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selenamarie's review against another edition
2.0
I have been wanting to read this book for about a year now. And I finally decided to get it from the library because I couldn't find it in stores. Well I'm glad I did.
I was really excited to read this book, but once I started it I realized it was going to be one of those books, that you had high expectations far, but they just fall flat. Angel Star was that for me. It fell flat.
Teagan didn't do much for me as the main character. There wasn't anything special about her that made me like her. Well other than having a guardian angel among other things. She meets Garreth at school one day and of course is instantly attracted to him. Then like the third day they know each other he takes her to this rundown church and tells her what he is. I found it surprisngly early for information like that. There were quite a few infor dumps that I found quite annoying.
Throughout the book I really wanted to knock some sense into Teagan. First off, she leaves her best friend with her boyfriend who is acting strange and the girl who is the queen bitch of the school.
And then there was Hadrian. Oh good god. Not only is he the bad guy, but Teagan feels attracted to him. Of course she does. But she loves Garreth. It was almost like the author wanted to establish a love traingle, but didn't really. I just didn't like that at all.
The one thing that drove me crazy throughout the book was all of the ... some of them I understood, but almost all of them were uneccessary, it seemed like Teagan had issues with staying on track.
Overall Angel Star was a huge disappointment for me. I don't even think I am going to try with the next one.
I was really excited to read this book, but once I started it I realized it was going to be one of those books, that you had high expectations far, but they just fall flat. Angel Star was that for me. It fell flat.
Teagan didn't do much for me as the main character. There wasn't anything special about her that made me like her. Well other than having a guardian angel among other things. She meets Garreth at school one day and of course is instantly attracted to him. Then like the third day they know each other he takes her to this rundown church and tells her what he is. I found it surprisngly early for information like that. There were quite a few infor dumps that I found quite annoying.
Throughout the book I really wanted to knock some sense into Teagan. First off, she leaves her best friend with her boyfriend who is acting strange and the girl who is the queen bitch of the school.
Spoiler
then later that night she finds out her best friend died. She should have stayed with her friend. Then Teagan doesn't seem that affected by her best friends death. Sure she cries a little, but it seemd that she didn't care all that much.And then there was Hadrian. Oh good god. Not only is he the bad guy, but Teagan feels attracted to him. Of course she does. But she loves Garreth. It was almost like the author wanted to establish a love traingle, but didn't really. I just didn't like that at all.
The one thing that drove me crazy throughout the book was all of the ... some of them I understood, but almost all of them were uneccessary, it seemed like Teagan had issues with staying on track.
Overall Angel Star was a huge disappointment for me. I don't even think I am going to try with the next one.
andye_reads's review against another edition
2.0
Angel Star was, well, was hmmmm. I'm thinking... It was not exactly my cup of tea. However, I feel that a teen might enjoy it much more. I felt like the story was just okay. It wasn't that it was horrible or that the writing wasn't good. The writing was actually very good and the story was told very well. I had a hard time staying connected with the characters. Some of the time I felt the story was a tad bit rushed. The lead guy Garreth, wasn't near steamy or sexy enough and Teagan, the main girl seemed very young acting and very fickle minded. I definitely wasn't skipping dinner with the family to read this one. I really had to force myself to stay focused on the task at hand. The reason I feel that a teen might enjoy reading this more is that I (mother) just gets annoyed with girls that fall easily for a boy, she hardly knows, so Teagan just kinda seemed immature. That annoyed me. I'm trying to get better about getting annoyed easily and then not liking the book, I really am trying.
Teagan's extreme-sudden obsession with Hadrian seemed written in a hurry and wasn't very believable. Teagan seemed to be swayed too quickly and easily. Someone as strong as her character is suppose to be, would blow the evil dude off in-a-heartbeat! I didn't think any of Hadrian's actions should have drawn her as they did, especially when she's already in love with Garreth. Like I said... fickle. I also thought the knock-down-drag-outs with Hadrian (evil dude) were resolved way too quickly. There was no fight really. I was really wanting a fist fight or something. This book just needed some oooph, some gusto, some real climax.
I wasn't happy with the little dialog toward the end of the book also. I need more interaction between the characters and much more dialog. That will keep my interest alot more. You could tell this book was written for younger teens it was squeaky clean, which is good. I will put this book on my clean reads list and tell parents to have their younger teens read this one with no worries.
Honestly, a thirteen to fifteen year old would like this book. May even love it! I, an old woman, (Haha) sadly, will not be reading the sequel.
Amy
Teagan's extreme-sudden obsession with Hadrian seemed written in a hurry and wasn't very believable. Teagan seemed to be swayed too quickly and easily. Someone as strong as her character is suppose to be, would blow the evil dude off in-a-heartbeat! I didn't think any of Hadrian's actions should have drawn her as they did, especially when she's already in love with Garreth. Like I said... fickle. I also thought the knock-down-drag-outs with Hadrian (evil dude) were resolved way too quickly. There was no fight really. I was really wanting a fist fight or something. This book just needed some oooph, some gusto, some real climax.
I wasn't happy with the little dialog toward the end of the book also. I need more interaction between the characters and much more dialog. That will keep my interest alot more. You could tell this book was written for younger teens it was squeaky clean, which is good. I will put this book on my clean reads list and tell parents to have their younger teens read this one with no worries.
Honestly, a thirteen to fifteen year old would like this book. May even love it! I, an old woman, (Haha) sadly, will not be reading the sequel.
Amy
saragrochowski's review against another edition
2.0
I'm finding it difficult to review ANGEL STAR. I'll admit to not finishing the novel; I simply couldn't connect with the characters and I found myself distracted by little details.
One of my biggest problems with the novel was the main characters instant attraction to Garreth, the mysterious new boy at school, and how quickly she began comparing herself to all of the other girls. Generally, I don't like this type of MC, but I can overlook the negativity and self-esteem issues, after all, everyone has them to some degree. It was just too much too fast.
I would like to try to read this book again because I think that the premise is promising and it has received numerous 4 and 5 star reviews.
That doesn't mean that I'll definitely like it the second time around, but I'm hopeful!
One of my biggest problems with the novel was the main characters instant attraction to Garreth, the mysterious new boy at school, and how quickly she began comparing herself to all of the other girls. Generally, I don't like this type of MC, but I can overlook the negativity and self-esteem issues, after all, everyone has them to some degree. It was just too much too fast.
I would like to try to read this book again because I think that the premise is promising and it has received numerous 4 and 5 star reviews.
That doesn't mean that I'll definitely like it the second time around, but I'm hopeful!
theaprilnichole's review against another edition
5.0
This is a wonderful story of really not just good vs. evil but of finding truth in people. Can you see past someone’s façade? Is there something past what others see? If you can see past it do you see good or do you see evil? Do you like what you see?
I found out about this book back in November so I’ve been looking forward to reading this for a while. Originally I had another book to read first but curiosity got the best of me. The prologue is one page and that one page had me wanting to read more.
The chapters aren’t too long so that is nice if you are one of those that don’t like to stop in the middle of chapters. To me it had a pleasant mix of description and dialogue. All too often there is too much of one or the other. I didn’t find myself skimming any paragraphs wanting to get to something else to help move the story along. Jennifer did really well pacing the story to take you on a journey and keep you guessing.
It comes down to three key characters; Teagan, human seventeen-year-old high school student, Garreth, a guardian angel that has come to help Teagan, and then there is Hadrian, the bad guy that Garreth came to help Teagan with.
The names in this story are pretty unique. Teagan’s name grew on me. The name Garreth sort of did. Now Hadrian, not so much but it makes sense to me when you learn more about him. I don’t want to give too much away but his name to me seems like an old name and when you find out how long he has been around it makes sense.
In a lot of teens stories the teens don’t have a good relationship with their parents, if one at all. While Teagan’s dad is gone she does have a relationship with her mother so that was refreshing. It isn’t a dominate thing in the story but it was nice to see that the mother wasn’t discarded.
I think that my favorite moments happened at a run down chapel. The way that Jennifer described it made it sound really beautiful. Teagan and Garreth have important conversations here that help her to understand what is going on and the big showdown happens there too.
I like the way that Jennifer described the darkness of Hadrian when he would appear.
Now, I am an eye girl myself and the way that Jennifer describes Garreth’s eyes. I could get the same feeling that Teagan got from them.
We do get to see other angels in the story, more as a group. We get to see the effects on people when their guardian angel isn’t there or has been corrupted. One of her best friend gets corrupted to get to Teagan and I kind of expected the one for her mother to have been the one that had been corrupted, but I’m glad I was wrong.
Jennifer recently announced that there will be a sequel (which is good because Angel Star was left with a nice set up for a sequel.) so I have two hopes for it: 1) that something will happen to Hadrian. I can’t say much without giving it away, sorry. 2) A couple of times Teagan’s dad gets mentioned. There isn’t a whole lot I can say about him without giving something away. I just hope that more comes of that so we can find out what really happened to him.
I will be reading this book again and again. It has some sweet, awww moments. It is told through Teagan’s POV. It is wonderfully woven together that I could feel like I was there with Teagan. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to her. Angel Star is Jennifer Murgia’s debut novel. For a debut novel it is exceptional.
(Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!)
I found out about this book back in November so I’ve been looking forward to reading this for a while. Originally I had another book to read first but curiosity got the best of me. The prologue is one page and that one page had me wanting to read more.
The chapters aren’t too long so that is nice if you are one of those that don’t like to stop in the middle of chapters. To me it had a pleasant mix of description and dialogue. All too often there is too much of one or the other. I didn’t find myself skimming any paragraphs wanting to get to something else to help move the story along. Jennifer did really well pacing the story to take you on a journey and keep you guessing.
It comes down to three key characters; Teagan, human seventeen-year-old high school student, Garreth, a guardian angel that has come to help Teagan, and then there is Hadrian, the bad guy that Garreth came to help Teagan with.
The names in this story are pretty unique. Teagan’s name grew on me. The name Garreth sort of did. Now Hadrian, not so much but it makes sense to me when you learn more about him. I don’t want to give too much away but his name to me seems like an old name and when you find out how long he has been around it makes sense.
In a lot of teens stories the teens don’t have a good relationship with their parents, if one at all. While Teagan’s dad is gone she does have a relationship with her mother so that was refreshing. It isn’t a dominate thing in the story but it was nice to see that the mother wasn’t discarded.
I think that my favorite moments happened at a run down chapel. The way that Jennifer described it made it sound really beautiful. Teagan and Garreth have important conversations here that help her to understand what is going on and the big showdown happens there too.
I like the way that Jennifer described the darkness of Hadrian when he would appear.
Now, I am an eye girl myself and the way that Jennifer describes Garreth’s eyes. I could get the same feeling that Teagan got from them.
We do get to see other angels in the story, more as a group. We get to see the effects on people when their guardian angel isn’t there or has been corrupted. One of her best friend gets corrupted to get to Teagan and I kind of expected the one for her mother to have been the one that had been corrupted, but I’m glad I was wrong.
Jennifer recently announced that there will be a sequel (which is good because Angel Star was left with a nice set up for a sequel.) so I have two hopes for it: 1) that something will happen to Hadrian. I can’t say much without giving it away, sorry. 2) A couple of times Teagan’s dad gets mentioned. There isn’t a whole lot I can say about him without giving something away. I just hope that more comes of that so we can find out what really happened to him.
I will be reading this book again and again. It has some sweet, awww moments. It is told through Teagan’s POV. It is wonderfully woven together that I could feel like I was there with Teagan. I had to keep reading to find out what was going to happen to her. Angel Star is Jennifer Murgia’s debut novel. For a debut novel it is exceptional.
(Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!)
jamiedhutch's review against another edition
3.0
So. I was kind of addicted to this one, once I got a couple chapters in. Near the end, though, my interest kind of waned. Things were a little... weird? I lost track of what was reality and what was all just in her head... or something.
Not sure I liked the deal with Hadrian. The whole Teagan/Hadrian thing was... weird.
I guess there were some weird things about this book. I liked it, though.
Not sure I liked the deal with Hadrian. The whole Teagan/Hadrian thing was... weird.
I guess there were some weird things about this book. I liked it, though.
jessschira's review against another edition
4.0
After reading a sample of this book, I really didn’t plan on reading it. I’ve never been crazy about books that push angels, at some point they always seem to become more religious than I care for. The reason I ended up with this book was a due to a lack of focus when I was playing with my Kindle. I tend to be believe that things happen for a reason, so I read it, and I am so glad I did. The book was nothing like I expected.
On the surface Angel Star is just like every other teen novel. Teagen is a pretty girl has self-confidence issues, she gets bullied, she barely has any friends, is constantly plagued by nightmares, she misses her daddy etc. Than one day, for no clear reason, she looks eyes with the outrageously gorgeous new boy school and there is an instant spark. The book starts to get interesting when Teagen is almost run over by a school bus.
It does not take very long for it to come out that Garret is more than a pretty face, he is in fact an angel. It is about this time that I started to get pulled into the book, mostly because the two characters start to discuss topics that interest me including the meaning of symbols, reincarnation, the meaning of life, destiny etc. The fact that everything keeps coming back to the number 8, which happens to be my favorite number, helped.
Predictably, there is a sinister being who wants to take over heaven, and Teagen is the only one who can stop them. The confrontation that usually means the end of the book does have a little twist and requires some soul searching from all parties.
While this book is not one of my favorites, it is certainly better than some other books that I’ve recently read and it will be one that I will probably occasionally reread. The author has a very nice, concise writing style and is able to keep the story moving forward without it feeling rushed. She also does a very good job of using her words to pain very detailed pictures.
On the surface Angel Star is just like every other teen novel. Teagen is a pretty girl has self-confidence issues, she gets bullied, she barely has any friends, is constantly plagued by nightmares, she misses her daddy etc. Than one day, for no clear reason, she looks eyes with the outrageously gorgeous new boy school and there is an instant spark. The book starts to get interesting when Teagen is almost run over by a school bus.
It does not take very long for it to come out that Garret is more than a pretty face, he is in fact an angel. It is about this time that I started to get pulled into the book, mostly because the two characters start to discuss topics that interest me including the meaning of symbols, reincarnation, the meaning of life, destiny etc. The fact that everything keeps coming back to the number 8, which happens to be my favorite number, helped.
Predictably, there is a sinister being who wants to take over heaven, and Teagen is the only one who can stop them. The confrontation that usually means the end of the book does have a little twist and requires some soul searching from all parties.
While this book is not one of my favorites, it is certainly better than some other books that I’ve recently read and it will be one that I will probably occasionally reread. The author has a very nice, concise writing style and is able to keep the story moving forward without it feeling rushed. She also does a very good job of using her words to pain very detailed pictures.
ayanamifaerudo's review against another edition
5.0
Per my sentiments in another post, I was wary about reading this book that may be similar with that of the Fallen and the Hush, Hush series. But I was surprised - SURPRISED!
I can imagine myself falling in love with my own guardian angel, if he turns out to be a boy.
And all those apples should probably give you a clue on how I find the book: LOVED IT!
I can imagine myself falling in love with my own guardian angel, if he turns out to be a boy.
And all those apples should probably give you a clue on how I find the book: LOVED IT!
danigerous's review against another edition
1.0
I still refuse to accept the fact that someone decided to publish this ... uhm book. It was by far one of the worst things I have ever read, if not the worst. It read like really really bad fan fiction. Lexically it was absolutely simplistic and I believe the vocabulary of a 8-year-old could be quite complex compared to this one. And the plot ... oh my... don't get me started. I was reading, scratch that, breezing through the story and couldn't believe how utterly stupid it was. The main characters, I'm sure, had a negative IQ. I could go on and on with my rant about what a piece of crap this book was but there is no need. It will suffice to say that it would make everything I read next a complete literary masterpiece, it won't be easy to find something equally as bad.
perpetualpageturner's review against another edition
3.0
When I was younger I loved the idea of a guardian angel-- some graceful, beautiful creature that invisibly flies around me and leads me away from danger--which is something I definitely needed as a self proclaimed klutzy child. Or I'd think of some motherly figure like Monica on Touched By An Angel. Thanks to Jennifer Murgia my made-up picture of a fairy-like angel has been absolutely shred to pieces and replaced by a movie star quality, grade A hunk! I am certainly not complaining.
The book revolves around Teagan, a high school girl who gets picked on by the resident "Mean Girls" group at school and isn't too popular, but she's got her best friend and her mother on her side. The normalcy of her life is shattered when Garreth, the new mysterious eye candy of the school, shows up and directs his attention towards her. Immediately smitten with him, as if she's known him all along, she starts spending time with him and finds out that he bears the mark of an angel--an eight point star. Her perfect fairytale romance is maimed as she learns that "where there is light, dark follows" and she finds herself in the midst of a battle between that light and darkness that will alter her life and those around her.
As I mentioned in my Sleepless review, I'm new to the paranormal romance genre. I've always thought of it as vampires and werewolves and have been pleased to know that it contains much more than that. I know that there ARE paranormal romance books out there that contain angels (Hush, Hush) but I haven't read them so this is fresh to me!
Having been able to study some angelology in my undergraduate studies, it is always interesting to see the different portrayals of angels in books and movies! I think in some cases books/movies throw angels or other unique creatures into a storyline to spice things up but what you really have is a used up old storyline that could easily be replaced by some other fantastical type of creature and be just the same. Murgia did not fall into this trap. She created her storyline with depth and a rich exploration into the study of angels filled with interesting symbolism and meaning. This was one thought-provoking novel!
I really liked Teagan and found that she was real and strong but not perfect. She wasn't too stupid to function and she wasn't needy but she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders but had the capability to make mistakes and to fall blindly sometimes--as I'm sure all of us woman have done at some point in our lives! I found the plot to be paced pretty well--just as soon as I felt a lull in my reading--I found myself sitting straight up with my finger itching to keep turning those pages.
Now on to the imperfections that I would be remiss if I did not mention. I don't know if this is typical of alot of YA paranormal romance as I'm not well-read (or just the ones I'm reading) but what is with people falling head over heels the first time they see someone? Fantasy or not, it irks me. When has that ever worked out for me? Never. In fact, I hated my boyfriend of 3 1/2 years when I first met him. Where is the natural development of the relationship--the discovery, the curiosity, the little tiffs, etc. I understand they had a "connection" but I'd like a little anticipation surrounding the forming of a relationship. Although, I'm sure other people love this element of the book but it isn't for me. Another minor problem for me was that sometimes things seemed to wrap up too easily for me. It wasn't a huge problem but I did wish that some of the action lasted a little longer with more of a struggle.
Overall, I found it a fun and suspenseful read that had me contemplating the good and the bad that is inherit in all of us and our propensity to sometimes get caught in that blurred place where the two meet--that place where the allure of each is a force field pulling at our being and our sense of self. I will most definitely be reading the next book in the series when it comes out in 2011.
Rating- 4 stars-- A must read for paranormal romance/fantasy lovers. I think that if you aren't really into the paranormal romance genre you might still find this enjoyable if you are looking for a book with a good plot that will keep you on the edge of the seat.
The book revolves around Teagan, a high school girl who gets picked on by the resident "Mean Girls" group at school and isn't too popular, but she's got her best friend and her mother on her side. The normalcy of her life is shattered when Garreth, the new mysterious eye candy of the school, shows up and directs his attention towards her. Immediately smitten with him, as if she's known him all along, she starts spending time with him and finds out that he bears the mark of an angel--an eight point star. Her perfect fairytale romance is maimed as she learns that "where there is light, dark follows" and she finds herself in the midst of a battle between that light and darkness that will alter her life and those around her.
As I mentioned in my Sleepless review, I'm new to the paranormal romance genre. I've always thought of it as vampires and werewolves and have been pleased to know that it contains much more than that. I know that there ARE paranormal romance books out there that contain angels (Hush, Hush) but I haven't read them so this is fresh to me!
Having been able to study some angelology in my undergraduate studies, it is always interesting to see the different portrayals of angels in books and movies! I think in some cases books/movies throw angels or other unique creatures into a storyline to spice things up but what you really have is a used up old storyline that could easily be replaced by some other fantastical type of creature and be just the same. Murgia did not fall into this trap. She created her storyline with depth and a rich exploration into the study of angels filled with interesting symbolism and meaning. This was one thought-provoking novel!
I really liked Teagan and found that she was real and strong but not perfect. She wasn't too stupid to function and she wasn't needy but she seemed to have a good head on her shoulders but had the capability to make mistakes and to fall blindly sometimes--as I'm sure all of us woman have done at some point in our lives! I found the plot to be paced pretty well--just as soon as I felt a lull in my reading--I found myself sitting straight up with my finger itching to keep turning those pages.
Now on to the imperfections that I would be remiss if I did not mention. I don't know if this is typical of alot of YA paranormal romance as I'm not well-read (or just the ones I'm reading) but what is with people falling head over heels the first time they see someone? Fantasy or not, it irks me. When has that ever worked out for me? Never. In fact, I hated my boyfriend of 3 1/2 years when I first met him. Where is the natural development of the relationship--the discovery, the curiosity, the little tiffs, etc. I understand they had a "connection" but I'd like a little anticipation surrounding the forming of a relationship. Although, I'm sure other people love this element of the book but it isn't for me. Another minor problem for me was that sometimes things seemed to wrap up too easily for me. It wasn't a huge problem but I did wish that some of the action lasted a little longer with more of a struggle.
Overall, I found it a fun and suspenseful read that had me contemplating the good and the bad that is inherit in all of us and our propensity to sometimes get caught in that blurred place where the two meet--that place where the allure of each is a force field pulling at our being and our sense of self. I will most definitely be reading the next book in the series when it comes out in 2011.
Rating- 4 stars-- A must read for paranormal romance/fantasy lovers. I think that if you aren't really into the paranormal romance genre you might still find this enjoyable if you are looking for a book with a good plot that will keep you on the edge of the seat.
linwearcamenel's review against another edition
2.0
I really enjoyed the idea and the mythology of angels in here. But the entire plot was taken from Twilight, and that annoyed me. If I wanted to read that story, I would have reread Twilight. Little more background, and a more fleshed-out story, and it would have been awesome.