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Angels Trilogy #1
Angels Watching Over Me
Happy Holidays! Bah humbug. "Happy" is not the way Leah Lewis-Hall would describe herself at the moment. She's spending her twelve days of Christmas in an Indianapolis hospital, while her mother is thousands of miles away on a honeymoon with husband number five. Leah went to the doctor with nothing more than a broken finger, but he ordered her to undergo some tests. Now she's stuck in the hospital, alone. Then Leah meets her hospital roommate, a young Amish girl named Rebekah, and her big family. Cynical sixteen-year-old Leah has never known people like this before. From Rebekah's handsome brother, Ethan, who can barely look Leah in the eye, to her kind older sister, Charity, the Amish family captivates Leah with its simple, loving ways. When Leah receives frightening information about her condition, her new friends show her that miracles can happen. And that sometimes angels appear in the most unexpected places.
176 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1996
64 people are currently reading
2841 people want to read
About the author
Lurlene McDaniel
132Ìýbooks2,692ÌýfollowersLurlene McDaniel (born c. 1948) is an author who has written over 50 young adult books. She is well known for writing about characters struggling with chronic and terminal illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, and organ failure.
Other places to find her are...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
March 13, 2009
If you want a book that is bringing you to tears ever other page, go for it. IT makes you feel good and feel horrible at the same time.
November 30, 2019
2.5 stars - rounded down
I felt bad for Leah and what she went through - especially with her neglectful mother - but the romance didn’t seem realistic. I liked that the Amish family was friendly to Leah and I liked her relationship with the nurse Molly. The book also ended a little abruptly for my liking.
I felt bad for Leah and what she went through - especially with her neglectful mother - but the romance didn’t seem realistic. I liked that the Amish family was friendly to Leah and I liked her relationship with the nurse Molly. The book also ended a little abruptly for my liking.
October 26, 2016
A Lurlene McDaniel book where nobody dies? I declare shenanigans.
September 19, 2016
Sometimes, it is the memory surrounding the origin of a book that leaves the larger impression.
The advent of the digital book has been a wonderful thing for me. Now I can own and carry with me an innumerable number of novels without having to worry about whether it fits in my bag, the weight of carrying it while commuting or whether there is room enough for me to store it. Add in the fact that most ebooks are much, much more affordable compared to their physical counterparts, and it is small wonder that in 2016, many of my reading conquests has actually happened in digital form as I transition more and more towards this medium of reading.
But there's something hugely impersonal about an ebook as well. It doesn't show the passage of time by way of its browning and faded pages. It doesn't show the love and dedication of its reader by way of a well-worn cover. And it doesn't show the compassion of a person when someone gifts it to another. There is little potential for personalization, marginalia or demonstration of ownership; with ebooks, they are little more than words on a screen.
Angels Watching Over Me is a book of mine that is well-worn, tired and old. We're talking nearly 20 years old. And it looks its age. The spine was taped in an attempt to keep the title intact on the side and the pages are loose as the glue holding it together gets closer to failing, browning due to oxidation and decay. That it lasted this long in my life is a marvel given that so many other books from this time has more or less come and gone in a flash. Why it lasted this long in my possession is another story.
Because in recent years, I wasn't entirely sure where it came from.
In the vaguest of terms, I knew it was once a gift to me. Eventually I chalked it up as having been a Christmas gift from my closest cousin, who at the time was known to buy me books and is religious, given the somewhat evangelical bent of this book. It was a logical assumption and I took it as the logical conclusion.
But in 2016, I picked book up for the first time in a very, very long time; well over a decade I would presume. The intent was to write a review and maybe touch on the nostalgia this story gave me. After all, it was this book that introduced me to the existence of the Amish and the lives they led, which much like Leah Lewis-Hall, I found extremely fascinating as a child.
Overall though, I found I liked it better as preteen and teenager than a 30 year old. It was a little overly melodramatic, seemingly lacked direction in places and there are too many things that you'd have to take at face value as well, particularly when it came to Ethan Longacre. Not that any of it was egregious in its drama, but it was enough to make the book feel juvenile to my more matured outlook on life presently.
So honestly as far as the contents of this book goes, counting nostalgia from when I first read it at 11, it is actually a three-star book. (Two stars if you subtract my nostalgia. The Fault in Our Stars did a better job of the subject matter this book builds itself upon)
So why the four stars? Because it wasn't so much the contents of the novel that really hit home for me, nostalgia or no.
One day when I was halfway through this novel, I was flipping through the pages to find my spot when my fingers slipped and I accidentally flipped to the spot between the final page and the back cover. Before I could flip to the middle of the book again, something caught my eye.
On that back page, was a stamped bookplate, declaring this book as mine, with my first and last name, in a curling cursive written in blue pen. Below, was a personalized message of hope and happiness towards my future.
It was signed by my Grade 5 teacher, Miss Cargille.
Sometimes, it is not the contents of the book that makes it, but the memories that were created with it that leaves you with the biggest impression.
The advent of the digital book has been a wonderful thing for me. Now I can own and carry with me an innumerable number of novels without having to worry about whether it fits in my bag, the weight of carrying it while commuting or whether there is room enough for me to store it. Add in the fact that most ebooks are much, much more affordable compared to their physical counterparts, and it is small wonder that in 2016, many of my reading conquests has actually happened in digital form as I transition more and more towards this medium of reading.
But there's something hugely impersonal about an ebook as well. It doesn't show the passage of time by way of its browning and faded pages. It doesn't show the love and dedication of its reader by way of a well-worn cover. And it doesn't show the compassion of a person when someone gifts it to another. There is little potential for personalization, marginalia or demonstration of ownership; with ebooks, they are little more than words on a screen.
Angels Watching Over Me is a book of mine that is well-worn, tired and old. We're talking nearly 20 years old. And it looks its age. The spine was taped in an attempt to keep the title intact on the side and the pages are loose as the glue holding it together gets closer to failing, browning due to oxidation and decay. That it lasted this long in my life is a marvel given that so many other books from this time has more or less come and gone in a flash. Why it lasted this long in my possession is another story.
Because in recent years, I wasn't entirely sure where it came from.
In the vaguest of terms, I knew it was once a gift to me. Eventually I chalked it up as having been a Christmas gift from my closest cousin, who at the time was known to buy me books and is religious, given the somewhat evangelical bent of this book. It was a logical assumption and I took it as the logical conclusion.
But in 2016, I picked book up for the first time in a very, very long time; well over a decade I would presume. The intent was to write a review and maybe touch on the nostalgia this story gave me. After all, it was this book that introduced me to the existence of the Amish and the lives they led, which much like Leah Lewis-Hall, I found extremely fascinating as a child.
Overall though, I found I liked it better as preteen and teenager than a 30 year old. It was a little overly melodramatic, seemingly lacked direction in places and there are too many things that you'd have to take at face value as well, particularly when it came to Ethan Longacre. Not that any of it was egregious in its drama, but it was enough to make the book feel juvenile to my more matured outlook on life presently.
So honestly as far as the contents of this book goes, counting nostalgia from when I first read it at 11, it is actually a three-star book. (Two stars if you subtract my nostalgia. The Fault in Our Stars did a better job of the subject matter this book builds itself upon)
So why the four stars? Because it wasn't so much the contents of the novel that really hit home for me, nostalgia or no.
One day when I was halfway through this novel, I was flipping through the pages to find my spot when my fingers slipped and I accidentally flipped to the spot between the final page and the back cover. Before I could flip to the middle of the book again, something caught my eye.
On that back page, was a stamped bookplate, declaring this book as mine, with my first and last name, in a curling cursive written in blue pen. Below, was a personalized message of hope and happiness towards my future.
It was signed by my Grade 5 teacher, Miss Cargille.
Sometimes, it is not the contents of the book that makes it, but the memories that were created with it that leaves you with the biggest impression.
April 2, 2010
Leah is not happy about being stuck in the hospital for the holidays while her mother is thousands of miles away on a honeymoon with husband number five. Until she meets her hospital roommate, Rebekah, and her big family. Cynical 16-year-old Leah has never known people like this before. From Rebekah’s handsome brother, Ethan, who can barely look Leah in the eye, to her kind older sister, Charity, the Amish family captivates Leah with its simple, loving ways. When Leah receives frightening information about her condition, her new friends show her that miracles can happen. And that sometimes angels appear in the most unexpected places.
This trilogy was one that I loved way back in high school when they were originally released sometime in the 90's. One day a few years ago I found the compilation and had to buy it, and re-read it. I loved the love story between Leah and Ethan. Somehow McDaniel found a way to write two characters so in love, and yet so far apart from each other that I am still invested in them to this day. The way that Leah would describe Ethan as smelling like cinnamon, and how she grew to love both his sisters Charity and Rebekah. The whole family dynamic between all of them really made you want Leah and Ethan to have a happily ever after.
McDaniel's books really struck a chord with me when I was a teenager. (Man, that makes me old. Snicker.) I guess I always loved to read the sometimes sadder love stories along with all those horror novels. You know to balance the scales a bit between the two. Once I really think about it Lurlene McDaniel is like the Nicolas Sparks of the teen girl crowds. Strange, sometimes tragic love stories that make you want to cry. When I was reading the Angels Trilogy it was as each book came out so each year I had something to look forward to, and out of all McDaniel's books that I read (And I read a LOT.) this book is the one that sticks with me the most.
I'm not gonna say whether Leah and Ethan did get their happily ever after either. You'll have to read the novels to learn that. But if you want to dip your toe into this book then check out a limited preview on Google books. Which is what I do for a lot of books. Especially when I have a hard time finding a book in a library or book store.
This trilogy was one that I loved way back in high school when they were originally released sometime in the 90's. One day a few years ago I found the compilation and had to buy it, and re-read it. I loved the love story between Leah and Ethan. Somehow McDaniel found a way to write two characters so in love, and yet so far apart from each other that I am still invested in them to this day. The way that Leah would describe Ethan as smelling like cinnamon, and how she grew to love both his sisters Charity and Rebekah. The whole family dynamic between all of them really made you want Leah and Ethan to have a happily ever after.
McDaniel's books really struck a chord with me when I was a teenager. (Man, that makes me old. Snicker.) I guess I always loved to read the sometimes sadder love stories along with all those horror novels. You know to balance the scales a bit between the two. Once I really think about it Lurlene McDaniel is like the Nicolas Sparks of the teen girl crowds. Strange, sometimes tragic love stories that make you want to cry. When I was reading the Angels Trilogy it was as each book came out so each year I had something to look forward to, and out of all McDaniel's books that I read (And I read a LOT.) this book is the one that sticks with me the most.
I'm not gonna say whether Leah and Ethan did get their happily ever after either. You'll have to read the novels to learn that. But if you want to dip your toe into this book then check out a limited preview on Google books. Which is what I do for a lot of books. Especially when I have a hard time finding a book in a library or book store.
September 19, 2009
You wouldn’t catch me buying or reading this book ever in public, unless I was dead. But the only reason I did was because I read the other two books in the trilogy when I was in late elementary and really liked them, so when I went to a library sale and saw this for super cheap, I thought “Why not?� and got it.
It was okay. The characters weren’t fleshed out because the story was so short, so I didn’t feel any connection to them, nor did I feel any chemistry between any of the interactions the characters had with each other. I thought the idea of having the romance revolve around a person who was from an Amish family was neat and unique when I first stumbled on these books a long time ago. I’ve actually been to an Amish farm so it’s interesting to make the comparisons.
I wasn’t feeling any of the romance, and if someone tried to feed me the lines Ethan gave Leah in the book, I would have snorted and laughed in their face. I mean, it’s sweet and all, but really? If it were me, I would probably have thought it creepy than endearing. The cancer was so short-lived and her miracle angel was just I don’t know, not impactful on me at all.
Supposedly, her books are inspirational but I’m not getting that at all. Maybe for some of the others that are better structured and fleshed out, but this first book wasn’t it
It was okay. The characters weren’t fleshed out because the story was so short, so I didn’t feel any connection to them, nor did I feel any chemistry between any of the interactions the characters had with each other. I thought the idea of having the romance revolve around a person who was from an Amish family was neat and unique when I first stumbled on these books a long time ago. I’ve actually been to an Amish farm so it’s interesting to make the comparisons.
I wasn’t feeling any of the romance, and if someone tried to feed me the lines Ethan gave Leah in the book, I would have snorted and laughed in their face. I mean, it’s sweet and all, but really? If it were me, I would probably have thought it creepy than endearing. The cancer was so short-lived and her miracle angel was just I don’t know, not impactful on me at all.
Supposedly, her books are inspirational but I’m not getting that at all. Maybe for some of the others that are better structured and fleshed out, but this first book wasn’t it
November 25, 2009
Genre/Category: Friendship/Romance/Sickness
If you enjoy sentimental, cheesy stories that purposely pull on your heartstrings through unrealistic means, then this book is for you. The story follows a girl named Leah, who is put in the hospital because of a broken finger. Confused by the many tests her doctor insists on running just because of a broken finger, Leah eventually finds out that she has bone cancer. While in the hospital, she becomes good friends with her roommate, an Amish girl named Rebekah, and her older siblings, Charity and Ethan. Leah ends up falling in love with Ethan, but they both know that they can never be together since he is Amish. The story ends with Leah beginning her chemotherapy treatments and the realization that a woman who visited both her and Rebekah in the hospital was actually an angel. I didn’t particularly like this book because I felt like it didn’t really have a plot to it. I also don’t like authors who purposely use dramatic events just to pull on readers� heartstrings rather than to add to the progression of the story. The discovery of Leah’s bone cancer didn’t add to the plot at all, but seemed just thrown in to add shock to the story. I think this book would be appealing to young adolescent girls, as well as to any older girls or women who like over-the-top sentimental stories.
If you enjoy sentimental, cheesy stories that purposely pull on your heartstrings through unrealistic means, then this book is for you. The story follows a girl named Leah, who is put in the hospital because of a broken finger. Confused by the many tests her doctor insists on running just because of a broken finger, Leah eventually finds out that she has bone cancer. While in the hospital, she becomes good friends with her roommate, an Amish girl named Rebekah, and her older siblings, Charity and Ethan. Leah ends up falling in love with Ethan, but they both know that they can never be together since he is Amish. The story ends with Leah beginning her chemotherapy treatments and the realization that a woman who visited both her and Rebekah in the hospital was actually an angel. I didn’t particularly like this book because I felt like it didn’t really have a plot to it. I also don’t like authors who purposely use dramatic events just to pull on readers� heartstrings rather than to add to the progression of the story. The discovery of Leah’s bone cancer didn’t add to the plot at all, but seemed just thrown in to add shock to the story. I think this book would be appealing to young adolescent girls, as well as to any older girls or women who like over-the-top sentimental stories.
October 27, 2015
My Actual Rating: 3.5
Another quick and easy read. A little far fetched as far as Gabriella goes but that's just me.
Leah seemed like a pretty level headed young girl who has kind of had to take care of herself a lot growing up. Here she is in a hospital by herself with some mysterious illness when she meets her Amish roommate and her family. The Amish thing was interesting. I've never read about Amish characters who put their religion and beliefs into such easy to understand terms. Anyways, Leah meets Ethan and they start to like each other even though that is against Amish rule.
Ethan is sweet and just what Leah needed to help get her through her stay in the hospital. At night time Leah sees Gabriella who she assumes is a nurse but she turns out to be an angel that only she and her roommate can see. It was a little bit of make believe thrown in to an otherwise very realistic book and I can see how it would be a nice dose of hope for younger kids.
Another quick and easy read. A little far fetched as far as Gabriella goes but that's just me.
Leah seemed like a pretty level headed young girl who has kind of had to take care of herself a lot growing up. Here she is in a hospital by herself with some mysterious illness when she meets her Amish roommate and her family. The Amish thing was interesting. I've never read about Amish characters who put their religion and beliefs into such easy to understand terms. Anyways, Leah meets Ethan and they start to like each other even though that is against Amish rule.
Ethan is sweet and just what Leah needed to help get her through her stay in the hospital. At night time Leah sees Gabriella who she assumes is a nurse but she turns out to be an angel that only she and her roommate can see. It was a little bit of make believe thrown in to an otherwise very realistic book and I can see how it would be a nice dose of hope for younger kids.
February 6, 2017
I loved this book when I was younger and I love it still. I may not be as infatuated with it as I was before but it's still a good read. This is the first book about the Amish that I ever read and led me to others by Beverly Lewis.
Some of the things Ethan says seem kind of silly now. Maybe because I know not all Amish boys are like him either. Leah is kind of annoying but there is something about this book that makes me want to keep reading it. I can't figure out what it is.
Anyway if you like Lurlene McDaniel books and haven't read this one yet then you need to. They're quick and interesting reads.
Some of the things Ethan says seem kind of silly now. Maybe because I know not all Amish boys are like him either. Leah is kind of annoying but there is something about this book that makes me want to keep reading it. I can't figure out what it is.
Anyway if you like Lurlene McDaniel books and haven't read this one yet then you need to. They're quick and interesting reads.
September 27, 2011
This is a very uplifting book. It is clearly written with a religious young adult audience in mind, and it explores the questions of faith and doubt from deliberately faithful stance. It is relatively well written, though the dialogue of the 16-year-old protagonist sounds a bit old fashioned; the language is fitting for her Amish friends, but unconvincing for a modern teen. There are also some laughable romantic moments, but, like I said, it is an uplifting read, and inasmuch as this was McDaniel's purpose in writing it, she was successful.
March 2, 2009
The ANgels trilogy kept me reading for days.once i found out they had more in the series i ran to the library.i wish ethan and leah could have made it. i cried when rebecca died and when leahs stepfather died.
May 14, 2021
Great read
April 6, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this book. This was the one of the first books of Lurlene McDaniel I have ever read. I loved the characters and plot of the story. I can not wait to read the next book.
May 12, 2024
C’est une très bonne surprise! Les sujets abordés sont très intéressants, et la petite romance qui se profile fait très «ÌýForbidden loveÌý». J’ai hâte de lire la suite
February 1, 2014
Let's see...I sorta kinda forgot to write this review so we'll see what I can recall. Had I read this book when I was 8 or 9 or so, I probably would have loved this book. I'm not sure exactly what age group this book and others by this author are aimed for but everything was so simple, it seemed geared towards young preteens or so. Examples of why it seemed that way? First of all, the writing is very simple and not meant for someone with an extensive vocabulary who likes to learn big words. It's very much 'See Jane run' and although I say that, it's not meant to be offensive to the author or anyone; there's nothing wrong with it, I just have a hard time with books that are really 'easy' reads and not challenging. Another reason, the main character although she's 16 or so (If I remember right), she acts really young and sort of inexperienced (especially for talking like she'd done SO much with all the friends she had and such). I found her to be quite annoying as she'd say how she wanted to go home from the hospital, yet was too lonely at home. Oxymoron much? And that was explained every other chapter or so. The other characters were...ehh...okay I suppose. I found most of them to be a bit cliché. The little crush/romance aspect is a prime example of that. 'Star-crossed' lovers, hate each other at first (well, fight anyways), then fall in love anyways and find a way to be together despite the things keeping them apart. The angel things was to be expected and predictable, due to the title, and how MC, Leah, was all wondering and questioning faith and angels after the roommate girl told her the story. The storyline was kinda boring, even with the 'mystery' of the angel and question of whether Leah would survive or not. I just didn't find it to be captivating, and this sort of story usually isn't to me (predictable :p). So overall, I wasn't too impressed by this book(if at all) but I suppose I'll give the author another chance since her books do look good and some are newer than this one.
January 29, 2008
In Angels Watching over Me by Lurlene McDaniel, Leah Lewis-Hall, the protagonist, deals with various pains over her body and because of these pains, she ended up in the hospital (almost the entire setting of the book). Without her mother being by her side because she is in Japan for a honeymoon with her fifth husband, Leah meets and becomes friends to a Amish girl named Rebekah and her siblings, Charity and Ethan in addition to Molly, their nurse. When Leah was hospitalized, she learns the differences and similarities of the English and the Amish culture meanwhile falling in love with Ethan but cannot be together. On top of all issues that Leah tries to cope with, she discovers that she has bone cancer. Something that I like about the book is that while I was reading it, the mood was really sad to the point where the reader has extreme sympathy for Leah. Leah has to deal with issues that some teenagers or even adults do not have to deal with like cancer and facing the decision of going into chemotherapy. Reading this book and comparing the issues that she has to deal with makes you think that the issues that we have do deal will are rather minor. For example, normally, children, teenagers or adults do not deal with life or death everyday. They may think that their situation might be the end of the world. However, something that I do not like about the book was how McDaniel ends the book with a letter because it does not really tell what might be her next decisions with her family.
August 30, 2015
It’s been ages since I’ve read this book but it’s still one of my favorites of all time. The entire series is wonderful and it was about time I reviewed it. Even after almost a decade since I last read this book, I still remember it with great clarity, having read it so many times back when I was a pre-teen.
Leah’s story is quite moving. Lurlene McDaniel has always been one to write fascinating books. I remember someone telling me that people called her books ‘tearjerkers� because they were always so sad. This book is no exception.
The love story that blossoms between Leah and Ethan was one of the first I really encountered and it was written just wonderfully. It’s a believable kind of love that they share, especially in Leah’s condition where she’s faced with an uncertain death. The two also have a lot to teach one another. Leah learns quite a bit from Ethan, and vice versa. It’s why their story is so strong.
I have been meaning to reread this book for some time now but I’m in the middle of too many other books to pick it up again, despite it being quite a fast read. I’ll definitely be diving into it once more in the future, and many more times after that. It’s one of those books you have to check out for yourself. And have tissues on hand!
Leah’s story is quite moving. Lurlene McDaniel has always been one to write fascinating books. I remember someone telling me that people called her books ‘tearjerkers� because they were always so sad. This book is no exception.
The love story that blossoms between Leah and Ethan was one of the first I really encountered and it was written just wonderfully. It’s a believable kind of love that they share, especially in Leah’s condition where she’s faced with an uncertain death. The two also have a lot to teach one another. Leah learns quite a bit from Ethan, and vice versa. It’s why their story is so strong.
I have been meaning to reread this book for some time now but I’m in the middle of too many other books to pick it up again, despite it being quite a fast read. I’ll definitely be diving into it once more in the future, and many more times after that. It’s one of those books you have to check out for yourself. And have tissues on hand!
September 19, 2008
Angels watching over me was an exremely good book. I recommend teenage girls to read this book. It was really interesting and the writing just draws you into the text. I thought this book was really interesting and I loved learning about the Amish culture compared to our culture today. Alhtough it was a little sad and depressing, it did have its high points.
If you are interested in learning about other cultures, you should definitely read this book. This book teaches about the Amish culture and how it is similar and different to the world we live in today.
Although, if you aren't into depressing stories however, this book is not the one for you. It takes place in the life of Leah who is having to spend the christmas holidays in the hospital.
Even though there is a sequel to this book, in the end Leah does find out that she has cancer. I am currently waiting to read the next book in this series.
If you are interested in learning about other cultures, you should definitely read this book. This book teaches about the Amish culture and how it is similar and different to the world we live in today.
Although, if you aren't into depressing stories however, this book is not the one for you. It takes place in the life of Leah who is having to spend the christmas holidays in the hospital.
Even though there is a sequel to this book, in the end Leah does find out that she has cancer. I am currently waiting to read the next book in this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2015
I'll give the first book in this trilogy 2 (2.5) stars, however the other two books are substantially....well have substantially more substance.
This book is really more an exploration of themes and an introduction to the central characters and the vastly different worlds they come from. Leah embodies the "typical" 16 year old girl, slightly neglected by her oft-absent mother and new stepfather and is written in a easily-projectable and identifiable first person manner. Ethan's life is worlds away, living traditionally Amish with his family and community.
Not much really happens and the characters don't really develop, yet the writing is charming and sentimental. It explores love/loss, sacrifice, pain, family, coming of age allegorically and sets up the atmosphere of the world.
Recommend for 9-16 year olds- its a good light love story that models pretty healthy relationships and boundaries.
This book is really more an exploration of themes and an introduction to the central characters and the vastly different worlds they come from. Leah embodies the "typical" 16 year old girl, slightly neglected by her oft-absent mother and new stepfather and is written in a easily-projectable and identifiable first person manner. Ethan's life is worlds away, living traditionally Amish with his family and community.
Not much really happens and the characters don't really develop, yet the writing is charming and sentimental. It explores love/loss, sacrifice, pain, family, coming of age allegorically and sets up the atmosphere of the world.
Recommend for 9-16 year olds- its a good light love story that models pretty healthy relationships and boundaries.
February 12, 2008
This book is about how Leah Lewis-Hall, a teenage girl went to the hospital because her finger and her knee hurts and later from diagnosis from doctors, she was told that she had cancer. During the time that she was in the hospital, she met an Amish family which are people who a bit isolated from the modern world, such as the way they dress and even speak. In the hospital, Leah met Ethan and they both are falling for each other.
In this book, I learned that it can be very hopeless in a situation where no one who you know can help you. But it is different when there is someone who cares about you and was by your side when you really need them. It is always better to have someone with you, no matter who they are than to have nobody there and being alone.
In this book, I learned that it can be very hopeless in a situation where no one who you know can help you. But it is different when there is someone who cares about you and was by your side when you really need them. It is always better to have someone with you, no matter who they are than to have nobody there and being alone.
October 22, 2009
Angels Watching Over Me by Lurlene McDaniel
Religion/Miracles/Illness/Friendship
Leah is in the hospital because of a broken finger. The doctors say they want to do some tests. Her mother is currently on her honeymoon with her new husband and it is almost Christmas. Leah is feeling scared and lonely. She ends up making friends with her roommate, a little Amish girl named Rebekah, and her brother and sister. When Leah finds out she has bone cancer, she relies on the faith of her new Amish friends. This book is overtly religious, and those that enjoy stories of faith and miracles will appreciate McDaniel's story. It can seem contrived at parts, but it is an uplifting story. Some YAs might shy away from anything too preachy however.
Religion/Miracles/Illness/Friendship
Leah is in the hospital because of a broken finger. The doctors say they want to do some tests. Her mother is currently on her honeymoon with her new husband and it is almost Christmas. Leah is feeling scared and lonely. She ends up making friends with her roommate, a little Amish girl named Rebekah, and her brother and sister. When Leah finds out she has bone cancer, she relies on the faith of her new Amish friends. This book is overtly religious, and those that enjoy stories of faith and miracles will appreciate McDaniel's story. It can seem contrived at parts, but it is an uplifting story. Some YAs might shy away from anything too preachy however.
September 13, 2015
I am not an Amish book fan, but I'm reading this to get experience with these books, since I'm writing a pirate-Amish romance (don't ask).
I mean, there wasn't anything about this book that I hated. I couldn't tell if it was because it was written around 1996, or because the audience is meant to be middle schoolers, but Leah was not as mature as an average 16-year-old, which I can say being an average teenager. But, though I hate it, I'm getting more and more partial to romance (though I still enjoy other things a lot better). I was a sucker for the Leah and Ethan kisses (I also didn't realize Ethan was an Amish name). Overall, this is definitely not the best book I've read, but never ever woud be the worst. And hopefully it will help me in novel writing.
I mean, there wasn't anything about this book that I hated. I couldn't tell if it was because it was written around 1996, or because the audience is meant to be middle schoolers, but Leah was not as mature as an average 16-year-old, which I can say being an average teenager. But, though I hate it, I'm getting more and more partial to romance (though I still enjoy other things a lot better). I was a sucker for the Leah and Ethan kisses (I also didn't realize Ethan was an Amish name). Overall, this is definitely not the best book I've read, but never ever woud be the worst. And hopefully it will help me in novel writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 22, 2009
This is (for me anyway) an example of a story that you either love or hate. It's not that the books are absolute classics, that I would recommend them to everyone I know or even to buy them. But there are stories that are worth telling and reading. Even if they are labelled 'young adult novel'. I'm not saying that the whole thing isn't a bit over the edge but still. I can understand if someone was to say the books weren't that good or that the events weren't that credible anymore. However I liked the books. Like I said: not for everyone but if you like it, you're not alone.
September 12, 2015
I have finished Angels Watching Over Me by Lurlene McDaniel. I really enjoyed this book. It made me very sad, but also happy. If you are willing to shed a few tears, I would recommend this book to you. Little Rebekah was so sweet, I felt so bad for her. I am definitely going to read the rest of the series. One thing that I thought was weird was that Leah knew so little about the Amish, since there is so many shows about them, but I suppose when this book was published, there was not so much media dedicated to them.
October 31, 2007
This book is about a teenager girl named Leah Lewis Hall, and spends her Christmas in the hospital. Throughout that time she meets a little Amish girl named Rebecca. This book explains the difference of the Amish culture and the culture that we live in today. Leah and Rebecca become close friends and share their beliefs and what they enjoy. Each day Rebecca is getting sicker and sicker, were as the docters are still trying to figure out what caused Leah's finger to break.
December 27, 2015
I must have read the first two books in this trilogy at the same time, because I could have sworn a couple things that happen in the second novel happened in this one. In any case, this is pretty typical Lurlene McDaniel fare. Pretty girl gets sick, pretty girl is resentful of being sick, pretty girl meets boy and learns a valuable lesson. It's formulaic, but McDaniel's earlier work was always pretty solidly written.
Definitely still better than The Fault in Our Stars.
Definitely still better than The Fault in Our Stars.
May 7, 2013
Een lastig te plaatsen boek: de cover doet denken aan een goedkoop damesromannetje, de achterflap impliceert een young adult-boek met bovennatuurlijke kantjes, maar na lezen van het eerste hoofdstuk lijkt het nog het meest op een kinderboek.
De Amish-familie wordt interessant neergezet, maar de Christelijke lading ligt er voor mij iets te dik bovenop. Het is bovendien een vrij kort verhaal, er gebeurt in feite niet zoveel.
De Amish-familie wordt interessant neergezet, maar de Christelijke lading ligt er voor mij iets te dik bovenop. Het is bovendien een vrij kort verhaal, er gebeurt in feite niet zoveel.
August 15, 2007
Loved these books when I was in elementary school and even into middle school. Looking back I knew they were ridiculously melodramatic and indicate a bizarre morbid tendency but I loved them nonetheless and had friends who felt the same. For whatever reason, they were very compelling to me at that age.
April 26, 2012
Angels Watching Over Me is about Leah Lewis-Hall and her relationship with an Amish family she meets in the hospital. With her mother on a honeymoon, Leah went in for a broken finger but test made he stay with no one their for her. This book is good for students to learn about Amish families and their way of life.
June 18, 2012
I love this story, I first come upon it in high school and have fallen in love with Leah and Ethan. This is the first book of a trilogy. Lurlene McDaniels has a way with words, that you just can't seem to put the book down until you are completely done with it. Definitely a tear jerker. A must read.
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