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melodys_library's review against another edition
3.0
This book is so unapologetically Filipino - from the Tagalog and Taglish to the focus and importance of family-centric culture. It has the true Filipina teenage angst - one moment, you believe every moment is filled with the glory of God, until one day, you doubt that God’s ever been on your side. This story is not just about Angel finding herself, but helping her remember how much she loves her family and her home. It was a bit slow, which is the only reason I’m giving it 3 instead of 4 stars.
megatsunami's review against another edition
4.0
Very well written but I just didn't feel that into it, not sure why.
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
I reviewed this over at Rich in Color http://richincolor.com/2014/06/review-angel-de-la-luna-and-the-5th-glorious-mystery/ I want to give it 4.5 stars, but that's not a choice.
mezzythedragon's review against another edition
3.0
Galang had better works than this, but that being said, Angel's journey is a very compelling one. I like how this book is marketed as YA lit, because far too often we don't hear the voices of the youth that aren't white. On top of that, Angel doesn't focus her life on having a boyfriend, despite a love interest. I just felt it a bit jumbled at times, and in the beginning, I was more interested in her political activism than her personal life. Only in the second half, when Angel is in Chicago, do we get more into her personal story. Yet, the ending was satisfying. (In reality, it's a 3.5, but you can't give 0.5 ratings.) Lastly, I don't have issues with the lack of translation of the Tagalog phrases because I speak it, but do read the end note on why there was no glossary. Very interesting stuff.
mjqueen's review against another edition
2.0
While the story is one that I thought I would enjoy I just couldn't get into it. That said I want to thank [a:M. Evelina Galang|21154|M. Evelina Galang|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] for allowing her book to the Audible "library" for free reading.
wcsheffer's review
3.0
Angel de la Luna and the 5th Glorious Mystery is a wandering and beautiful coming of age tale. The story opens with Angel de la Luna's father passing away. She comes to terms with this tremendous loss differently than her family members especially her mother which sets up one of the main conflicts of the book--Angel and her mother grappling toward understanding. Galang writes beautifully about a young woman being involved in women led activism in the Philippines and the strong connection between the main character and her best friend as well as her grandmother. I learned a great deal about Filipino activism which sparked me to learn a lot more about the political climate (and the role of the US) which I greatly appreciated. I think that Galang successfully depicted the tension between a mother and her teenage daughter. I found it difficult to read the book at times because of Angel's stubbornness, hard hardheadedness, and refusal to share her emotions with anyone. That being said, those are all very real facets of being a misunderstood teenager. Galang decided to write Tagolog words and sentences within and alongside English which was a refreshing change to the sometimes exotification of non-English words. I thought this was a really interesting book that led me to research and a fair amount of critical thought but I often had a hard time really getting into it and was occasionally bored. I definitely recommend for those looking to learn more about Filipino experiences and a great non-white coming of age story.
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