starling_night | Angelology Review (Reply)

Alright, so this book wasn't crap. It wasn't Twilight or one of those ripoff stalkerish YA novels filling the shelves these days. It just wasn't that enjoyable and could have been done a lot better.
In short: Lots of people think this book is awesome. I think different.

When 23 year old Sister Evangeline of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in upstate New York discovers a letter dated 1943 from Abigail Rockefeller, the famed philanthropist, to the late mother superior of Saint Rose Convent, she uncovers a millennia-old war between the Society of Angelologists and the Nephilim (descendants of fallen angels). As Evangeline shares her discovery with angeologists, she assists them in their efforts to halt the Nephilim from overpowering humankind.

I wasn't sucked in by the blurb at all, to be honest, but since it was recommended to me and the reviews were glowing, I figured I'd look at this book from the 'I'm reading quality literature!' perspective. However, I just couldn't enjoy it and soon put the book down (not before reading the oh-so-shocking ending, of course. Meh. I'd guessed the twist from just the first ten chapters.)

ANGELOLOGY by DANIELLE TRUSSONI

I’m probably being a bit harsh on this book. It’s set in 1999 and it has a cool cover. But I don’t like it much. It’s too boring.

Prologuey thing:

Hmm. WAY too purple. Stop using so many damn adjectives. Also, what does ‘nacreous’ mean?

So far, slightly intrigued but not sucked in.

Chapter One:

BORING. The first page does nothing to drag me into the story. It’s about the main character Evangeline’s morning routine. Completely unnecessary descriptions of some stuff that I skim over. Also, too many superfluous words of unnecessary longevity!

Something I didn’t like:

Standing in her white cotton briefs and cotton undershirt (standard garments ordered in bulk and distributed biyearly to all the sisters at St. Rose) she looked at herself with an appraising, analytic eye – the thin arms and legs, the flat stomach, the tousled brown hair, the golden pendant resting upon her breastbone. The reflection floating on the glass before her was that of a sleepy young woman.

WHO looks at themselves with an ‘appraising analytic’ eye when they’re sleepy, in the morning? Does she do this every day, then? Whoa, sure is vain for a nun. Was this even necessary?

It goes on to describe exactly how many turtlenecks she owns.

Ahh, look, some plot. Some guy called Verlaine has sent the convent a letter, asking to confirm if some lady called Abigail Rockefeller we don’t know ever corresponded with some lady called Mother Innocenta from the convent, who we also don’t know…this was approximately 50 years ago.

More pages. Get to the point. Ooh, perpetual prayer, that’s kind of cool.

Awesome description of the devastation a fire caused to the convent in 1944. You really feel for the sisters; all their work was destroyed. That got my attention. Ooh, so the correspondence those ladies had was to do with 1944…I see.

More connections between the convent and Rockefeller. Actually, I’m not that interested.

Chapter Two:

So, we meet Verlaine. I prefer the writing style in this section, it’s less pretentious. However; too much detail. I don’t care about half the things I’m getting told here.

We see a Subtly Placed Stone Angel. This immediately makes me think of Dr Who and the Weeping Angels. Scariest things ever. I'd rather be watching Dr Who than reading this, actually.

Verlaine wants to meet someone. We get a detailed description of his clothes, including his Snoopy socks which he got from his ex girlfriend. I am literally not kidding. Look, miniscule details like this don't add anything to the characters or the plot. They're boring and take up words. Please stop kthx

Chapter Three:

We meet the guy Verlaine is meeting and I feel interested in this book for the first time, because we’re getting to the interesting stuff – ie. actual angels.

In the first paragraph of this chapter, the guy Verlaine apparently wants to meet , who is called Percival Grigori by the way, has just coughed up some blue blood! Supernatural stuff! Cool!

More background info blah blah.

Verlaine comes into the picture. Something about architectural drawings blah – oh look, the convent! The same one Evangeline lives in.

Percival is not pleased for some reason. I’m not sure, actually. I’m skimming.

Chapter Four:

Back to Evangeline. Damn.

Family history. Evangeline’s mother, who is called Angela, had blonde hair. Her name is pronounced weirdly and I keep stumbling over it. I have a feeling that I'll just give up after a while and pronounce it in my head normally.

Evangeline’s personal history is actually OK.

…Actually, scratch that. It goes on for pages and pages. Give it to me gradually, thanks. Don’t need an infodump full of purple prose. Plus, I want a book, not a history lesson. This thing is advertised as a THRILLER, goddammit!

Hahaha, I love Sister Ludovica being a cranky old nun complaining about how easy they’re going on the sisters these days.

NO ONE TALKS LIKE THIS. It's so unnatural and ye olde.

Evangeline is going to continue investigating Abigail Rockefeller.

Chapter Five:

YAY! More Percival Grigori!

I like this chapter a lot more than previous ones. We discover that Percy (I’m calling him Percy) is an angel, but his wings are rotting because of a disease. I really like that idea. Also, the way angels work is great worldbuilding.

Love love love the descriptions of angel society. I like the Anakim – angel slaves. Slaves of the angels, that is.

Wings = what makes an angel great. Love the angel family hierarchy system thing.

I’m far more interested in the villainous Nephilim/angels than I am in the human character s at this point.

Chapter Six:

More Verlaine, yawn. He’s visiting the convent, and has a stereotypical view of nuns. I just skimmed three pages. Still hasn’t walked in yet. Boring boring background info. STOP INFODUMPING ME. Boring. Last page of the chapter:

When his eyes had adjusted to the dim light he closed the door, securing it firmly behind him before walking through an abandoned corridor and into St. Rose Convent.

FINALLY.

Chapter Seven:

Evangeline is the person who shows outsiders around, so she’ll be Verlaine’s tour guide. ONCE AGAIN STOP SPEAKING LIKE THAT. This book is set in 1999, not two hundred years ago. Do convents train sisters to speak weirdly or something?

Oooh, they’re discussing the fire of 1944.

Chapter Eight:

I’m bored.

Something interesting just happened!!!! Verlaine just got mugged! His car just got stolen! And it’s all because of Percy!!

Chapter Nine;

YAY PERCY! Now we’re reading about Angel/Nephilistic society. Quite intriguing.

Oh, damn. Looks like this book will be Black and White Morality. The Nephilim are EVIIIIL, all of them, just ‘cause they are.

Awww, poor ole Perce...he just wants his wings back.

Chapter Ten;

Evangeline. She’s praying, like a good nun. INFODUMP BLAH.

!!! And here we have a memory! It’s actually written like a scene, without going off on a tangent that ends up as pages and pages of background info, because then it would be a memory within a memory and that would be weird. I like this scene, even though it’s pretty blatantly dumping info on us, through the ‘main character eavesdrops a really long conversation’ method.

THE FOLLOWING SCENE IS THE MOST AWESOME SCENE IN THE BOOK SO FAR

We get a description of a bunch of imprisoned angels, which are going to be dissected and examined! Awesome description here. Dispassionate human scientists, quietly horrifying.

Now, there’s something I want too say..Author, you really expect us not to feel sorry for these imprisoned angels? Yes, they ostensibly don’t have morals, but they’re being tortured and held against their will. Also, we haven’t really seen much proof that says to us ‘all angels, every single one, is a complete and utter monster and deserves to die.’

In short...I'm unimpressed and gave up shortly after Chapter 10.