Book review: Angel in the shadows by Lisa Grace




UPDATE:
I posted below that there are 3 books in this series. That is untrue. There are really 5 books, but you can't buy the last 2 as an ebook. I had no idea until I had finished the 3rd and was very disappointed! The next two books in the series are much better than the first, with more action (all weather related, but still good). I don't know when or if the others will be available in ebook form, but I think by the time they are, I will have moved on and forgotten about this series. Sad, but true.




This book is a quick and entertaining read and has even been optioned for movie production.  I was drawn to this book because I have a similar, yet, not so similar book idea.  The short synopsis is that the main character, Megan, can see spirits, good and bad. Once she discovers this gift she is thrown into a mortal battle to save souls from an evil dark angel with the assistance of a few good angels and her faithful Christian friends.  She begins converting as many people as possible as she races against this evil spirit.

Although the main characters are all about standing up and fighting for Christian values, I can’t exactly label this as a “clean read.” The book contains a lot of talk about sex, drugs, suicide, and even abortion. I would say this book would be suitable for older teens unless you have discussed these topics with your child beforehand.

This was a very visually appealing book, but I feel the author could have fleshed out more scenes to describe the atmosphere in more detail.  She missed a lot of opportunity to engross the reader in the locations’ sights and sounds, etc. There are some that are very well described and others that she just sails over. It seemed as though she was rushing to get it finished.  Her dialogue was short, choppy and rushed in many spots throughout the novel, almost awkwardly abrupt in places. Here’s a few examples:

“I look at her legs. They are covered with scratch marks. I’ve never seen seaweed cause marks like that on anyone before. Whatever was down there was real. I shudder.
The other kids start talking. Seth takes charge of them. Jackson pulls up in the boat as I talk to her and try to calm her down.”

And:

“When I stick my head in, I see a grayness hovering over Brody.  A demon. I walk in and say,” Hi Brody.” He opens his eyes to look at me.
I say, ”Sam is really worried about you.” Brody looks at me coldly.
I think I can help you,” I say.
“Get out. You can’t help me. Get out!” He screams. I leave just as a nurse enters to check on Brody. I go back into Sam’s room. I sit back down.”

That being said, it is a unique storyline that kept my attention during the plot twists and turns. Lisa does an excellent job with character development, introducing a wide range of believable teens and adults.  You can vividly picture most of them, especially Vania. The end is a cliff- hanger though, so be prepared to read the next book if you invest your time in this novel.  There are 3 books in this series and the first book is free if you go here. Or you can purchase the book from Amazon.

Overall I give this book a rating of 3.5 stars due to poor dialogue that interferes with the reading experience.

No comments: