I was drawn into the story by the unique and sometimes irreverent voice of Riley. I am a sucker for good 1st person pov with spunk (think The False Prince or To Kill a Mockingbird). I am not usually interested in the whole angel scene, but this one had such a charming voice that I just kept saying 2 more pages and then I will quit. That lasted until I finished the book.
One of the things I loved about this book was that faith wasn't presented as the plague. There was a smarmy pastor oozing fakeness and snake oil salesmantitus, but there was also a Catholic priest who was genuine and likable. So many times a story paints any glimmer of faith as an anathema. Of course, when you have angels coming down to abduct members of your small community that is not the time to be doubting.
The characters were believable, funny and had their own set of flaws. I did feel that Gabe's language and outlook on life would have been significantly different than what it was. The '50s were a completely different time. The Cold War was reigning, the Civil Rights movements hadn't happened, and neither had the liberating '60s. I think we underestimate just how much change happened in twenty years and how that has shaped who we are as a society. I would have liked to see him struggle with living in a strange environment.
This book was creative, funny and engaging, and I will definitely be looking for the sequel if there is one.
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