Scan barcode
A review by daylafm
No Angel by Helen Keeble
4.0
Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
No Angel by Helen Keeble is a young adult paranormal novel that is surprisingly funny and entertaining. Not only does Keeble somewhat mock the theme of angels in today’s literature, but she also takes various jabs at the idea of the beautiful female love interest looking for “Mr. Right,” and love at first sight. The level of satire in this novel is not so overstated that it made me roll my eyes, which was nice because though Keeble’s attempts were obvious, they were entertaining. Funny, fast paced, and pretty original, No Angel is an interesting read.
Rafael Angelos, the protagonist, is a walking example of the satire introduced in Keeble’s novel. Not only is he hot, a chick magnet, and “the chosen one” (No spoiler, I swear—it’s pretty obvious,) but his name pretty much makes you zero in on the fact that he’s not from this world. I like to think that names are a pretty important part of a storyline, since they can say so much about a character and the story itself, so kudos to Keeble for choosing such a well-known religious name.
Keeping that in mind, I’m also a huge fan of authors who use character traits as a way of showing just how ridiculous certain themes can be. For example, the female lead in Keeble’s novel is self-centered and a bit narcissistic—she basically states that without her, the school will burn. Can you say Hero Complex? How many times have we read about female leads who think their lives are so complicated because the world’s fate depends on them? Keeble is basically showing us such an exaggerated version of this popular character archetype so we can see just how ridiculous the concept is.
The idea that Rafael is the only guy at an all-girl school immediately shows me that he is going to play a pivotal role in the storyline. Keeble takes the extreme of what some of us have always wondered (come on, I can’t be the only one,) and goes with it by showing us how someone’s fantasy can go horribly wrong. Just imagine, a drop of water in an ocean of dry sand, basically. Add on the fact that these girls are not only beautiful, but deprived of male attention, and you have the ingredients for a hilarious situation.
I haven’t read anything by Keeble before, but reading this one inspired me to read her other work (which is on my very long to-read list.) The dialogue is hilarious, and some of the characters are so overdramatic in their roles that they are beyond entertaining. What I found the most intriguing though is the idea of love and anything romantic as a means to an end. Rather than being the reason for the two main characters to meet, romance is seen as a curse in this novel, since there is so much pressure behind it. The pressure to perform adds on to the irony of the situation, making it even more comedic.
No Angel is a fast-paced novel that will have the reader giggling at the dark humour and the over-exaggeration of some of the characters. Not only does No Angel have a double-entendre title, but it is also an intelligent and original story in its portrayal of what we associate with a paranormal romance novel. I recommend this one to readers who enjoy satire in young adult literature, and anyone who just wants a good laugh.
I received a copy via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
No Angel by Helen Keeble is a young adult paranormal novel that is surprisingly funny and entertaining. Not only does Keeble somewhat mock the theme of angels in today’s literature, but she also takes various jabs at the idea of the beautiful female love interest looking for “Mr. Right,” and love at first sight. The level of satire in this novel is not so overstated that it made me roll my eyes, which was nice because though Keeble’s attempts were obvious, they were entertaining. Funny, fast paced, and pretty original, No Angel is an interesting read.
Rafael Angelos, the protagonist, is a walking example of the satire introduced in Keeble’s novel. Not only is he hot, a chick magnet, and “the chosen one” (No spoiler, I swear—it’s pretty obvious,) but his name pretty much makes you zero in on the fact that he’s not from this world. I like to think that names are a pretty important part of a storyline, since they can say so much about a character and the story itself, so kudos to Keeble for choosing such a well-known religious name.
Keeping that in mind, I’m also a huge fan of authors who use character traits as a way of showing just how ridiculous certain themes can be. For example, the female lead in Keeble’s novel is self-centered and a bit narcissistic—she basically states that without her, the school will burn. Can you say Hero Complex? How many times have we read about female leads who think their lives are so complicated because the world’s fate depends on them? Keeble is basically showing us such an exaggerated version of this popular character archetype so we can see just how ridiculous the concept is.
The idea that Rafael is the only guy at an all-girl school immediately shows me that he is going to play a pivotal role in the storyline. Keeble takes the extreme of what some of us have always wondered (come on, I can’t be the only one,) and goes with it by showing us how someone’s fantasy can go horribly wrong. Just imagine, a drop of water in an ocean of dry sand, basically. Add on the fact that these girls are not only beautiful, but deprived of male attention, and you have the ingredients for a hilarious situation.
I haven’t read anything by Keeble before, but reading this one inspired me to read her other work (which is on my very long to-read list.) The dialogue is hilarious, and some of the characters are so overdramatic in their roles that they are beyond entertaining. What I found the most intriguing though is the idea of love and anything romantic as a means to an end. Rather than being the reason for the two main characters to meet, romance is seen as a curse in this novel, since there is so much pressure behind it. The pressure to perform adds on to the irony of the situation, making it even more comedic.
No Angel is a fast-paced novel that will have the reader giggling at the dark humour and the over-exaggeration of some of the characters. Not only does No Angel have a double-entendre title, but it is also an intelligent and original story in its portrayal of what we associate with a paranormal romance novel. I recommend this one to readers who enjoy satire in young adult literature, and anyone who just wants a good laugh.