Angels of Destruction [Hardcover]

Keith Donohue (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: Shaye Areheart (2009)
• ASIN: B001TIBFJ2
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,531,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Keith Donohue is the author of the novels CENTURIES OF JUNE, ANGELS OF DESTRUCTION, and THE STOLEN CHILD. He has worked in home construction, ran a cigar store, and the box office of a theater. For eight years, he wrote speeches for the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts and now works at another federal agency in Washington, DC and lives nearby in Maryland.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read between the lines, March 19, 2009

By 

Mistress Moon (Planet Earth) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Angels of Destruction: A Novel (Roughcut)

This book says much about the human condition, especially about the relationship between parent and child. The author paints so well in words the way we interact only on the surface, and fail to truly communicate our deepest hopes, loves, and fears. At moments, the book is heart-wrenching, not so much for what is said, but for what is unsaid. The characters are drawn so realistically, that when I was finished reading, I wanted to know what the future held for these people. The fantasy aspect to this book leaves much for one to question, but again, is that not part of the human condition?

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys the fantastic, the painful, the hopeful, and the thoughtful. It grabs you by the heart from page one and does not let go. For those that have read The Stolen Child, I found this book to be superior, especially in terms of character development.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strange, moving and beautiful..., March 19, 2009

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Miss T (Marina, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Angels of Destruction: A Novel (Roughcut)

In this second novel by a talented author, the story flows along so beautifully that the reader does not want to skip one syllable for fear of missing something wonderful. At times sad,yet with hope always underlying every chapter,the story was easy to love. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys something different and likes to be surprised by their books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, January 8, 2010

By 

Book Chick City (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Angels of Destruction: A Novel (Paperback)

When I first received this book to review, I read the synopsis and thought it was going to be about fantasy and magic, but what I got was so much more.

The story begins in 1985. One bitterly cold night, Margaret quinn, a widow, who lives alone and still mourns the loss of her child; a daughter, who ran away a decade earlier with the boy that she loved, opens the door to find Norah, a small bespectacled girl, frozen and shivering with a battered suitcase leaning against her legs. Margaret takes the girl in, but who is she and what is her purpose?

The second part of the book flashes back to 1975 and tells the story of Erica, Margaret's child, and Wiley, a boy who is obsessed with the Angels of Destruction, a group of radicals, and decides to join their revolution. It reveals how love is at times blind and how it can sweep you along with things you have no control over. Part three returns to 1985 and is about forgiveness and hope. The two parts preceding are now entwined and come together in conclusion.

This book is expertly written. There is fantasy and magic, but it's subtle and weaves its way through the story leading the reader to believe, without question. However, for me, the story was more about love and loss, grief and forgiveness. It is haunting and melancholy without sentimentality. The mystery behind Norah, Una and the man in the camel-haired coat is never really revealed, but the hint of angels influences us in who we believe them to be. The true essence of the story does have an ending, which is very moving.

This is not a quick read, but then I wouldn't want it to be. The story demands the pace to be slow to coincide with the sorrowful atmosphere.

I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

(I gave this 7/10 on my blog)