Ien Nivens' "Tangible Angels"

Title: Conflicted

“Tangible Angels” by Ien Nivens

Reviewed by T’s Blogging

12/27/2015

3:38 p.m.

Seek and you will find, is the approach one might take while reading “Tangible Angels.” In the first half of the novel readers are introduced to this peculiar and haunted young woman, Jeannie Ivory, who will capture reader’s imagination. As Jeannie recounts her past, readers will find themselves sitting at the edge of their seats as they sift through the pages hoping that the mystery is unfolded sooner rather than later. Yet, what they will find is a story filled with unfinished business and confliction as the author abandons Jeannie’s story only to recount the story of Vanessa Cavendish.

Told in the first person, Vanessa, the narrator of author Ien Nivens’ “Tangible Angels,” takes an interesting approach in relaying the story. As she bounces from one topic to another, never really finishing thoughts, readers will find themselves submerged knee deep in her sporadic storytelling. Unlike most books that stay true to an orthodox flow (beginning, middle, and end), Nivens allows Vanessa to tell the story in pieces, which makes it sometimes confusing but then again realistic. It is this realistic approach that makes it hard to abandon the book despite the one major hang up; abandoning the intriguing and unforgettable story of Jeannie, only to pick up with Vanessa’s troubled past, and then rushing to plug the story by bringing Jeannie back in Part 4.

At some point readers may draw the assumption that there is a connection between Jeannie and Vanessa, but unfortunately it never becomes clearly apparent. Was this story about two troubled souls or a crazed angel that was tangible? Or perhaps it wasn’t about either. One thing is for certain, Nivens has the foundation of a great story, but the unstableness within the story inadvertently sucks the reader’s ability to fall in love with it; as well as the editing errors that added to the misunderstanding of sections.

I give “Tangible Angels” 3 out of 5 stars.

Happy Reading

T’s Blogging