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eldor's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
kaytemi's review against another edition
4.0
Heartbreakingly heartwarming. It's awful and beautiful. I don't really know how to express...
Margot does redeem herself and Ruth is horribly irritating at times but it all works out. Ugh. Really, it's fluff. But I did enjoy myself in the end. Her death is stupid but in all honesty, I didn't even notice the writing at all. Invisible prose. And that is something I respect.
4 stars because I couldn't bring myself to give it 3.
Margot does redeem herself and Ruth is horribly irritating at times but it all works out. Ugh. Really, it's fluff. But I did enjoy myself in the end. Her death is stupid but in all honesty, I didn't even notice the writing at all. Invisible prose. And that is something I respect.
4 stars because I couldn't bring myself to give it 3.
emmie_mort's review against another edition
3.0
Not something I'd usually pick up, but came in my Box of Stories box, the cover is fairly hideous, but I enjoyed it much more than a thought I would.
A lot of trigger warnings for death, drug & alcohol use, rape, abuse of children, assault....... But it never felt overly "dark". The ending felt a little rushed especially compared to a chunky beginning. But a solid book & an enjoyable read in the garden!
A lot of trigger warnings for death, drug & alcohol use, rape, abuse of children, assault....... But it never felt overly "dark". The ending felt a little rushed especially compared to a chunky beginning. But a solid book & an enjoyable read in the garden!
thee_eclectic_eccentric's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Drug abuse
Moderate: Car accident
shano25's review against another edition
4.0
Imagine that when your life ends you are sent back to Earth as a guardian angel. And not for just anyone but a guardian angel for yourself. Imagine you had the opportunity to observe and alter the life you have already lived.
This is what happens to Margot Delacroix when her tragic life comes to an end at the age of forty. Renamed Ruth, she is sent back to Earth to encourage Margot to make the right decisions, in the hopes of making her life a little easier. Not only does Ruth now have the opportunity to fix the wrongs of her life, but she also is able to understand why her life turned out the way it did. Will Ruth be able to give Margot the life she truly deserves, or will Margot continue to do things her own way and leave Ruth to be a witness to her own self-destruction?
The Guardian Angel's Journal by Carolyn Jess-Cooke is not the type of novel I would usually read. I tend to stay away from novels about angels and the spiritual realm that don't line up with my faith, and because of that I did hesitate for a second when contacted by the author to review this novel. But the premise of the book sounded so interesting, being ones own guardian angel, so I decided to give it a read. And I am so glad that I did.
This is a fantastic book. Right from the first page the reader is drawn into the book and captivated by Margot's story. Her life was full of tragedy, and as you read about her experiences you ache and hurt for the little girl, wishing that you could be her guardian angel to try and save her from these terrible things.
And as Margot grows older you feel for Ruth as she has to watch herself make difficult and terrible decisions, now having the wisdom to know better, but unable to convince herself to make a change.
There is so much wrapped up in this novel - death, abuse, addiction, angels and demons, tragedy, forgiveness, redemption - and yet it is a beautiful page-turner. This is a book that you will not be able to put down. I've read that Carolyn Jess-Cooke has been compared with Audrey Niffenegger and I can see why. The feeling I was left with after reading this book is the same great feeling I had after reading The Time Traveller's Wife. The Guardian Angel's Journal is an original and fresh take on the story of guardian angels and well worth a read.
This is what happens to Margot Delacroix when her tragic life comes to an end at the age of forty. Renamed Ruth, she is sent back to Earth to encourage Margot to make the right decisions, in the hopes of making her life a little easier. Not only does Ruth now have the opportunity to fix the wrongs of her life, but she also is able to understand why her life turned out the way it did. Will Ruth be able to give Margot the life she truly deserves, or will Margot continue to do things her own way and leave Ruth to be a witness to her own self-destruction?
The Guardian Angel's Journal by Carolyn Jess-Cooke is not the type of novel I would usually read. I tend to stay away from novels about angels and the spiritual realm that don't line up with my faith, and because of that I did hesitate for a second when contacted by the author to review this novel. But the premise of the book sounded so interesting, being ones own guardian angel, so I decided to give it a read. And I am so glad that I did.
This is a fantastic book. Right from the first page the reader is drawn into the book and captivated by Margot's story. Her life was full of tragedy, and as you read about her experiences you ache and hurt for the little girl, wishing that you could be her guardian angel to try and save her from these terrible things.
And as Margot grows older you feel for Ruth as she has to watch herself make difficult and terrible decisions, now having the wisdom to know better, but unable to convince herself to make a change.
There is so much wrapped up in this novel - death, abuse, addiction, angels and demons, tragedy, forgiveness, redemption - and yet it is a beautiful page-turner. This is a book that you will not be able to put down. I've read that Carolyn Jess-Cooke has been compared with Audrey Niffenegger and I can see why. The feeling I was left with after reading this book is the same great feeling I had after reading The Time Traveller's Wife. The Guardian Angel's Journal is an original and fresh take on the story of guardian angels and well worth a read.
prettygoodyear's review against another edition
4.0
I loved "The boy who could see demons" and picked up this book after I finished that. This was a completely different book, but I enjoyed it. It made me cry several times, and even though it is fiction, made me reflect on my own life and guardian angels and such. This book hit home several times.
mandi_m's review against another edition
This is not my usual area but once I started I did want to know what was going to happen to her. This is a mix of spiritual fiction with women's fiction and will suit those who want to know that someone is looking after them and that there is a higher plan.
emmie_mort's review against another edition
3.0
Not something I'd usually pick up, but came in my Box of Stories box, the cover is fairly hideous, but I enjoyed it much more than a thought I would.
A lot of trigger warnings for death, drug & alcohol use, rape, abuse of children, assault....... But it never felt overly "dark". The ending felt a little rushed especially compared to a chunky beginning. But a solid book & an enjoyable read in the garden!
A lot of trigger warnings for death, drug & alcohol use, rape, abuse of children, assault....... But it never felt overly "dark". The ending felt a little rushed especially compared to a chunky beginning. But a solid book & an enjoyable read in the garden!
serendipity_viv's review against another edition
4.0
I am a complete sucker for an angel story and this one sent me straight to heaven. The idea behind this story is so original it blew my mind. I felt like I had stepped into a quantam physics experiment, where I could bend time backwards and forwards like an eraser.
Margot dies at the age of forty and is sent back to Earth to be her OWN GUARDIAN ANGEL! I kid you not. Doesn't that just defy mentality? Margot is renamed Beth and forced to accompany herself as she relives every minor detail of her past. Beth is allowed to encourage Margot into making the right decisions, but Margot is a force to be reckoned with and isn't about to listen carefully to her former self.
I refuse to give away any spoilers for this book. You just have to read it. I am actually rather desperate for someone else to read this book, so that I can talk about it openly without giving away any of the storyline.
This book felt like a 'before' and 'after' scenerio. Just imagine being able to try and alter all of those incidents that you now know had disasterous effects on your life. Beth knows exactly how Margot's life will turn out and does her utmost to try and change her actions, often without any change occurring. Margot's younger years are probably some of the worst you can imagine. So it is not surprising at all, the way Margot's life unfolds. The events of her son's life were definitely a direct consequence of Margot's emotional rollercoaster of a life. You could just envisage this vicious barbed wire circle of circumstances continually playing over and over again.
I found the writing to be utterly beautiful and often very poignant. Carolyn Jess-Cooke is extremely good at pulling your heart strings and twisted them into knots. This book is a real gut wrencher and a couple of times I felt my eyes welling up at some rather emotional and violent scenes. I felt every last tear and pain that the young Margot experienced right alongside her guardian angel Beth.
As Margot moves into adulthood, I wanted to dislike her, but everytime I reminded myself of the childhood she had led, I stepped away from those feelings.
Carolyn Jess-Cooke has been compared with Audrey Niffenegger and I can understand why. Her book is a fresh approach to angels with an original idea developed thoroughly, leaving you desperate to read more of her work.
The only thing I don't like about this book is that I didn't write it first! Only joking. I just can't wait to see what Carolyn writes next.
If you love angels like I do and believe that everything is not as it seems, then trust me when I tell you that you are going to want to read this book.
Margot dies at the age of forty and is sent back to Earth to be her OWN GUARDIAN ANGEL! I kid you not. Doesn't that just defy mentality? Margot is renamed Beth and forced to accompany herself as she relives every minor detail of her past. Beth is allowed to encourage Margot into making the right decisions, but Margot is a force to be reckoned with and isn't about to listen carefully to her former self.
I refuse to give away any spoilers for this book. You just have to read it. I am actually rather desperate for someone else to read this book, so that I can talk about it openly without giving away any of the storyline.
This book felt like a 'before' and 'after' scenerio. Just imagine being able to try and alter all of those incidents that you now know had disasterous effects on your life. Beth knows exactly how Margot's life will turn out and does her utmost to try and change her actions, often without any change occurring. Margot's younger years are probably some of the worst you can imagine. So it is not surprising at all, the way Margot's life unfolds. The events of her son's life were definitely a direct consequence of Margot's emotional rollercoaster of a life. You could just envisage this vicious barbed wire circle of circumstances continually playing over and over again.
I found the writing to be utterly beautiful and often very poignant. Carolyn Jess-Cooke is extremely good at pulling your heart strings and twisted them into knots. This book is a real gut wrencher and a couple of times I felt my eyes welling up at some rather emotional and violent scenes. I felt every last tear and pain that the young Margot experienced right alongside her guardian angel Beth.
As Margot moves into adulthood, I wanted to dislike her, but everytime I reminded myself of the childhood she had led, I stepped away from those feelings.
Carolyn Jess-Cooke has been compared with Audrey Niffenegger and I can understand why. Her book is a fresh approach to angels with an original idea developed thoroughly, leaving you desperate to read more of her work.
The only thing I don't like about this book is that I didn't write it first! Only joking. I just can't wait to see what Carolyn writes next.
If you love angels like I do and believe that everything is not as it seems, then trust me when I tell you that you are going to want to read this book.
mybookishpromise's review against another edition
3.0
A great book, the book kept me reading and I loved the idea of the plot.