Angel in My Pocket Review

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Title: Angel in My Pocket
Author: Ilene Cooper
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: March 15, 2011
Genre: MG, Contemporary
Pages: 288
Source: Publisher

When Bette finds an angel coin among the money collected in a carwash, she puts it in her pocket and forgets about it. But things start to change, especially once Gabby, a mysterious and kind new neighbor, moves into Bette’s Chicago building.

Suddenly, Bette is able to face some big losses—her mother’s recent death; her sister’s departure for college—and move forward. And once the angel coin falls into the hands of three other kids in Bette’s class, their lives change, too. Soon, these two girls and two boys will be connected in ways that open them up to unlikely friendships and new ways to believe in themselves. Here is an entirely new twist on the angel trend.
Bette is lost. Since her mother’s death, she’s lost her will to sing, and she feels like she’s in a long tunnel in the dark with no true way out. Then one day, Bette remembers the unique coin she once found with an angel on it, and she sees a little light in her life again. Things begin to turn around and her life starts getting back on track. Then, we meet Joe, an angry classmate who steals her coin, and his luck begins to change, too. The cycle continues and it becomes apparent that the coin is connecting them in some sweet, magical way, and they’re finding their way back to their futures.

I don’t read too many middle-grade novels because the voices are usually too plain or too dumbed down at my age. However, when I read the premise of Angel in My Pocket, I was intrigued by the sweet and simplistic nature of the story. Ilene Cooper has created the perfect MG voice in Bette and presented four great characters that are honest and heartfelt throughout the story. Enriched with an overall theme of finding oneself, believing in the power to change and the possibility of luck, magic and friendship, Angel in My Pocket is a light, sweet and gentle but powerful read.

What really resonated with Angel in My Pocket was the undercurrent of morals and consistent, steady theme of inner strength. Bette, though a bit younger than most of the characters I read, was a great MC with a fully developed voice and story line. She had me rooting for her throughout. Even Joe, snide and unhappy, had me cheering him on. Gabby, Bette’s kind neighbor, was also powerful, and added depth and intrigue to the story. I don’t feel like I got to know Vivi or Andy, the fraternal twins, as well as the other characters, but I’m sure they’ll still resonate for other readers. I do believe it’s a strong, character and theme-driven book, as they fuel the plot.

All in all, Angel in My Pocket is a bright and positive read for all ages – even those who don’t normally read middle grade fiction. I give it a strong 4 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of lower YA or Middle Grade fiction, especially those who enjoy contemporary fiction with strong morals and themes.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

25 comments:

  1. I don't usually read MG but I might read this book. It sounds like such a sweet story with a good message. Thanks for the review, Melissa.

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  2. Even though I am a middle school teacher I often find many of the books written for this age group written mainly for the 6th grade and below, which aggravates me because 7th and 8th grade readers are much more mature. This sounds like a book worth checking out since the character and themes are strong. Thanks for the review.

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  3. I usually don't read MG either, but this one sounds really good! Great review!

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  4. Like the other commentors I am not a fan of MG fiction either. But this does sound like a sweet yet heartfelt story and I like that it has strong morals. Another wonderful review :)

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  5. I think this would be a story I would enjoy. I am not going out to buy it, but still :)

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  6. Light sweet and gentle yet powerful - a very enticing description! Thanks for your review!

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  7. I don't read many MG novels, but when I do I am always surprised by their strength in charcters and plot. This novels sounds like one I could really like.It's exciting to read how the faith of different characters is suddenly interwoven.
    Thanks for your review, good job!

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  8. It's really sad that every time I see a book set in Chicago, I want to read it no matter what. I'm not usually a huge MG fan but this one sounds good enough to give a shot - great review!

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  9. This sounds really interesting. I agree that it's hard to get MG right. It either sounds too immature or too condescending. I like the theme of inner strength and that the characters are well developed.

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  10. Wow. This sounds really good. I love a book with strong morals. Great review.

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  11. This book looks really cute. I don't usually read MG but my little sisters do and they might like this:) Thanks for the review Melissa!
    -Danna

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  12. I don't really read much of Middle Grade books. But this one sounds beautiful. The story is special in its own way. Great Review Melissa! :D Thanks!

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  13. This one definitely sounds sweet. I'll have to buy it for my library this month. Thanks for the review, otherwise I never would have heard about it!

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  14. It sounds pretty sweet/cute... definitely a good one to read if you're looking for something uplifting. Nice review. =)

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  15. Melissa-

    This one sounds, in message like the one I reviewed on my site, Kevin's Point of View. They have a little more substance to them rather than just entertainment factor than some we've read lately. I like that.

    Good review! I'm glad to see a little more MG out there. I don't think there's enough and that's were we lose kids, especially boys sometimes.

    Heather

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  16. This sounds like a good story. Hm... I might have to pick it up and pass it on to some of my cousins. Thanks for the review!

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  17. I have no idea how you read so fast! You have to tell me your secret ;)

    This is a book I haven't heard of but sounds really good so I will be looking into it later. Thanks for the great review, Melissa!

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  18. What a cute cover and a cute review! I think this would be great for my MS reader...thanks for the heads up..:)

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  19. I don't read too many MGs but the premise of this sounds so sweet. I'll be recommending this one to my cousin.

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  20. Sounds like a sweet book. Love the darling cover. I hope my library gets this one. I don't read too many MG either, but I'd like to read this one! Awesome!

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  21. This sounds like a very sweet, uplifting read. I'm a fan of MG books, but normally I read more MG fantasy than anything else, but I'll have to consider this one the next time I'm looking for an MG book. Great review, Melissa!

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  22. This book sounds charming. I love the title! Thanks for the great review!

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  23. awesome review, melissa! i like to read mg every once in awhile when i want a really sweet story.

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  24. I haven't heard too much about this one, so I'm happy to hear that it's a cute read. I only read MG occasionally, but I think I’ll have to make an expectation for this one. Thanks for the great review!

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  25. I usually don't read MG either, but this sounds sweet!

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