Rebel Angels

Rebel Angels

By: Libba Bray

Ah, Christmas! Gemma Doyle is looking forward to a holiday from Spence Academy, spending time with her friends in the city, attending ritzy balls, and on a somber note, tending to her ailing father. As she prepares to ring in the New Year, 1896, a handsome young man, Lord Denby, has set his sights on Gemma, or so it seems. Yet amidst the distractions of London, Gemma’s visions intensify–visions of three girls dressed in white, to whom something horrific has happened, something only the realms can explain... the lure is strong, and before long, Gemma, Felicity, and Ann are turning flowers into butterflies in the enchanted world of the realms that Gemma alone can bring them to. To the girls’ great joy, their beloved Pippa is there as well, eager to complete their circle of friendship. But all is not well in the realms–or out.

I loved the first book, and hoped that I'd love this one just as much. Unfortunately, I didn't, for a load of reasons. It was still a solid read, but I was expecting more so it felt like less.

My main issue with this book was the pacing and the plot. There were so many repetitive sections and sections that felt pointless and superfluous. Gemma never actually figured things out, she just worried about whether or not she would be able to piece together the information she needed. It felt like there was never any progress. Gemma did the same things over and over again and just kept expecting change.

The characters were just as well-written as in the first one, but I found that most of the time I didn't care about them nearly as much. Though I did love hearing more about Felicity's past and her family, which sort of broke my heart. Other than that moment (and a handful more), I didn't feel anything about what was happening to the characters.

Another problem I had, was the plot twist. I figured it out pretty soon into the book, then I had to wait the entire rest of the book for everyone else to figure it out, which was really annoying. All in all, it was a pretty decent plot twist, and if I hadn't known what it was way too soon, I would have loved it.

I don't love Kartik as much as I always feel like I'm supposed to. He's too boring and predictable, I guess. I feel like I know how their relationship is going to go before its gone that way. It doesn't help that Gemma is the kind of naïve that frustrates me in books, because its the kind of naïve that makes no sense for her character.

The writing was okay, as well, but I didn't fall in love with the words like I did in the first book. I didn't feel a connection with the language of these girls' lives.

This is a pretty harsh review, but I have to be honest. This book disappointed me because I expected more from it. That's just how things go sometimes. I'm still going to read The Sweet Far Thing eventually and hope that it impresses me more.