Title: Angel of the Underground | Author: David Andreas | Publisher: Kaylie Jones Books | Pub. Date: 2018-1-2 | Pages: 160 | ISBN13: 9781617756351 | Genre: Horror | Language: English | Triggers: Child Death | Rating: 2 out of 5 | Source: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration.
Angel of the Underground
“David Andreas was a super-talented contributor to Fangoria during its glory gory days. His fiction debut bodes well for readers of unique and scary horror.”
–Tony Timpone, former editor, Fangoria magazine
When three children in a Catholic group home are brutally murdered, the survivors are hurried into separate foster homes across Long Island. Robin Hills, a fifteen-year-old who has spent the past several years under religious care, is thrust into a new, dysfunctional family with no spiritual beliefs. No longer protected by the religion and the nun she had come to love, Robin is completely alone and enveloped in fear.
As the murders continue and Robin fears she may become the next victim, her faith increasingly falters. However, she finds solace in a budding friendship with Dennis, a boy her age living in her new foster home. Dennis’s kindness, his acceptance of Robin, and his bravery in the face of evil–born of his passion for horror movies–combine to reassure her that she’ll survive the killings.
Armed with this new friendship and fueled by a rage she finally discovers within herself, Robin finds the courage and self-reliance to confront the darkest aspects of human depravity.
Angel of the Underground Review
Angel of the Underground is a novella filled with murder, sexual harassment, the exploration of religious beliefs, and crazy people. Normally, these are all things that would put me immediately into my happy spot, and by rights I should have enjoyed this book immensely. However, that was decidedly not the case.
Out of the handful of characters we’re introduced to in the story, only three of them don’t make you want to smack them within minutes. The lack of likable characters isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when the main character is one you want to smack, there starts to be an issue. I really wish I had been able to like her more than I did. I think partially it is my intolerance for the naivete that she exhibited that
The primary reason I didn’t like Angel of the Underground was that it felt too incoherent. The actual basic plot was clear enough, but it felt like the author just included everything he thought would be distasteful and/or representative of evil and using them as a substitute for atmosphere and tension. It quickly grew old and I lost hope that the book would pull together into something that I would enjoy.
However, the author does a good job of moving things a long at a brisk pace, the descriptions are clear cut, and he brings the story to a satisfying conclusion. The artwork included in Angel of the Underground is fun as well.
Overall, it’s just not for me, but your experience may vary.
Buy Link: Amazon
Lilyn G is the founder of Sci-Fi & Scary, and leader of the Coolthulhu Crew. She does book and film reviews for both genres the site focuses on. Her tastes run towards creature features, hard science fiction, and lots and lots of action. She also has a soft spot for middle-grade fiction that rears its head frequently.
Though no longer involved with Ladies of Horror Fiction due to other responsibilities and a too-full plate, she was one of the original 4 co-founders.
Feel free to chat her up on Twitter as long as you aren’t hitting her up to review your book.
