Monday, January 17, 2011

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton



I’m afraid to say this, but I really did not enjoy “Angelfire”.. *runs and hides from adoring fangirls* It seems to me that I am one of the few who didn’t based on the reviews on goodreads.com. Why though? I’m not claiming expertise, but I’ve read a lot of young adult fiction and the storytelling here is mediocre at best.

This story all goes back to the original story…the battle of good versus evil. Ellie finds out on her seventeenth birthday that she’s not just a regular, spoiled teenager from a suburb of Detroit. She’s basically Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but replace vampires with demons and you’ve got it. She’s been reincarnated on earth time and time again to help the angels and God battle against Lucifer’s demons for the souls of innocent humans as Lucifer preps for the big ol’ war he’s been planning since his fall. While all of this is going on, she is faced with trying to hold onto her humanity, falling in love with her guardian, and trying to unlock the secrets of her past. Sounds pretty awesome right?

It should be, but unfortunately, it doesn’t live up to its potential. Since the bullet point format seemed to work well for me last time, let’s try it again!
  • The writing, especially the dialogue, is clumsy and juvenile. Just like our heroine, the author seems unsure of herself as she tries to find her way through writing her first novel.
  • Adding to the point above, one of the biggest pitfalls though of “Angelfire” was all the explaining in lieu of showing. This is where the pacing really got dragged through the mud. There were points where I just wanted to skip the deus ex machina style explanations and move onto the next big fight.
  • Our heroine, Ellie, is likable enough, but I never really felt a connection to her, which made the book harder to read. I can read through clunky writing for a well-written, fully developed character, but I didn’t feel like Ms. Moulton found her footing with Ellie. Ellie was just a tool to explain the plot instead of being a part of it.
Despite these faults, “Angelfire” did have some redeeming characteristics.
  • Well written, super exciting action sequences - Ms. Moulton really excels in the action scenes. She does a great job at drawing you into the action and making the excitement come alive for you. I wanted to live in these action sequences.
  • Will - though we’ve only just begun getting to know him, I couldn’t help but love his unwavering admiration and devotion to Ellie. Plus sparkling green eyes? Yummy!
Oh "Angelfire", I wanted to love you. Unfortunately, I just don’t think you were ready for the big time... or for me, anyways. I’m sure there will be others out there who will love and adore you, but I can’t. I’m sorry!

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC. "Angelfire" is scheduled to be published on February 15, 2011.

2 comments:

  1. At least you found some redeeming qualities.... This book was an eye-roller for me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have to admit, I feel a bit generous with my redeeming qualities. I just felt so mean when I wrote my initial review!

    ReplyDelete

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