3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Sky Sommers' Someone to Watch Over Me is a work of fiction with hints of mystery, science fiction, and romance. At the heart of the story is the Agency of Guardian Angels; an institution tasked with maintaining balance across the Universe's sixty-three known dimensions.
Gabriel is a guardian angel assigned to Grace, a girl with a target on her back. He should find out who wants to kill Grace and stop them. Victor is a former bad boy who's currently atoning for his sins by serving as an angel. He's simultaneously protecting two beings, Charlotte on Earth and Sally on Gaia, Earth's alternate dimension. Lanie is a recruit who's madly in love with Peter, a man from her former life.
The author weaves these plots to form a flowing narrative with fascinating twists. Mythical creatures like pixies and fairies are part of the story, and each has a distinct role according to the Agency's hierarchical structure. The author also provided glimpses into other dimensions. The most terrifying is Hel, a dark underworld where one's utmost fears materialize. She also uses multiple movie and music references. I found these useful as they emphasize points, evoke familiarity, and bring out the characters' emotions. The role of women in leadership was one unexpected theme. At the Agency, there's a reluctance to recruit female angels because women get too emotional.
Stomaching the book's leisurely pace required a lot of effort because I anticipated intense scenes. On that note, it didn't meet my expectations. The major setback I encountered is that at the beginning of the book, the author indicated that there would be illustrations within the text. To my dismay, I flipped the pages only to see captions with no pictures. The review copy I received might be the problem, and I hope this isn't widespread. I did spot some brow-raising scenes in the storyline, like angels using phones to communicate, even when at their headquarters. The author also mentioned that the Agency was understaffed, which made me fear for the fate of the Universe.
I, however, liked that the author included two possible endings to the book. A happily ever after for optimists and a happily never after for pessimists. These were a joy to compare and contrast. The book's chapters are also brief, with each one focusing on the on-goings of an individual's life. I found this useful on occasions when I needed to refer to specific sections. The text is also written in simple language, making it easy to read and suitable for anyone with an eighth-grade comprehension skill.
Since I spotted minor typos, mostly misspelled words, I'll award this book a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. I would recommend it to fans of magic and fans of romance. Due to its slow pace, I wouldn't recommend it to fans of action-packed thrillers.
******
Someone To Watch Over Me
View: on Bookshelves
Like Mercy Bolo's review? Post a comment saying so!
