Customer Reviews

Broken Angel: A Novel

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Fundamentalists run Appalachia with a strict interpretation of the Words. Reading is prohibited and anyone caught breaking this deadly sin is sent to hard labor at the factories or if blessed stoned to death. To those in charge, truth does not matter; confession whether by torture or drugs count. Few dare try to flee to "Outside", as being caught is worse than surviving.

Caitlyn has an unacceptable growth on her back that marks her. When she was six, Jordon her Papa had it secretly removed by an Outsider surgeon who happened to be working at the clinic; however, as that doctor warned Papa, it grew back. Now a young adult, Caitlyn is afraid as the Elders are coming for her and her beloved Papa because she is different and somehow they have found out about her. Papa orders Caitlyn to flee for the Outside; she weeps, but obeys knowing she will never see him in this life again. The Elders and others chase after the disfigured female; some want her dead while some see her as something else. With help from two traveling companions she met and an underground railroad, Caitlyn continues to elude her adversaries, but the enemies are growing in number and strength leaving her to wonder if Outside is safe.

The cast makes this a superb Christian suspense thriller as Caitlyn is a terrific lead player and the secondary and tertiary characters are fully drawn with many containing secret agendas. Fans will root for Caitlyn's run to freedom to be successful as Sigmund Brouwer makes a strong case that extremism especially religious is dangerous and anti-Christian; there is plenty of room for all people inside God's tent. Genre readers will place BROKEN ANGEL on their short list for best Christian suspense thriller of the year.

Harriet Klausner

A fascinating look at a future time with chilling possibilities. The story of Broken Angel centers around a daughter with a secret, even to her, and a father who gave up everything to keep it just that.

The government, a form of Big Brother, knows all, unless one is clever enough or daring enough to test that theory. Jordan is, and Caitlyn is left to pick up all the pieces, the trails and the horror of what has just been revealed to her and what might lie ahead.

Action-packed, well-written, full of moments of creepiness, this book is a lightning-fast read and hopefully book one of a series because I would really like to find out what happens after "The End." Broken Angel is my first Brouwer book but it won't be my last.

I have always enjoyed a good against evil escape story. Caitlyn was raised on the fringes of the hills of Appalachia which has been separated from the rest of the US as a nation of its own. The nation is dotted with closed off and controlled communities. Rules and horror stories keep people in line and a combination of technology and simplistic life style keep the people tightly controlled. Because Caitlyn is different, she has been protected by her father and kept at a safe distance from the communities. Because Caitlyn is different, she is not safe in Appalachia.

As the story opens, you know Caitlyn is being hunted, but you aren't exactly sure why. The reason why became apparent to me very quickly, but I think that may be because of the type of novels I have read in the past. The story doesn't center around the why as much as the chase. The reader is introduced to several characters who by circumstances will join Caitlyn on her journey. We are also introduced to some characters who are out to get Caitlyn and anyone who gets in the way.

What I liked was the very story idea. I do wish that the book went a little deeper into the nation of Appalachia and its leader as I found it very interesting. I also really enjoyed the characters that helped Caitlyn. I would love to go into detail, but I don't want to spoil a thing!

The story moved quickly. It was definitely a book I didn't want to put down. I began it before bed and finished it the following afternoon. It obviously left you with some unanswered question which is to be expected as it is the first in a series.

So the world has split between the religious fanatics and the non-religious science driven atheists. Separated by a large electrified wall and an even larger moral gap... there is no crossing between Appalachia and "the Outside." Those who live within the confines of the walls are told terrible tales about what goes on "Outside" and anyone who attempts to get there must pass through the land of "The Clan" a group who lives on the border and ascribes to neither side.

But within Appalachia resides Jordan and his daughter Caitlyn... originally from the "Outside" Jordan is hiding many secrets, even from his daughter whom he adores above all else. Caitlyn meanwhile suffers from a disfigurement of the body that no medicine can cure... and something about it has grabbed the attention of both the governments of the Outside and of Appalachia, and now they have sent a merciless group of bounty hunters after her. In a world where everyone is tracked, video cameras are on ever corner and even the horses are GPS monitored... where can she run, and why is it that they all seem to want her so badly?

Though "Broken Angel" takes place in a dystopian future, the focus is not really on that world so much as the relationship between Jordan and Caitlyn, and everyone else's reactions to them. I would have liked to have seen a broader picture of the world that Brouwer created, or more depth and info. Instead what we really have is an extended chase scene from beginning to end with some nice scenery and some interesting concepts that go whizzing by as we continue the chase. The themes and concepts of the book are very simple to pick out - the degeneration of the Church into a corrupt governing body, the thought that a true relationship with God requires no church, the effect of greed and power, the effect of mindless following of faith, Government fear tactics, the government limiting education to increase control... there are plenty more and they are all right out there in the open.

This book is a very simple and fast read... there are a few points of violence that may make some cringe, but as I'm a hardened horror fan they didn't faze me. I wanted to warn you of that since many are touting this as a Christian Adventure novel... which I can sort of see, but DO expect deaths, threats of torture, violence etc. I don't recall any profanity, and the concept of sex is only implied through conversations and looks. On the whole this is a fairly good book and I wouldn't mind reading more from the author.

Caitlyn is not your normal girl. But it is not your normal world. A future America divides itself according to religion or lack thereof. Appalachia is inhabited by fundamentalists whose leader will do anything to keep the Outside out and his people in. The dangerous Outside teems with tolerant sinners. And scientists. Those like escapee Jordan Brown, Caitlyn's father.

But he can't bear to tell Caitlyn all of his secrets. Not what happened before she was born, not why she is the way she is. He just wants to save her life, to give her a chance to be free. As free as she can be.

There are others who search for Caitlyn, not to save her but to capture her. They will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Can Jordan and Caitlyn make it safely back Outside before men bent on power capture them?

This dystopian tale is part sci-fi part mystery part suspense. The characters are so rich, you forget the pace of the book and just let it carry you along to its stunning conclusion. Caitlyn endears herself to the reader through her innocence, trusting nature, and frail strength. She is indeed the backbone of the story and one can't help both applauding and pitying her.

Themes of scientific research gone awry and severe extremes in religion can also be seen throughout the novel. It explores what may happen to people when these circumstances control their lives.

It has been a few years since I've read any of Brouwer's work, and I've decided that's too long. Out of the Shadows and Crown of Thorns were excellent mystery novels filled with cultural secrets and history. I'm glad Brouwer delves into the sci-fi realm here--and this isn't the end. Book two is coming. I will definitely be picking up that one as well.

A peculiar deformity makes Caitlyn both a pariah and teaches her the strength that status will require of her. After being abandoned by her father, for her own safety, she becomes a fugitive in a world where reading, especially the sacred word of the Bible, is forbidden. Those who violate this law face stoning and worse. Though she does not know why, Caitlyn is public enemy number one and finds herself on the run, searching for answers and for the way out of Appalachia, something few dare try to attain and fewer manage to accomplish. And, when she learns the truth, she will know her destiny.

*** You are immediately thrown into a strange and, for someone who is addicted to reading, terrifying world. A little more background information and explanation to set the scene would have been greatly appreciated. However, the fast pacing helps make up for that. Though not billed as inspirational horror, Mr. Brouwer has masterfully managed to equal Perretti in conveying fear and a sense of persecution in a spare amount of words. ***

Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews

Although there were some references to religion, I would not call this a religious book. It was a very good story.

This was an interesting story, but I did not enjoy the disgusting bounty hunter and his tortures. I think the book needed more of an ending. It left too many loose strings that I wanted answers for. It was a quick read.

The states are split. There is the Appalachia and Outside. After Caitlyn's mother died in child birth, her father took her into the Appalachia. There is something different about Caitlyn. She has reached puberty and her body is changing. Her father has to get her out of Appalachia to the Outside where people can help her. Someone is after her, wants to kill her, but there are those who are helping her escape. Will she make it? This reminds me of James Patterson's Angel Experiment. This is an exciting read and leaves you wanting more.

Sigmund Brouwer's "Broken Angel" is the story of Caitlyn, a very different young woman, who must escape the clutches of those who pursue her and make it to the Outside in order to survive. This story of extremely close knit culture was like a roller coaster ride.

Its mixture of futuristic and primitive images a la "Planet of the Apes" keeps the reader off-balance and constantly guessing where the next line of the book will lead. The sinister tone of the story makes you attentive, watching for any little detail that may give away the ending. I enjoyed the techniques employed by the author to keep the reader interested in the story. This included very short chapters and weaving back and forth between plot points in each chapter. With surprising and unpredictable characters, this novel does not disappoint. The song at the end of the book was also a nice touch.