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The Unfinished Angel
'Peoples are strange!
The things they are doing and saying - sometimes they make no sense. Did their brains fall out of their heads?'
Angel, not fond of people at the best of times and having an identity crisis, is about to meet Zola - a talkative young girl who makes herself at home in Angel's tower in a village high in the Swiss Alps. 'This Zola is a lot bossy,' Angel thinks. But out of their bickering an unexpected friendship forms, which benefits the entire village, reminding us that magic can be found in even the most ordinary acts of kindness.
The things they are doing and saying - sometimes they make no sense. Did their brains fall out of their heads?'
Angel, not fond of people at the best of times and having an identity crisis, is about to meet Zola - a talkative young girl who makes herself at home in Angel's tower in a village high in the Swiss Alps. 'This Zola is a lot bossy,' Angel thinks. But out of their bickering an unexpected friendship forms, which benefits the entire village, reminding us that magic can be found in even the most ordinary acts of kindness.
176 pages, Hardcover
First published September 22, 2009
65 people are currently reading
1166 people want to read
About the author
Sharon Creech
70 books3,288 followersI was born in South Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, and grew up there with my noisy and rowdy family: my parents (Ann and Arvel), my sister (Sandy), and my three brothers (Dennis, Doug and Tom).
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of us Creeches, but also full of friends and visiting relatives.
In the summer, we usually took a trip, all of us piled in a car and heading out to Wisconsin or Michigan or, once, to Idaho. We must have been a very noisy bunch, and I'm not sure how our parents put up with being cooped up with us in the car for those trips. The five-day trip out to Idaho when I was twelve had a powerful effect on me: what a huge and amazing country! I had no idea then that thirty-some years later, I would recreate that trip in a book called Walk Two Moons.
One other place we often visited was Quincy, Kentucky, where my cousins lived (and still live) on a beautiful farm, with hills and trees and swimming hole and barn and hayloft. We were outside running in those hills all day long, and at night we'd gather on the porch where more stories would be told. I loved Quincy so much that it has found its way into many of my books—transformed into Bybanks, Kentucky. Bybanks appears in Walk Two Moons, Chasing Redbird, and Bloomability. Bybanks also makes a brief appearance (by reference, but not by name) in The Wanderer.
When I was young, I wanted to be many things when I grew up: a painter, an ice skater, a singer, a teacher, and a reporter. It soon became apparent that I had little drawing talent, very limited tolerance for falling on ice, and absolutely no ability to stay on key while singing. I also soon learned that I would make a terrible reporter because when I didn't like the facts, I changed them. It was in college, when I took literature and writing courses, that I became intrigued by story-telling. Later, I was a teacher (high school English and writing) in England and in Switzerland. While teaching great literature, I learned so much about writing: about what makes a story interesting and about techniques of plot and characterization and point of view. I started out writing novels for adults (published as Sharon Rigg): The Recital and Nickel Malley were both written and published while I was living in England (these books were published in England only and are now out of print.) But the next book was Absolutely Normal Chaos, and ever since that book I have written mainly about young people. Walk Two Moons was the first of my books to be published in America. When it received the Newbery Medal, no one was more surprised than I was. I'm still a little bit in shock.
After Walk Two Moons came Chasing Redbird, Pleasing the Ghost, Bloomability, The Wanderer, and Fishing in the Air. I hope to be writing stories for a long, long time.
I am married to Lyle Rigg, who is the headmaster of The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, and have two grown children, Rob and Karin. Being with my family is what I enjoy most. The next-best thing is writing stories.
© Sharon Creech
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of us Creeches, but also full of friends and visiting relatives.
In the summer, we usually took a trip, all of us piled in a car and heading out to Wisconsin or Michigan or, once, to Idaho. We must have been a very noisy bunch, and I'm not sure how our parents put up with being cooped up with us in the car for those trips. The five-day trip out to Idaho when I was twelve had a powerful effect on me: what a huge and amazing country! I had no idea then that thirty-some years later, I would recreate that trip in a book called Walk Two Moons.
One other place we often visited was Quincy, Kentucky, where my cousins lived (and still live) on a beautiful farm, with hills and trees and swimming hole and barn and hayloft. We were outside running in those hills all day long, and at night we'd gather on the porch where more stories would be told. I loved Quincy so much that it has found its way into many of my books—transformed into Bybanks, Kentucky. Bybanks appears in Walk Two Moons, Chasing Redbird, and Bloomability. Bybanks also makes a brief appearance (by reference, but not by name) in The Wanderer.
When I was young, I wanted to be many things when I grew up: a painter, an ice skater, a singer, a teacher, and a reporter. It soon became apparent that I had little drawing talent, very limited tolerance for falling on ice, and absolutely no ability to stay on key while singing. I also soon learned that I would make a terrible reporter because when I didn't like the facts, I changed them. It was in college, when I took literature and writing courses, that I became intrigued by story-telling. Later, I was a teacher (high school English and writing) in England and in Switzerland. While teaching great literature, I learned so much about writing: about what makes a story interesting and about techniques of plot and characterization and point of view. I started out writing novels for adults (published as Sharon Rigg): The Recital and Nickel Malley were both written and published while I was living in England (these books were published in England only and are now out of print.) But the next book was Absolutely Normal Chaos, and ever since that book I have written mainly about young people. Walk Two Moons was the first of my books to be published in America. When it received the Newbery Medal, no one was more surprised than I was. I'm still a little bit in shock.
After Walk Two Moons came Chasing Redbird, Pleasing the Ghost, Bloomability, The Wanderer, and Fishing in the Air. I hope to be writing stories for a long, long time.
I am married to Lyle Rigg, who is the headmaster of The Pennington School in Pennington, New Jersey, and have two grown children, Rob and Karin. Being with my family is what I enjoy most. The next-best thing is writing stories.
© Sharon Creech
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 471 reviews
March 26, 2011
There are so few books that have touched me deeply enough that I couldn't imagine my life without having read them: The Alchemist, The Little Prince, The Graveyard Book. And now, I add to that list The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech.
The story is simple. It goes like this: an angel lives in a tower in a small village in the Swiss Alps. This angel, he isn't sure what his purpose is. "Me, I am an angel. I am supposed to be having all the words in all the languages, but I am not. Many are missing. I am also not having a special assignment. I think I did not get all the training. . . . Do the other angels know what they are doing? Am I the only confused one? Maybe I am unfinished, an unfinished angel."
This angel watches over the people of this little village, and then one day, an American family comes to live in the house attached to his tower. Zola, a young girl vibrant with life and colors—she wears three different colored skirts and numerous bright ribbons at the same time—meets angel and actually sees him. Thus begins an unlikely friendship between a vivacious girl and a grumpy angel.
Though the events of the story are ordinary, there is an uncommon grace and elegance to the prose, even with an angel narrator that cannot speak English properly and often fuses words. ("Zola smills, smuggles, what is the word? What is it, that word for happy teeth??") But more than that, the beauty of the story outshines any I have read in a long while.
Through often misguided efforts, angel watches over his town and his "peoples." By the end of the book, angel realizes he has a purpose, and we recognize the goodness that there is in the world and the hearts of the people who populate it.
"I am feeling most hopeful watching these peoples. I don't know what to say about this feeling. I don't eat food, but if I did, maybe it is as if I were hungry, so hungry, and I didn't even know it, and then I found a mountain of food and I ate and ate, and then I sat back contentful and there was still more mountain for the next day and the next day. Maybe it is like that. I don't know. Since I don't eat food, it is hard to say."
After reading this striking story, I am feeling contentful as well.
In conclusion, this mesmerizing story is one that will become a classic, and I would not be too far off in saying I see this as a strong contender for the Newberry. Every child, every adult should become friends with this unfinished angel and let him help you become more of a finished person.
P.S. I have serious issues with the book's cover design. Had I not read a review of the book previous to buying it, I would most likely have passed it over.
The story is simple. It goes like this: an angel lives in a tower in a small village in the Swiss Alps. This angel, he isn't sure what his purpose is. "Me, I am an angel. I am supposed to be having all the words in all the languages, but I am not. Many are missing. I am also not having a special assignment. I think I did not get all the training. . . . Do the other angels know what they are doing? Am I the only confused one? Maybe I am unfinished, an unfinished angel."
This angel watches over the people of this little village, and then one day, an American family comes to live in the house attached to his tower. Zola, a young girl vibrant with life and colors—she wears three different colored skirts and numerous bright ribbons at the same time—meets angel and actually sees him. Thus begins an unlikely friendship between a vivacious girl and a grumpy angel.
Though the events of the story are ordinary, there is an uncommon grace and elegance to the prose, even with an angel narrator that cannot speak English properly and often fuses words. ("Zola smills, smuggles, what is the word? What is it, that word for happy teeth??") But more than that, the beauty of the story outshines any I have read in a long while.
Through often misguided efforts, angel watches over his town and his "peoples." By the end of the book, angel realizes he has a purpose, and we recognize the goodness that there is in the world and the hearts of the people who populate it.
"I am feeling most hopeful watching these peoples. I don't know what to say about this feeling. I don't eat food, but if I did, maybe it is as if I were hungry, so hungry, and I didn't even know it, and then I found a mountain of food and I ate and ate, and then I sat back contentful and there was still more mountain for the next day and the next day. Maybe it is like that. I don't know. Since I don't eat food, it is hard to say."
After reading this striking story, I am feeling contentful as well.
In conclusion, this mesmerizing story is one that will become a classic, and I would not be too far off in saying I see this as a strong contender for the Newberry. Every child, every adult should become friends with this unfinished angel and let him help you become more of a finished person.
P.S. I have serious issues with the book's cover design. Had I not read a review of the book previous to buying it, I would most likely have passed it over.
August 24, 2011
I just don't know what to make of this book. It was equally annoying and endearing. Definitely appropriate for upper elementary, early middle school students, but the voice of the angel who narrates the story just didn't work for me. Yes, the angel's misuse and mispronunciation of certain words was occasionally humorous and I did laugh out loud at the end of the "Lizards" chapter. And, okay, the message of the book (*we need to try and understand and take care of each other*) is a powerful one that legitimately moved me in a couple of chapters. For the most part, however, I felt like Creech was working too hard to be deep. The result: it all just seemed too cutesy.
November 27, 2016
1.5
I thought this book was okay. In the beginning I wasn't a fan at all but there were parts that redeemed the book for me a little bit.
My main issue was the writing. I get that this voice was specific to the angel and it was supposed to read across that way but it felt very childish and confusing to me.
There were a lot of extra characters that I wasnt sure what their relevance was and for most of the book I was confused, only brief times did I feel sympathetic towards the chapters or think something was cute.
I thought that the whole concept of angels was underdeveloped and thus half the time I was just questioning what the Angel was doing there and could people see her etc
I also feel like this book was trying to hard to be deep and while i did think a little during this book about larger themes (like how people seem to want an explanation for things or miracles -- an angel) I found it quite annoying.
I think this is geared towards younger viewers but I don't even know if I recommend to do that because I'm still kind of confused about what happened in this book in terms of plot.
I thought this book was okay. In the beginning I wasn't a fan at all but there were parts that redeemed the book for me a little bit.
My main issue was the writing. I get that this voice was specific to the angel and it was supposed to read across that way but it felt very childish and confusing to me.
There were a lot of extra characters that I wasnt sure what their relevance was and for most of the book I was confused, only brief times did I feel sympathetic towards the chapters or think something was cute.
I thought that the whole concept of angels was underdeveloped and thus half the time I was just questioning what the Angel was doing there and could people see her etc
I also feel like this book was trying to hard to be deep and while i did think a little during this book about larger themes (like how people seem to want an explanation for things or miracles -- an angel) I found it quite annoying.
I think this is geared towards younger viewers but I don't even know if I recommend to do that because I'm still kind of confused about what happened in this book in terms of plot.
September 5, 2010
Sharon Creech is one of my favorite authors - and I really wanted to love this book. It is cute and told from the angel's point of view. But is is confusing with mixed up words that would make it difficult for children to read and understand.
July 23, 2021
This is the story of an angel who is like a child. It is told from the point of view of someone who is young and inexperienced. The art of serving and being an angel is being experienced by the narrator of the book.
March 17, 2024
Creative idea for the narrator, but a bit all over the place with execution. The use of fun words or mismatched words was cute. I do love the focus on how the good deeds of one person can really change a town.
August 7, 2018
This YA book had potential to be good. An angel living in a tower in a small town in southern Switzerland who can't figure people out.
Why does this angel in this Italian-speaking town sound like Jar-Jar Binks? Why would the author do that? I am starting to wonder if having characters who can't quite speak clearly is the trademark of a Sharon Creech book. It was cute in Walk Two Moons and even in Ruby Holler, but here...
Why does this angel in this Italian-speaking town sound like Jar-Jar Binks? Why would the author do that? I am starting to wonder if having characters who can't quite speak clearly is the trademark of a Sharon Creech book. It was cute in Walk Two Moons and even in Ruby Holler, but here...
October 18, 2018
This book reads like a charming lesson in empathy. While it is earnest, there are spurts of humor sprinkled throughout, and the angel-speak is endearing.
October 3, 2022
It was cute and entertaining absolutely loved it, but at first I thought the angle was a pigeon because of the cover, but then found out it was just a angle in the shape of a human(oops).
April 13, 2023
Nice children's story.
December 26, 2020
Very different, very cute story. Well written and so entertainingly written! I enjoyed it :)
October 17, 2016
Not sure about this one! Thought it was a bit confusing and didn't hold my attention. Very different kind of story!
June 19, 2024
4.5 stars
My opinion on this book was difficult to figure out.
I was disappointed that the story was so short, Creech could have gone to the next level if she had just pondered the idea more. What I mean by that is, that she could have taken the idea of angels and pigeons and added more importance to it. One of the editions does have a cover of a rainbow pigeon, so maybe the plot could have revolved around that.
I was also confused about what the plot even was. Was it about the homeless children? Was it about whether Zola was an angel? Was it about if Angel was even an angel? I concluded that the plot was about Zola and Angel’s friendship evolving, and about how their kindness changed the children’s lives. Possibly that was a strategy, so the reader would become hooked into the story to figure out what was even happening. However, it could be a theme.
Another minor issue I have is with the characters. Let’s start with Angel. Angel was never really described in the story, and the only bit of description I got was that they wore a giant white cloak or a veil. I had originally pictured them as a white version of Star from Wish, the new Disney movie. I also would have liked the angel to have a gender, it could be any gender from female or male to nonbinary or transgender, I wouldn’t care. It would help answer many of the continuous questions I have from this story. Now, Zola, she was confusing for me! She said a lot of random things, but they were somehow related to some other parts of the story. But I understood her more than Angel.
I also feel like the story was rushed. I know Sharon Creech has written a plethora of books, but you should use all of your magic with each one, not a little speck of fairy dust.
The things I do like are that there were lots of Italian references, and I loved Signora Divino. She was funny, maybe the most well-developed character in the story. But again, it makes sense that Angel wasn’t fully developed because they were the narrator, but the story still revolves around them.
Overall, I think the book changed my perspective a little. I still recommend it.
My opinion on this book was difficult to figure out.
I was disappointed that the story was so short, Creech could have gone to the next level if she had just pondered the idea more. What I mean by that is, that she could have taken the idea of angels and pigeons and added more importance to it. One of the editions does have a cover of a rainbow pigeon, so maybe the plot could have revolved around that.
I was also confused about what the plot even was. Was it about the homeless children? Was it about whether Zola was an angel? Was it about if Angel was even an angel? I concluded that the plot was about Zola and Angel’s friendship evolving, and about how their kindness changed the children’s lives. Possibly that was a strategy, so the reader would become hooked into the story to figure out what was even happening. However, it could be a theme.
Another minor issue I have is with the characters. Let’s start with Angel. Angel was never really described in the story, and the only bit of description I got was that they wore a giant white cloak or a veil. I had originally pictured them as a white version of Star from Wish, the new Disney movie. I also would have liked the angel to have a gender, it could be any gender from female or male to nonbinary or transgender, I wouldn’t care. It would help answer many of the continuous questions I have from this story. Now, Zola, she was confusing for me! She said a lot of random things, but they were somehow related to some other parts of the story. But I understood her more than Angel.
I also feel like the story was rushed. I know Sharon Creech has written a plethora of books, but you should use all of your magic with each one, not a little speck of fairy dust.
The things I do like are that there were lots of Italian references, and I loved Signora Divino. She was funny, maybe the most well-developed character in the story. But again, it makes sense that Angel wasn’t fully developed because they were the narrator, but the story still revolves around them.
Overall, I think the book changed my perspective a little. I still recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2017
Such an enjoyable read aloud with my kids. It opened up a discussion for us about angels and how we can help those around us. Sometimes it only takes one person to make a big difference.
June 21, 2017
**Update after rereading via audio- I liked this book better the second time through :) I didn't feel like I had the complaints I had from the first read through. I thought the angel was charming and the story of bringing the town together was delightful :) Still not Creech's strongest or best work (Walk Two Moons, I'll love you forever!) but definitely a cute fun read/listen :)
I absolutely love Sharon Creech, and have since I discovered Walk Two Moons in elementary school. I actually chose to do an artistic book report/project on it (that I did not have to do, I don't even think I got extra credit for it) because I wanted so badly to share that book with everyone. I still feel that way about that book and so many other books by Creech. I think she is a brilliant author. Sadly, this book didn't feel quite up to par with her what she's put out in the past. This book read like a very first novel- there were the traces of brilliance within the pages, but it felt like she hadn't quite gotten the hang of how a novel should be put together yet.
I love the voice of the angel. The broken english, and mashed together phrases were great, and felt more realistic than perfect english would have coming from the mind of an angel that had only very limited interactions with anyone who spoke english. The angel was generally great. I really liked the way Creech crafted this character. None of the others were nearly as developed. They mostly felt like after thoughts- something that needed to be there, because what kind of a story would an angel sitting in a tower for days on end with no one to flish to?
However, I felt that the plot got in the way of the story. Isn't that awful?! The only parts of the story that felt real were when the angel was talking about the inner parts of the peoples. That was what made the book worth reading, and even worth going back to. Not the plot, not the story, not the characters, but the insights into people and the parts of people that we need to hold onto, like Zola needing to believe in pigeons, and the old Signora finding comfort at the end in her dollys. I felt that this book was too short. It felt rushed, and left behind, and I felt that this was one of the very few times when Sharon Creech did not do her characters justice.
Still worth the read, and for all its faults, I still think I liked it better than Ruby Holler. Maybe I need to try that one again, but it just didn't really feel it to me. Oh well. I still think this book is worth the read, even if it's only for the delightful words that come from our angel. When the angel is trying to sort out its reasons and purpose, it gets old fast. I much prefer the commentary on life and those the angel observes.
I absolutely love Sharon Creech, and have since I discovered Walk Two Moons in elementary school. I actually chose to do an artistic book report/project on it (that I did not have to do, I don't even think I got extra credit for it) because I wanted so badly to share that book with everyone. I still feel that way about that book and so many other books by Creech. I think she is a brilliant author. Sadly, this book didn't feel quite up to par with her what she's put out in the past. This book read like a very first novel- there were the traces of brilliance within the pages, but it felt like she hadn't quite gotten the hang of how a novel should be put together yet.
I love the voice of the angel. The broken english, and mashed together phrases were great, and felt more realistic than perfect english would have coming from the mind of an angel that had only very limited interactions with anyone who spoke english. The angel was generally great. I really liked the way Creech crafted this character. None of the others were nearly as developed. They mostly felt like after thoughts- something that needed to be there, because what kind of a story would an angel sitting in a tower for days on end with no one to flish to?
However, I felt that the plot got in the way of the story. Isn't that awful?! The only parts of the story that felt real were when the angel was talking about the inner parts of the peoples. That was what made the book worth reading, and even worth going back to. Not the plot, not the story, not the characters, but the insights into people and the parts of people that we need to hold onto, like Zola needing to believe in pigeons, and the old Signora finding comfort at the end in her dollys. I felt that this book was too short. It felt rushed, and left behind, and I felt that this was one of the very few times when Sharon Creech did not do her characters justice.
Still worth the read, and for all its faults, I still think I liked it better than Ruby Holler. Maybe I need to try that one again, but it just didn't really feel it to me. Oh well. I still think this book is worth the read, even if it's only for the delightful words that come from our angel. When the angel is trying to sort out its reasons and purpose, it gets old fast. I much prefer the commentary on life and those the angel observes.
July 31, 2010
Sharon Creech is a genius at capturing the beauty of intergenerational relationship in juvenile literature. The first novel I read by her convinced me of her mastery with this theme as she wove tales of an elderly couple coming alongside kids in crisis and sharing life together. I wholeheartedly recommend Creech's Walk Two Moons and Ruby Holler for adults and kids alike as very special indeed.
I was expecting just the same from Creech's latest, The Unfinished Angel, and a Newbery runner-up at that. I convinced Mike (my husband) to join me in listening to the audio-book rendition of this story on a long car-trip. Mike is not much of a reader -- sometimes it takes a bit of arm-twisting to rope him into an audio-book, but the funny thing is, he is always glad of the arm-twisting afterwards. He often surprises me in enjoying the books we are listening to even more than me. He still speaks fondly of The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place which we listened to some 5 years ago, and which I had all but forgotten!
True to form, Mike enjoyed The Unfinished Angel as much as, if not more, than I. I was a little disappointed in what it delivered, but really I guess I had set my hopes too high. I was expecting another work of intergenerational genius. Mike and I both agreed that Sharon Creech bit off more than she could chew by choosing to identify this book's supernatural protagonist as an "angel." This term carries with it so much theological baggage that it's difficult for any author to do it justice.
Creech could have almost done better by going with something like "daemon," in the tracks of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. Really though, don't get me started on what not to emulate from Pullman's work...
Best, I think would have been a choice along the lines of "The Unfinished Faerie." This may best capture the mystical and supernatural, without cumbersome theological implications that do not find themselves at home in this lighthearted story.
--Jen
I was expecting just the same from Creech's latest, The Unfinished Angel, and a Newbery runner-up at that. I convinced Mike (my husband) to join me in listening to the audio-book rendition of this story on a long car-trip. Mike is not much of a reader -- sometimes it takes a bit of arm-twisting to rope him into an audio-book, but the funny thing is, he is always glad of the arm-twisting afterwards. He often surprises me in enjoying the books we are listening to even more than me. He still speaks fondly of The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place which we listened to some 5 years ago, and which I had all but forgotten!
True to form, Mike enjoyed The Unfinished Angel as much as, if not more, than I. I was a little disappointed in what it delivered, but really I guess I had set my hopes too high. I was expecting another work of intergenerational genius. Mike and I both agreed that Sharon Creech bit off more than she could chew by choosing to identify this book's supernatural protagonist as an "angel." This term carries with it so much theological baggage that it's difficult for any author to do it justice.
Creech could have almost done better by going with something like "daemon," in the tracks of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass. Really though, don't get me started on what not to emulate from Pullman's work...
Best, I think would have been a choice along the lines of "The Unfinished Faerie." This may best capture the mystical and supernatural, without cumbersome theological implications that do not find themselves at home in this lighthearted story.
--Jen
March 13, 2010
When I first started reading this lovely little chapter book, I was reminded of the language of the BFG. The narrator, an angel in a tall 400-year-old tower at "Casa Rosa," a home in the Swiss Alps, doesn't quite have a handle on the English language. The silly words - 'dimputer' instead of 'computer,' 'peoples' instead of 'people,' etc., lend an endearing, fun, side to the story that I think kids will enjoy. It adds the necessary lightness to the topic of angels and orphans.
Zola, an 11-year-old girl who dresses in layers and layers of ribbons and colorful skirts and blouses, arrives with her father to Casa Rosa, next door to a Signora Divino, an older Italian lady looking after her grandson, Vinny, and her crazy barking dog - arf arf arf all day long!
Zola is the only person, it seems, to be able to see the angel, the narrator angel, and on the very first day she says "Ciao!" "Feel free to intervene!" The angel takes slight offense -- of course the angel will intervene, though only on its own terms, it thinks.
Zola alerts the angel to the fact that there are 8 dirty, poor children, huddling together on the floor of a local barn - a 'shad' in the angel's terms - at night, and no one seems to know. The angels flits and flishes and floats and plants the idea in the kids' heads that they are to come to Casa Rosa, where Zola quietly takes them and cares for them. The adults in the community find out and are angry, since some belongings have been stolen. With the help of Signora Divino, Zola's father, and Signora's yummy ravioli, the mayor agrees to allow Zola's father to keep the children. Zola's father had come to the tiny town in order to start an international school, and these children will be his first pupils at the boarding school. Zola's mother and brother join them soon, and it turns out that Zola's mother's aunt owned the old building which is being refurbished and turned into a school.
The angel ends with a chapter about 'angels' and 'peoples' and how he is glad Zola came.
Zola, an 11-year-old girl who dresses in layers and layers of ribbons and colorful skirts and blouses, arrives with her father to Casa Rosa, next door to a Signora Divino, an older Italian lady looking after her grandson, Vinny, and her crazy barking dog - arf arf arf all day long!
Zola is the only person, it seems, to be able to see the angel, the narrator angel, and on the very first day she says "Ciao!" "Feel free to intervene!" The angel takes slight offense -- of course the angel will intervene, though only on its own terms, it thinks.
Zola alerts the angel to the fact that there are 8 dirty, poor children, huddling together on the floor of a local barn - a 'shad' in the angel's terms - at night, and no one seems to know. The angels flits and flishes and floats and plants the idea in the kids' heads that they are to come to Casa Rosa, where Zola quietly takes them and cares for them. The adults in the community find out and are angry, since some belongings have been stolen. With the help of Signora Divino, Zola's father, and Signora's yummy ravioli, the mayor agrees to allow Zola's father to keep the children. Zola's father had come to the tiny town in order to start an international school, and these children will be his first pupils at the boarding school. Zola's mother and brother join them soon, and it turns out that Zola's mother's aunt owned the old building which is being refurbished and turned into a school.
The angel ends with a chapter about 'angels' and 'peoples' and how he is glad Zola came.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2012
Sharon Creech may be my favorite author for young people. That said, of the books of hers I’ve enjoyed, there are many I would recommend before this one. It’s a cute little story of an angel who tells it from her tower in a town in the Italian-speaking part of the Swiss mountains. The angel, who is not named, speaks in mostly English, with a smattering of Italian thrown in, and a significant amount of cleverly invented words that are sort of, but not quite, English. She is accompanied by a youngster new to the town, Zola, who has the unusual ability to see the angel. There are the adults of the village, the man who brings Zola to town, and an important passel of youngsters who are apparently orphans from several different countries or different language-speaking areas. The story focuses on what happens to the children and townsfolk over time. It has potential as a read-aloud book to second or third graders with a guiding hand to explain which words aren’t real. An older reader who would know this might like this relatively easy read. If I were looking for a creative, imaginary character, I’d look to Lois Lowry’s Gossamer before this one. The list of other Creech books I’d recommend before this one is perhaps eight deep, with none better than the Newbery winner Walk Two Moons.
February 21, 2010
I am a passionate reader of Sharon Creech. Unfortunately, this tale of a bizarrely-speaking angel in Switzerland reads like a required exercise for a writers' workshop. I can't imagine any kids enjoying it, but then again, some like Tuck Everlasting and Little Women so I'll withhold judgement on that point.
July 7, 2018
This read in one sitting is an empathy builder of about a young free spirited girl who likes to boss an angel around to solve the city’s problems where children are involved. I laughed at some parts and didn’t cry like I was warned.
I’m starting to notice a pattern when authors write about angels...the angels are clueless. Not sure if authors think that is a twist or what.
It was a refreshing Italian version of a Swiss city, I would normally think German or French if the setting is Switzerland.
I’m starting to notice a pattern when authors write about angels...the angels are clueless. Not sure if authors think that is a twist or what.
It was a refreshing Italian version of a Swiss city, I would normally think German or French if the setting is Switzerland.
June 25, 2018
Rating stories is hard for me. Books are so time and person dependent. It is just like when someone you just meet finds out you are a librarian and immediately asks you for a recommendation. How can I recommend you a book if I don't know who you are? If I don't know what you need?
I read this in a week that I needed a sweet, gentle story. I needed a reaffirmation of spirit and I needed to feel, not think, and I got that opportunity here.
I read this in a week that I needed a sweet, gentle story. I needed a reaffirmation of spirit and I needed to feel, not think, and I got that opportunity here.
February 17, 2011
A delightfully unusual novel that sends out darts of wisdom in an unexpected way. From a little village in Switzerland it introduces a new way of looking at the world, and is written with a childish simplicity that comes straight from the heart.
October 16, 2012
Wonderful!
My girl and I laughed a lot while reading this book.
Hint: If you are reading it aloud, make sure to speak with an "Italian" accent.
This book brought us to discuss what the Bible teaches about real angels, which was a good thing.
My girl and I laughed a lot while reading this book.
Hint: If you are reading it aloud, make sure to speak with an "Italian" accent.
This book brought us to discuss what the Bible teaches about real angels, which was a good thing.
December 19, 2025
I love this cute little story told from the point of a busy little angel. I could hear the different accents as I read each word by the creative way it was written. It was a quick read and I enjoyed every bit of it.
December 7, 2012
This story was too cute for me. Although, you may hear my use of 'fidgetated' sometime in the future.
May 14, 2018
Have you ever wanted to be an angel, well so does he. In Sharon Creech's book, "The Unfinished Angel", we meet an angel in the Swiss Alps who usually spends his day looking over the little village he is in but he feels like he could do so much more than just look over Mrs. Divinoand her grandson. He feels like he has no purpose until he meets a girl named Zola. When she sees him he knows that they will become very close friends. Although he has been alive for more than 1,000 years he still has no idea what to do as an angel, but with Zola, he finds his purpose for his life and starts to follow Zola's wishes.
Angels are magnificent beings, the only problem is he's never seen one, not even himself. After a foreigner, Mr. Pomodoro, and his daughter, Zola, move into the little town. Zola sees the angel, which is only something kids can do, and the two become friends and the angel and Zola live together in a tower built into their house. Zola and the angel start trying to fix problems around the town. Vinny, a boy next door keeps annoying Zola by throwing pine cones into their yard and sometimes even at Zola. This frustrates the two and they want to get revenge on Vinny. The biggest problem in the book is when a group of kids show up and live in a barn starving. Zola sees this and yells at the angel to do something. He decides to show the people the children in their sleep with dust, but he does this at a very bad time.
I strongly recommend Sharon Creech's "The Unfinished Angel" to anyone that likes books about characters in uncontrollable and goofy situations. Although I thought this book what amazing, it did have it's uncomfortable moments that made me question what I was reading. A good tip for reading it is when you are confused, regroup everything you learned, and reread the chapter. This strategy really works and I would recommend it for all books as well. This work of art was published in 2009 and is filled with humor, casual reading, adventures, external conflict, and loads of grammatical errors that only make it more fun. If you ever have free time, I would say you should pick up this book online or at the nearest bookstore. If I learned anything from this book, it's that "I get by with a little help from my friends." ~The Beatles
Angels are magnificent beings, the only problem is he's never seen one, not even himself. After a foreigner, Mr. Pomodoro, and his daughter, Zola, move into the little town. Zola sees the angel, which is only something kids can do, and the two become friends and the angel and Zola live together in a tower built into their house. Zola and the angel start trying to fix problems around the town. Vinny, a boy next door keeps annoying Zola by throwing pine cones into their yard and sometimes even at Zola. This frustrates the two and they want to get revenge on Vinny. The biggest problem in the book is when a group of kids show up and live in a barn starving. Zola sees this and yells at the angel to do something. He decides to show the people the children in their sleep with dust, but he does this at a very bad time.
I strongly recommend Sharon Creech's "The Unfinished Angel" to anyone that likes books about characters in uncontrollable and goofy situations. Although I thought this book what amazing, it did have it's uncomfortable moments that made me question what I was reading. A good tip for reading it is when you are confused, regroup everything you learned, and reread the chapter. This strategy really works and I would recommend it for all books as well. This work of art was published in 2009 and is filled with humor, casual reading, adventures, external conflict, and loads of grammatical errors that only make it more fun. If you ever have free time, I would say you should pick up this book online or at the nearest bookstore. If I learned anything from this book, it's that "I get by with a little help from my friends." ~The Beatles
December 31, 2024
I really enjoyed this quick read. Since the book is set in Switzerland, I’ll be using it with my kids for their geography this year.
One of the characters is an “angel,” so let me just spell out what that means in this book. The angel, who narrates the story, is a good-natured spirit who isn’t quite sure what his mission is supposed to be, but he visits people in need and tries to plant nice ideas in people’s minds as they sleep. He also somehow didn’t get fully trained in language, so his narration of the story is full of hilarious mistakes. No, this clearly isn’t a biblically accurate angel, and religion in general is barely even mentioned. But if you can deal with Clarence in It’s a Wonderful Life, then this angel won’t be too much trouble for you. This angel at least makes it clear that he’s not a dead person: “peoples are peoples and angels are angels.” And I’m calling it a him even though that’s not clear — when asked if he is a boy or a girl, he responds in exasperation the he isn’t a boy or a girl, he’s “an angel, an ANGEL, do you hear me?” And he agrees that the paintings of women and babies as angels are silly.
I’ve seen some reviews claiming that the book is confusing and hard for kids to understand because of the angel’s funny mistakes, but I don’t see why that should be the case. All of the angel’s odd words, and the sprinkling of Italian words that are used, come in contexts where it isn’t difficult to figure out what is meant. If your child can read a Dr. Seuss book and distinguish between the real words and the made-up ones, they shouldn’t have much trouble. My daughter thought it was hilarious, and there are moments of fun contrast when the angel makes very discerning observations about human nature in his silly English.
I’d say that the book is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. I think the YA set will enjoy it, too.
One of the characters is an “angel,” so let me just spell out what that means in this book. The angel, who narrates the story, is a good-natured spirit who isn’t quite sure what his mission is supposed to be, but he visits people in need and tries to plant nice ideas in people’s minds as they sleep. He also somehow didn’t get fully trained in language, so his narration of the story is full of hilarious mistakes. No, this clearly isn’t a biblically accurate angel, and religion in general is barely even mentioned. But if you can deal with Clarence in It’s a Wonderful Life, then this angel won’t be too much trouble for you. This angel at least makes it clear that he’s not a dead person: “peoples are peoples and angels are angels.” And I’m calling it a him even though that’s not clear — when asked if he is a boy or a girl, he responds in exasperation the he isn’t a boy or a girl, he’s “an angel, an ANGEL, do you hear me?” And he agrees that the paintings of women and babies as angels are silly.
I’ve seen some reviews claiming that the book is confusing and hard for kids to understand because of the angel’s funny mistakes, but I don’t see why that should be the case. All of the angel’s odd words, and the sprinkling of Italian words that are used, come in contexts where it isn’t difficult to figure out what is meant. If your child can read a Dr. Seuss book and distinguish between the real words and the made-up ones, they shouldn’t have much trouble. My daughter thought it was hilarious, and there are moments of fun contrast when the angel makes very discerning observations about human nature in his silly English.
I’d say that the book is appropriate for kids ages 10 and up. I think the YA set will enjoy it, too.
April 4, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Personally, I have never heard of any story about an angel who feels like he has no purpose, and finds a friend in a spunky young girl. It made me laugh and smile (even when angel cannot find the word for it), and I would read it again.
It has a message of finding your own purpose in life, and how angel realized that he does have a purpose, because everyone had a purpose. He watches over the village in confusion in the beginning, as he believes he is an unfinished angel who was not given a purpose. But, by the end, he realizes he does have a purpose, like everyone else including Zola, and it really is uplifting.
I think the angel’s inability to speak proper english makes the story more interesting, to see the way angel described words and says things like “flish” makes any reader smile. Angel and Zola have a unique friendship, one that is showed in the way that they both want to help people. Angel’s discovery and mindset of the “peoples” and the village is good for a laugh or two.
It is a childrens book, so it is a little cutesy, but the cover gives that impression from the start. I saw it and I read a review, and was instantly intrigued. Expecting the childlike feature, I was fulfilled in my expections of a uplifting book, but I never expected it to be so interesting. I never really expected the great message when I picked it up. It really is a great childrens book.
The message of this story is shown so perfectly obviously, it makes it easy to enjoy. I loved it, and I would definitely recommend this book to my peers/younger peers.
It has a message of finding your own purpose in life, and how angel realized that he does have a purpose, because everyone had a purpose. He watches over the village in confusion in the beginning, as he believes he is an unfinished angel who was not given a purpose. But, by the end, he realizes he does have a purpose, like everyone else including Zola, and it really is uplifting.
I think the angel’s inability to speak proper english makes the story more interesting, to see the way angel described words and says things like “flish” makes any reader smile. Angel and Zola have a unique friendship, one that is showed in the way that they both want to help people. Angel’s discovery and mindset of the “peoples” and the village is good for a laugh or two.
It is a childrens book, so it is a little cutesy, but the cover gives that impression from the start. I saw it and I read a review, and was instantly intrigued. Expecting the childlike feature, I was fulfilled in my expections of a uplifting book, but I never expected it to be so interesting. I never really expected the great message when I picked it up. It really is a great childrens book.
The message of this story is shown so perfectly obviously, it makes it easy to enjoy. I loved it, and I would definitely recommend this book to my peers/younger peers.
June 2, 2025
What a strange book! Creech has two types of books. I love her realistic novels and really dislike her quirky ones. This was told from the POV of an angel living in Switzerland who speaks broken English. That made it hard to follow as the language was clunky. It didn’t add anything to the story, and honestly would be so distracting to a child, which is the audience for this book. The angel knows it’s an angel, not a human, but then it’s confused who is human and who is angel. Are they actually human? Is everyone an angel? (I thought the story was going to end that everyone was dead because it got real weird for a second). The only thing that happens is the angel and the little girl try to save a bunch of homeless kids by stealing things for them (making them targets of the community) and giving the town dreams/putting thoughts in their head (that they forget as soon as they wake up) about starving, helpless kids. The angel doesn’t know how to be an angel, doesn’t know who’s “in charge” or how to communicate with/get to heaven, or what is going on at all. And it’s never explained why or if there are answers to these questions. I don’t get the point of this book at all. Just strange.
February 17, 2022
I was looking for a book to listen to in the car with the kids that was set in Switzerland. This one I probably would have appreciated more as a traditional read-aloud than as an audio book, as the voice was slightly annoying. I did enjoy hearing the accent the reader did for the Italian-speaking characters though. The story is set in an Italian-speaking community in Switzerland. It's told from the perspective of an angel. I didn't really understand the theology behind the angel's existence and purpose, but I did like how the angel, and most people in the story, became less selfish by the end. The characters came together for the greater good, and that was heart warming.
As far as inappropriate content, there was nothing terribly bad, but I didn't like how the father and daughter would yell "shut up" and killing threats off the balcony to the neighbor boy who plays the drums. I think it wasn't meant to be serious, but it still bothered me. Otherwise the daughter was a charming character. And the rest of the content seemed fine for kids.
As far as inappropriate content, there was nothing terribly bad, but I didn't like how the father and daughter would yell "shut up" and killing threats off the balcony to the neighbor boy who plays the drums. I think it wasn't meant to be serious, but it still bothered me. Otherwise the daughter was a charming character. And the rest of the content seemed fine for kids.
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