any other books written in second person narrative, but I think, when used well like this, it works brilliantly.
In Ideal Angels, you are instantly drawn into the protagonist's world as a twenty-something in Leeds, but as we find out about his day-to-day life, and are given glimpses into this past, there is an underlying sense of unease. His apathy towards the modern obsession with social media, "photographers" and the desperation for likes and comments etc., is detailed with wit and subtlety and has strong shades of Bret Easton Ellis' work (incidentally, the protagonist is a big fan.) I felt Instagram acts as a 2019 version of Ellis' constant references to MTV in Less Than Zero.
Despite the feeling of unease, Ideal Angels is fast-paced and easy to read. For all its insight into the state of the modern world and the often vapid nature of socializing these days, at its core, it is a love story about the protagonist's whirlwind romance with Eloise, who is rich and kind of famous but we're not really sure why.
As they embark on a booze, drugs and love-fuelled adventure, I found the nights on the town were well written and realistic and, being from Leeds myself, it was interesting to read about venues that I am familiar with. As the book gathered pace, I was desperate to find out the outcome for this young couple and I flew through the final third of the book one morning before work. I don't want to give too much away but the ending knocked me for six!
Ideal Angels is an excellent, if bleak, insight into modern city life for folk in their twenties and I would highly recommend it.
In Ideal Angels, you are instantly drawn into the protagonist's world as a twenty-something in Leeds, but as we find out about his day-to-day life, and are given glimpses into this past, there is an underlying sense of unease. His apathy towards the modern obsession with social media, "photographers" and the desperation for likes and comments etc., is detailed with wit and subtlety and has strong shades of Bret Easton Ellis' work (incidentally, the protagonist is a big fan.) I felt Instagram acts as a 2019 version of Ellis' constant references to MTV in Less Than Zero.
Despite the feeling of unease, Ideal Angels is fast-paced and easy to read. For all its insight into the state of the modern world and the often vapid nature of socializing these days, at its core, it is a love story about the protagonist's whirlwind romance with Eloise, who is rich and kind of famous but we're not really sure why.
As they embark on a booze, drugs and love-fuelled adventure, I found the nights on the town were well written and realistic and, being from Leeds myself, it was interesting to read about venues that I am familiar with. As the book gathered pace, I was desperate to find out the outcome for this young couple and I flew through the final third of the book one morning before work. I don't want to give too much away but the ending knocked me for six!
Ideal Angels is an excellent, if bleak, insight into modern city life for folk in their twenties and I would highly recommend it.
August 15, 2018
I find the best works of fiction tap into your emotions, in whichever direction, and Ideal Angels did this for me in buckets. Immediately the impact of social media on our day to day lives (well, every waking hour!) was apparent (causing me to switch off my phone for much of the holiday!), but there was so much more to this book!
Ideal Angels is, in my view, an exceptional piece of observational narrative. The impact of our obsession with social media has been cleverly captured within the relationship of the main characters and those around them. The novel took me in unexpected directions and quite a few late nights wanting to know the outcome of particular situation.
Not withstanding the fact that this is a debut Novel for the author, it is a fantastically written, fluid and emotional read - bearing similarities to some of the best I've read.
N.B. It's not often I put a book I like down 'to read later', but that's just what I did with this. Having purchased it a little while ago, I knew immediately that it was a little special and that I wanted to read it on holiday - to immerse and fully enjoy the experience. I'm pleased I did!
Ideal Angels is, in my view, an exceptional piece of observational narrative. The impact of our obsession with social media has been cleverly captured within the relationship of the main characters and those around them. The novel took me in unexpected directions and quite a few late nights wanting to know the outcome of particular situation.
Not withstanding the fact that this is a debut Novel for the author, it is a fantastically written, fluid and emotional read - bearing similarities to some of the best I've read.
N.B. It's not often I put a book I like down 'to read later', but that's just what I did with this. Having purchased it a little while ago, I knew immediately that it was a little special and that I wanted to read it on holiday - to immerse and fully enjoy the experience. I'm pleased I did!
July 13, 2018
I wasn't sure what exactly to think at the beginning of this novel as it was written in second-person, a somewhat unsettling way to read. We get to know the main character's life through his eyes as if we are him which was pretty interesting throughout the novel. The main character had realistic thoughts about society and wondering if he's ever precisely fit into it, especially with social media culture becoming the norm.
He meets Eloisa and everything isn't necessarily perfect, but it's better. He seemed to dislike his life before and now enjoys spending all of his time with her. He holds her on a pedestal, but as the reader, we still see her flaws as a character.
The ending came as a huge shock! Seriously!! As the story leads up to the big climax, the tone did feel ominous, and the end made sense based on the feelings of the main character throughout the novel, even if it was sad.
Definitely worth a read!!
He meets Eloisa and everything isn't necessarily perfect, but it's better. He seemed to dislike his life before and now enjoys spending all of his time with her. He holds her on a pedestal, but as the reader, we still see her flaws as a character.
The ending came as a huge shock! Seriously!! As the story leads up to the big climax, the tone did feel ominous, and the end made sense based on the feelings of the main character throughout the novel, even if it was sad.
Definitely worth a read!!
June 7, 2018
Robert has done an amazing job here of making me feel while I was reading this book.
He perfectly captured what it is like in those early stages of love and how amazing that feels but also the insecurities that can come along with this. I cared about the characters. I was routing for them the whole time, turning the pages and wanting to see how their love for each other would grow stronger and stronger. The kind of love where nothing else matters except you and them against the world.
The style of writing is quite unique and rather than just reading a story about these people, it feels like the author is telling you the story himself. It's his story with all of it's beautiful highs and devastating lows and I felt them all from cover to cover. The author should be proud of this novel, I know I'm proud of him for bringing it to life.
He perfectly captured what it is like in those early stages of love and how amazing that feels but also the insecurities that can come along with this. I cared about the characters. I was routing for them the whole time, turning the pages and wanting to see how their love for each other would grow stronger and stronger. The kind of love where nothing else matters except you and them against the world.
The style of writing is quite unique and rather than just reading a story about these people, it feels like the author is telling you the story himself. It's his story with all of it's beautiful highs and devastating lows and I felt them all from cover to cover. The author should be proud of this novel, I know I'm proud of him for bringing it to life.
February 15, 2019
Ideal Angels is stylistically bold, pacy and provocative. The brutal honesty with which the main character reflects the world around him, but also his own demons, is fearless. And although I didn't 100% enjoy the ending, I understood why events took the turn they did. The writing is punchy, but still establishes time and place beautifully. It helps that the book is set is my own stomping ground... Leeds Leeds Leeds!
The POV choice (2nd person) can be hard to get right but the author manages to tread the line between submerging the reader and not alienating them with a character that they can't relate too.
The social media aspect to the plot adds a current feel to the novel but the story feels timeless. Overall, it's a well-executed story with sparks of brilliance, and I can't wait to see what this author comes out with.
The POV choice (2nd person) can be hard to get right but the author manages to tread the line between submerging the reader and not alienating them with a character that they can't relate too.
The social media aspect to the plot adds a current feel to the novel but the story feels timeless. Overall, it's a well-executed story with sparks of brilliance, and I can't wait to see what this author comes out with.
July 12, 2018
Ideal Angels is a great modern retelling of the confusion of falling in love, not really understanding where it comes from or why it has happened, and the realistic conflictions in attaining it in the current times. He comments on the dehumanisation of today’s online dating, one particular quote really ringing as a true observation of dating apps “You hate the idea of trying to define yourself in writing, of limiting characters that limit your character.” A good short read that I would recommend to anyone who has dated in the post-tinder world.
August 2, 2019
I took Ideal Angels on holiday as a casual read. One I expected to slowly work my way through over the course of two weeks. From page one however, I was gripped. Within a couple of days I had experienced the highs and lows of the books main character; a character that I deeply understood and related to. It follows him through a whirlwind romance, detailing the ecstasy that comes with it, alongside the inevitable self doubt, insecurities and trauma.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book, would recommend it to anyone and looking forward to what the author does next!
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the book, would recommend it to anyone and looking forward to what the author does next!
November 15, 2023
thank you so much to SRL publishing for providing me with an e-copy!
this was such a great read and i loved the writing and how easily i could get immersed into it, which was really surprising for me because i usually do not read books in second-person.
it was a nice modern day fairy tale story between the MC and eloise. i quite liked the MC between his self-deprecating narrative and his sense of humor and brutal honesty. it was interesting to see how he fell in love with eloise and how their dynamic and relationship developed throughout the book!
this was such a great read and i loved the writing and how easily i could get immersed into it, which was really surprising for me because i usually do not read books in second-person.
it was a nice modern day fairy tale story between the MC and eloise. i quite liked the MC between his self-deprecating narrative and his sense of humor and brutal honesty. it was interesting to see how he fell in love with eloise and how their dynamic and relationship developed throughout the book!
January 14, 2020
Overall, this book read a lot like an Albert Camus novel with a modern take on the world. It was a completely different artform from what I’m used to and it was fascinating and a little strange to see how it turned out. Still, the message was very clear and this is definitely a story that will stick with me for a while. I would rate this book as right between GOOD and VERY GOOD.
(I received a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own. Full review can be read on quillandpen.com)
(I received a copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own. Full review can be read on quillandpen.com)
December 5, 2023
It's unusual to see an entire novel in 2nd person viewpoint, but I have to say, this was impressive. It was powerful and emotively written, ensuring the reader stays in the present moment throughout. The main character was relevant, the plot convincing. If you're looking for a fast-paced contemporary read guaranteed to break your heart, Ideal Angels is for you.
September 23, 2018
Ideal Angels is a fantastic love story for the contemporary age of social media. Exploring the travails of love and live for the Instagram generation, this is a highly readable debut novel from a promising author.
June 7, 2018
Heart wrenchingly raw. You can feel the authors emotion and pain and it’s heartbreaking. This book will stick with you. Must read.
October 7, 2018
Absolutely loved this book. It’s so well written you feel so many emotions with the main character. Definitely highly recommend!!!!!
November 9, 2020
Well. I just come across this book a while ago on Twitter and I must say the writer did a good job
June 12, 2018
This book shines a light on the pressure facing young men in today's world to live by the unrealistic expectations of social media. A powerfully told story which stays with you long after you finish the book. Difficult as it was to read, it was impossible to put down.
August 16, 2018
Dark, pacey and with a real twist.
April 11, 2021
This is the first book I have managed to read that is in the 2nd person which is a testament to how well it is written. I really enjoyed this story and it’s depiction of ‘his’ relationship with Elouise, I found ‘his’ character complex and the story to be emotional. I would definitely recommend this book!
January 18, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. It's a great concept set in the age of smartphones and social media. Classic tale of boy meets girl with so much emotion to it. Got sucked into the story from the start and couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read more from Robert Welbourn.
Want to read
March 26, 2019I was so into the story and living it through use of the 2nd person narrative that the events really effected me. The day after I finished it I was reluctant to drink alcohol as I had consumed so much and had late nights and felt like I had smoked each cigarette with them as the fairy tale love story tension built up. Recommending this to friends. A real "can't put it down" story.
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