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A review by mrskatiefitz
Revenge of the Angels by Jennifer Ziegler
3.0
In this sequel to Revenge of the Flower Girls, triplets Dawn, Darby, and Delaney Brewster are having a disappointing Christmas season. First, they are told by the woman in charge of their church Christmas pageant that because they are girls, they cannot play the roles of the three wise men and must instead play angels. Then their neighbors, The Neighbors, lose their prized Santa Claus candy dish to a thief. On top of that, the weather is bad in Boston, where their mom and sister Lily are visiting graduate schools, and it looks like they might be stranded there for the holiday. As the girls work to solve the mystery of the missing candy dish, and try to choose an appropriate gift for their mother, they also do their best not to lose hope that Christmas will still be a festive and magical day.
Like the first book, this story is also told by all three of the girls in alternating chapters. Though there are greater attempts in the text to differentiate the girls from each other - Dawn wants to be president of the United States, Delaney wants to be speaker of the house, and Darby wants to be chief justice, for example - their voices are still largely indistinguishable. Because their names are also so similar, it is very difficult to keep the three personalities straight, and without referring back to the start of each chapter, it can be hard to remember who is speaking.
The story itself is much more believable in this sequel. The girls' meddling in their sister's wedding seemed far-fetched and beyond their capabilities, but trying to solve a local mystery and fighting against perceived injustice in the church pageant's casting are much more likely activities for eleven-year-old girls. The girls' father also comes across as very sympathetic in this story, and both parents, though divorced from each other, are warm, caring people who get along amicably without a lot of dramatic fighting, which is a nice change of pace from the typical depiction of bitterly divorced parents.
This is a fun holiday-themed read. It's not as well-written as The Best Christmas Pageant Ever or as clever as The True Story of Christmas by Anne Fine, but it's still a great way to get into the holiday spirit over Christmas break. The girls' spirited personalities, strong vocabularies, and sharp intellects are delightful, and the lighthearted subject matter is perfect for a holiday escape. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.
Like the first book, this story is also told by all three of the girls in alternating chapters. Though there are greater attempts in the text to differentiate the girls from each other - Dawn wants to be president of the United States, Delaney wants to be speaker of the house, and Darby wants to be chief justice, for example - their voices are still largely indistinguishable. Because their names are also so similar, it is very difficult to keep the three personalities straight, and without referring back to the start of each chapter, it can be hard to remember who is speaking.
The story itself is much more believable in this sequel. The girls' meddling in their sister's wedding seemed far-fetched and beyond their capabilities, but trying to solve a local mystery and fighting against perceived injustice in the church pageant's casting are much more likely activities for eleven-year-old girls. The girls' father also comes across as very sympathetic in this story, and both parents, though divorced from each other, are warm, caring people who get along amicably without a lot of dramatic fighting, which is a nice change of pace from the typical depiction of bitterly divorced parents.
This is a fun holiday-themed read. It's not as well-written as The Best Christmas Pageant Ever or as clever as The True Story of Christmas by Anne Fine, but it's still a great way to get into the holiday spirit over Christmas break. The girls' spirited personalities, strong vocabularies, and sharp intellects are delightful, and the lighthearted subject matter is perfect for a holiday escape. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.