Friday, March 05, 2010

Angelic Friday: Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler


Angelic Friday is a new Meme started by me, that features books that explore the lives of angels, nephilims and fallen angels.

This week has been a very busy one for me. Basically because it's March and the semester is coming to an end. Professors are giving the last requirements and projects. Right now, my hands are full with a mini Spanish movie, a research paper about the instruction language in teaching European languages, an edited portfolio for my Creative Writing class and my Malikhaing Pagsulat class (this is Creative Writing in my native tongue - Filipino). It's raining school work!!

My good friend, former editor and fellow writer and poetess, Alexis, graciously made a review of Kissed by an Angel by Elizabeth Chandler! This is here review:

Book Description:

Ivy always believed in angels. When she meets Tristan, it's the love of a lifetime. When he dies, her heart is broken and her belief in angels vanishes. And without that belief, she is unable to feel Tristan's presence when he returns--as an angel. Now Ivy is in terrible danger, and Tristan is struggling to save her. How can he protect her if she's lost her faith in angels?



Her Thoughts:

Ivy was introduced as a believer of angels up until Tristan died in a car accident. Her conceptions about ethereal beings ceased as she was stricken by grief and faced with what she thought was for real—that death puts end to everything. Little did she know that the departed loved one returned as an angel, seemingly powerless to make her feel his presence. As the story progressed, Tristan mastered his angelic skills through the help of Lacey Lovitt. He was able to go to places, listen and observe the things that are happening at the time. Soon, he finds out that the car accident was no accident at all—that something or someone wants him dead…Or Ivy. Hence, he decided to stop at nothing to protect the only girl he’s ever loved, even if it concludes his mission and that he will have leave Ivy forever.

In Chandler’s literary work, the themes presented fundamental ideas and these were properly justified throughout the development of the story. She posed issues on trust through Ivy’s character. With Ivy describing how it should be gained and not asked, Chandler attempts to give an answer on why some people can’t be so trusting. However, the author did not want the readers to fully rely on Ivy’s apprehensions. Weeks after Tristan’s passing, Ivy’s temperament towards Gregory changed and I would say that it is a very powerful tool that Chandler used to mislead readers so that they play by the games of suspense.

Another theme which was laid before the readers was death as a constant menace and that one should try to maximize life to its fullest potential. Thinking that there’d still be tomorrow for them, Ivy permitted her hesitations to get in the way that she wasn’t able to tell the world how important Tristan was to her and all the chances that she had were swallowed by a one fateful incident.

The trilogy, in a way, echoes the notions of 1990’s movie, Ghost which starred Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze. The plot almost ran the same and the characters were parallel in some manner. Chandler’s series, however, made a diversion in such a way that it was relatively clean for a young adult angel story. She took a different approach and changed the way that only ghosts can come back to life and get involved with the affairs of the living.

It is an easy and enjoyable read. Despite of its third-person point-of-view, every page was definitely worth a turn. Is the literary work flawless? No, but you will have to accept it for what it is, exceptional and compelling.

Kissed by an Angel is a beatific romantic suspense trilogy written by Elizabeth Chandler embarking upon the lessons of love and trust. It recounts a story of passion that’s all-surpassing and all-enduring, challenging the frontiers of the living and the dead. It has established the fact that death doesn’t really put end to life or to love; to life: because there is an eternal home that awaits us when we leave this world; and to love, because the memories we had with the people we value, the sad and the happy ones live on and these are enough reminders for us to continue to exist.

Her Rating:
 

Thank you to Alexis for this wonderful review!

2 comments:

  1. I've seen this one around. And from your review, I think I'll be reading it soon! I 'm pretty sure it's available at my library, as I've seen it online. I wanted to borrow it before, but I don't think it's available in the library near my place. But ahh...I'll still read it :P Anyway, I can't help but see that you'r reading City of Bones! OMG YAY! It's such a great series. I've yet to read the third one - City of Glass. I'm SO EXCITED!

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  2. Yay!! I know! City of Bones is great! And I've read City of Ashes too! Cant wait for the final book!

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