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persefonitas's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting narration - I didn't really think about it during my reading, but I've seen some reviews on how Robin reminds people of Carrie White, which is fun to think about.
I'm a sucker for romance/horror and I very much appreciate the religious inputs.
I feel like this had the potential to be great, if it had been longer. There are so many interesting aspects to it, I wanted to read more on the case, more on Robin's backstory and, most of all, more on the characters. It had the potential to be great, but unfortunately it was just ok.
Also what was that ending? The dialogue made me go "oh, no" so many times.
I'm a sucker for romance/horror and I very much appreciate the religious inputs.
I feel like this had the potential to be great, if it had been longer. There are so many interesting aspects to it, I wanted to read more on the case, more on Robin's backstory and, most of all, more on the characters. It had the potential to be great, but unfortunately it was just ok.
Also what was that ending? The dialogue made me go "oh, no" so many times.
cheye13's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
This is precisely what you would expect it to be. It's a gross, gory romp; long enough to get all the graphic details, too short to have an impact. Perfect for horror movie fans.
I very likely would've gotten more out of it had I seen more classic horror movies ...but I don't like horror movies. I'm still feeling out horror literature, but I'd lump this in with films. In fact, I think it'd make a better film. The story gains nothing from being a book, and the visuals sometimes trip over vocabulary. There's no character insight or plot development that we can't get through visuals or dialogue. When a character is angry or scared or injured, we don't feel it with them – we just see what it looks like. There's the story on the page and nothing more.
It's written quite well. The gross scenes are revolting, the tense scenes are breathtaking, the death scenes are upsetting. The saving grace for my reading was the romance sideplot. It's not gaudy or overwritten or shoehorned, and offers a safe landing place amid constant tension. I'm always frustrated when characters have to face hard things completely alone, and the romance angle provided a nice vehicle/tool for the overall character arc.
There's nothing wrong with this book. It is exactly what it claims to be.
I very likely would've gotten more out of it had I seen more classic horror movies ...but I don't like horror movies. I'm still feeling out horror literature, but I'd lump this in with films. In fact, I think it'd make a better film. The story gains nothing from being a book, and the visuals sometimes trip over vocabulary. There's no character insight or plot development that we can't get through visuals or dialogue. When a character is angry or scared or injured, we don't feel it with them – we just see what it looks like. There's the story on the page and nothing more.
It's written quite well. The gross scenes are revolting, the tense scenes are breathtaking, the death scenes are upsetting. The saving grace for my reading was the romance sideplot. It's not gaudy or overwritten or shoehorned, and offers a safe landing place amid constant tension. I'm always frustrated when characters have to face hard things completely alone, and the romance angle provided a nice vehicle/tool for the overall character arc.
There's nothing wrong with this book. It is exactly what it claims to be.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Bullying, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Gore, Fatphobia, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Gun violence, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, and Ableism
Minor: Racial slurs, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Car accident, and Sexual assault
the fatphobia is aggressive, thorough, and offensive. Mentally ill characters are included with intention, but executed poorly. The sexual harassment (groping) is on-page, and the more explicit assault instances are references to the past. General warning for Catholicism – the main character has a very positive experience with the church, but the story does begin to approach the common systemic issues, including but not limited to misogyny, abortion, and conspiracy.wellwortharead's review against another edition
4.0
Murders in the group home have forced out the last few children for "safe keeping" to separate foster homes. Robin is sent to live with a creepy family where the mom seems to hate her, the obese and repulsive father is a groper, and one brother apparently worships the devil and is an all around scumbag. Robin is alone and miserable except for the only member of this odd family who seems normal, a boy named Dennis who she grows to trust and confide in. As the murders continue and the police seem to have no leads it may be up to Robin to unravel the mystery and put an end to the killings, if she can survive! This was a quick and creepy read, that held my attention and had me rooting for Robin to find a happy home. I would recommend it to young adult horror fans.
I received an advance copy for review.
I received an advance copy for review.
lilyn_g's review
2.0
Angel of the Underground is a novella filled with murder, sexual harassment, the exploration of religious beliefs, and crazy people. Normally, these are all things that would put me immediately into my happy spot, and by rights I should have enjoyed this book immensely.
Out of the handful of characters we're introduced to in the story, only three of them don't make you want to smack them within minutes. The lack of likable characters isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when the main character is one you want to smack, there's starts to be an issue.
The primary reason I didn't like Angel of the Underground was that it felt too incoherent. The actual basic plot was clear enough, but it felt like the author just included everything he thought would be distasteful and/or representative of evil and using them as a substitute for atmosphere and tension.
However, the author does a good job of moving things a long at a brisk pace, the descriptions are clear cut, and he brings the story to a satisfying conclusion. The artwork included is fun as well.
Overall, it's just not for me.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
Out of the handful of characters we're introduced to in the story, only three of them don't make you want to smack them within minutes. The lack of likable characters isn't necessarily a bad thing, but when the main character is one you want to smack, there's starts to be an issue.
The primary reason I didn't like Angel of the Underground was that it felt too incoherent. The actual basic plot was clear enough, but it felt like the author just included everything he thought would be distasteful and/or representative of evil and using them as a substitute for atmosphere and tension.
However, the author does a good job of moving things a long at a brisk pace, the descriptions are clear cut, and he brings the story to a satisfying conclusion. The artwork included is fun as well.
Overall, it's just not for me.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss for review consideration.
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