Monday, March 12, 2012

Musings on Strange Angels by Lili St.Crow

Title: Strange Angels
Author: Lili St.Crow
Narrator:Alyssa Bresnahan
Publisher: Razorbill (May 24, 2009)
Recorded Books (October 26, 2009)
Series: Strange Angels #1
Source: Amazon/Audible
Length:  304 pgs./ 11 hrs.

Description from Amazon:

Dru Anderson is a very special girl - even if she doesn't always feel it. Gifted with "the touch", Dru travels about with her dad, hunting all manner of things that go bump in the night. But then her dad turns up dead - or, er, undead - and everything changes.

My Musings on the Book v. the Audiobook:

     This is more of a musing on my differing opinions of the book and the audiobook rather than an actual book review. I first read Strange Angels a couple of years ago and absolutely loved it. I went on to tell all my friends how awesome it was and to eagerly await the release of the next books. The final book in the series came out not too long ago and it had been a while since I finished the one before it. To refresh my memory I was going to start the series over. I was pleasantly surprised to find the series on Audible. I could listen to one of my favorite series and work at the same time.
     When I first read Strange Angels I instantly fell in love with Dru, Graves and Christoffe. They quickly became my guilty character obsessions. I found their world and the lore behind it engrossing. Strange Angels was one of the few book in YA that I had read that had a bit of an edge to it at the time. That said, if I hadn't bought the audiobook and listened to I probably would have given this book a 4 to 4 1/2 STAR rating. I loved it that much.
     Some books I can reread/listen to over and over again and find that they are still just as good if not better than the first time I read them. Strange Angels just didn't hold true in it's audiobook form for me. It wasn't just because it  is on audiobook or that the narrator isn't one of my favorites. I've listened to Vampire Academy, Tithe, and Wicked Lovely some of my most favorite series and found nothing wrong with them. While listening to this audiobook the main character Dru started to quickly go down and down in my opinion. One of the things that I noticed more in the audiobook than I did in the written book was her cursing, especially the use of God D%#n. I'm the first to admit that I have a potty mouth sometimes, but this isn't a particular curse that I use. To each their own though. The thing is that it is used excessively. I would almost say its Dru's catch phrase.
     Graves is a unique character not only to this book, but to the genre in particular. There aren't many Asian characters that I have came across in my reading. I really enjoyed the fact that he was. Dru on the other hand seems to wallow in the fact that he is. It's almost as if she is constantly thinking Oh, there's my half Asian friend. He's such a good guy. She can't go one or two chapters without expounding on the fact that he is her half Asian friend or commenting  on his half Asian looks. Lastly while listening to the audiobook I came to the conclusion that Strange Angels really doesn't go anywhere. It's just a build up to the second book.This really could have been a prequel or combined with the second book. The end showdown with the "big bad" of the book was over in the blink of an eye.
     I know that I have complained and complained in this post. I don't hate Strange Angels I still like it a lot. Its just that I am amazed about the differences I noticed in my interpretation of the audiobook and the print book. I noticed different things in each. This has never happened to me before. I bought the second book on audio this week and will start listening to it when I go back to work. I have to know if it was just Strange Angels or the whole series that I have changed my mind about. None of the things above are huge deals, but they are annoyances. If you asked my to rate Strange Angels only having listened to the audiobook I would give it a 3 STAR rating.

    



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