Broken Angel

Broken Angel and its sequel Flight of Shadows: A Novel take place in an alternative future...or maybe not-so-alternative. It's obvious that the author wrote this story as a cautionary tale, a warning of the possiblities awaiting our country if we don't change our path. The story is great and stands on its own, though.

Caitlyn and her father, Jordan, have been living in Appalachia, which is now an oppressive country bordered by fences and thrown back into the dark ages by a dictator who refuses his subjects the right to read or to enjoy any privacy. Jordan Brown chose to live there 16 years ago because a life "Outside" was impossible with the authorities looking for him. But, now it is safer for Caitlyn to be Outside and Jordan will show more sacrifice anything to help her get there.

This is an emotional and suspenseful book. Jordan and Caitlyn are pursued by Appalachia's most feared bounty hunter, as well as a federal agent from Outside. Local police are soon involved and no one can be trusted. Yet, Caitlyn is forced to trust her new travelling companions, while we learn that things are not always what they seem.

I received Flight of Shadows as part of a review program without realizing that it is a sequel. I did realize it before I started it, though, and got Broken Angel from the library. I'm really glad I did. Not only is it a fabulous book, but the two books really should be read together. There is an ending in Broken Angel, but the story is not complete, and if you only read Flight of Shadows, you'll be missing important information. I suppose the second book could stand alone, but I wouldn't recommend it. I really don't think it would be as enjoyable.

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This is an edgy tale set in the post-apocalyptic U.S. which has been divided into two political units: the totalitarian theocracy of Appalachia where the cowed citizens labor under an odd blend of “big brother” high tech and Amish-style horse and buggy simplicity, and Outside, the atheistic, decadent world beyond the fence where embryonic tinkering produces God-knows-what kinds of quasi-humans. Brouwer masterfully reveals all of this to us one tantalizing bit of information at a time. The plot follows 17-year-old Caitlin, a self-described “freak” as she attempts to evade the Appalachian authorities to get to Outside while struggling with feelings of having been betrayed by her father. I found the ending somewhat unsatisfying and show more I was annoyed by Brouwer’s (wink-wink) allusion to supposed similarities between Appalachia’s leadership and politically conservative evangelicals of our day. That said, it’s still a worthwhile read from a master.

From my blog at http://signsoflifebooks.com/blog/2008/06/adrenalin-abuse/ show less

Christian dystopia is hard to come by, and BROKEN ANGEL has to be the most intriguing storyworld I've discovered in this genre so far. A portion of the United States has seceded to form Appalachia, an autonomous nation that has banned reading and books, especially the Bible, but in which a church of legalistic extremism serves as the primary government. This government regulates every conversation and every destination (in fact, civilians ride GPS-tagged horses; no cars allowed). Infractions like getting caught without your personal tracking device are punishable by factory work. Infractions like helping the underground railroad called the Clan transport people to freedom are punishable by stoning.

What makes this world even more show more intriguing is that Outside, as Appalachians call the rest of the US, clearly has its own issues. Cars are allowed; so is unlimited abortion. Freedom is available; so are genetic experiments and farmed replacement organs. In Appalachia, love and grace have been crushed from Christianity; outside it, morality has turned into a free-for-all.

In this world, we meet Caitlyn, a young woman (no idea how old she is, argh) who is fleeing Appalachia at the directive of her father, Jordan. She doesn't know why she was born with a hunchback and other physical oddities. She doesn't know why a sociopath bounty hunter is chasing her on behalf of Appalachia, why an agent called Pierce is doing the same on behalf of Outside. All she knows is that trusting anyone--including possibly her father--has become dangerous.

The prose isn't beautiful, but it's grammatical and mostly clean, with a tell-all style common to thrillers. I prefer a little wordsmithery, but I still could have given this book 4 stars, if only the characters had drawn me in as well as the storyworld did. I found myself curious about several of the cast and wanted to be curious about several more (including the protagonist), but I never got to the point of emotional investment. The author writes in limited omniscient point of view, letting us glimpse characters' thoughts but never diving all the way into their senses and emotions.

I'm also left wondering why on earth the novel is so short. The plot (mostly a manhunt) is simple enough for this length (less than 250 pages in ARC format), but the characters could have been fleshed out more deeply, and the storyworld is so complex, with so much potential for deeper immersion. Add a hundred pages of nuance and I might have fallen in love with this book, thriller style and all. Because the storyworld is just that good.

For me, as an explorer of dystopia, this was definitely worth the read. I'm hoping for more layers--storyworld, character, and plot--in the next book. show less

Broken Angel paints a frighteningly real picture of a fictional but all-too-possible future. An oppressive and dictatorial nation called Appalachia, formed from a broken United States, is a world where the government tolerates no secrets and affords little privacy to have them.

In this tyrannical society, Caitlyn is more special than even she knows, and her uniqueness creates grave dangers for the innocent young woman; Jordan is her adoring father who, despite his secret and shameful past, is now prepared to sacrifice everything including his life to protect his child. On their trail is a cruel and ruthless bounty hunter who’s determined to capture the girl – and take more than just her life.

Alone and seemingly abandoned by the one show more person she trusts, Caitlyn must accept help from strangers: a near-blind escapee from one of Appalachia’s many forced-labor factories, and a big man with a kind heart and a slow brain. Together, the little group makes its way through the treacherous Appalachian countryside, enroute to the Outside. There, Caitlyn can be freed from the mysterious thing that makes her different. But reaching and crossing that border may cost the girl everything she’s ever held dear.

Sigmund Broewer’s novel is riveting and fast-paced – there’s no time to breathe and no relief from the tension. It delivers mystery, tragedy, uncertainty … and unexpected moments of humor and joy that make all the rest of it bearable. Broken Angel will draw you in and hold you in its spell long after you’ve read the last page.

Amazing detail, gripping storyline, and unbelievable writing. show less

Like the last Early Reviewer I received, this one could be classified 'Christian Fiction'. Unlike the last one I received, this one could also be read by anyone who enjoys a good story!

Broken Angel takes place in the near future. Fundamentalist Christians have banded together and seceded from the Union, forming their own country 'Appalachia'. They have a large electric fence surrounding their country, both keeping the Outside out and their people in. Border's are strictly controlled by Bar Elohim and his 'Elders'. Appalachia is an intriguing mix of old and new. Cars have been outlawed, except for official purposes. People move around on horseback or on foot. At the same time, everyone is required to have a registered 'vidpod' (it seems show more to be like a scarier version of the iPhone) on them at all time. This way they can be tracked and recorded. Being found without your vidpod is grounds for arrest. Reading is grounds for stoning.

It is to this new country that Jacob flees with daughter Caitlyn shortly after her birth. He has a secret he can never tell her regarding the circumstances of her birth. He knows as she matures, changes other than the typical will occur and it will be impossible to hide any longer. As Caitlyn reaches the cusp of woman hood, he is discovered and they go on the run, chased by Bar Elohim's bounty hunters. After 3 days, he hands her a letter and some instructions and sends her to find her way to the Outside while he attempts to distract the dogs from her true trail.

Broken Angel is full of twists and turns as Caitlyn moves through her heroes journey. People who seem like the 'bad guys' become good and vice versas. As I read, my allegiances were constantly shifting, though they never left Caitlyn. I was so taken in, that I finished it in just a few hours. The dialogue was readable, the action believable and premise fascinating.

Beyond just be a great read, I was left thinking about Theocracy, Fundamental Christianity and freedom of choice. It's my constant intention to avoid spoilers in my reviews, so I will end by saying that the people most likely to enjoy this book are Evangelicals or 'Mainstream' Christians with leftist leanings like myself, though, I'd truly recommend this to anyone who enjoys a little meat with their thrillers. show less

This book grabbed my attention from the very first page. Brouwer says just enough in the opening narrative to ensure the reader wants to know not only what happens, but what is going on as well. In fact, you don't discover what exactly is happening until the end of the book, which was the only frustrating thing about it. I would have preferred a little more exposition along the way, but when I discovered there is a sequel in the works, I understood more of the author's reasoning behind not revealing as much as he did.

The book unfolds within a setting in which there has been a major upheaval in the United States resulting in a smaller country ruled by religious extremists in the Appalachain Mountains tensely co-existing alongside a show more larger country where science (absent any religious or moral influence) reigns supreme. The main heroine is a young girl who within her oncoming age of puberty must also delve into her own mysterious past which has her inexplicably tied to both places.

At its core, the book critically examines the dangers inherent in worldviews that exist in the extremist range of ideas. Simultaneously taking on religion and science, it explores what happens when the two sides totally dismiss the worth and contributions of the other and trry to create an environment in which their particular way is the one and only answer to all things. show less

I really enjoyed this book. Appalachia has become a religious city-state with limited access to "Outside". Caitlyn is different, and different isn't tolerated in Appalachia. She and her father are trying to escape. In addition to the exciting escape story, Brouwer uses his story to comment on what can happen to a society that loses all its dissidents, either by tossing them out or by them leaving voluntarily. Both Appalachia and Outside are impacted by this loss, in surprisingly similar ways.

A sequel is planned, but this can be read as a stand-alone. I'll be looking for the sequel though. I want to learn more about Caitlyn, Appalachia, and Outside.