REVIEW: Angels & Demons - Dan Brown

"Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is shocked to find proof that the legendary secret society, the Illuminati--dedicated since the time of Galileo to promoting the interests of science and condemning the blind faith of Catholicism--is alive, well, and murderously active. Brilliant physicist Leonardo Vetra has been murdered, his eyes plucked out, and the society's ancient symbol branded upon his chest. His final discovery, antimatter, the most powerful and dangerous energy source known to man, has disappeared--only to be hidden somewhere beneath Vatican City on the eve of the election of a new pope. Langdon and Vittoria, Vetra's daughter and colleague, embark on a frantic hunt through the streets, churches, and catacombs of Rome, following a 400-year-old trail to the lair of the Illuminati, to prevent the incineration of civilization." --Goodreads.com

Oo-whoops. still on italics.
Much better.
Anyways, oooh I'm writing a review for a best-seller! I know this is mainly a book people associate with 'adult situations', but I think it's good for teens to, those of us who like this type of reading. Most of us have heard of Angels & Demons, but for those of us who haven't, the summary above does a pretty good job of explaining it. For those of us who were like me and saw the movie before reading the book, it is still incredible.

I read Angels & Demons about three weeks ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. When I found the book in a store I thought, 'oh I've seen the movie, I know what happens' but I bought it anyways, and I'm glad I did, because the two are very different. The book and movie have the same basic plot, but that's about where the similarity ends. One of the changes I enjoyed most was that in the book, everything wasn't as clean and well done. There was a greater feeling of unknowings in Professor Langdon and Vittoria. In the movie, they both seem like scholars of Roman and religious art in Rome, but in the book, they don't know where they're going. Even if you have seen the movie, I highly recommend the book.

For those who haven't seen the movie, you can enjoy the book even more. It's thrilling, dangerous, interesting, and it has a sense of impending doom, because we know there's a bomb ticking away somewhere in Vatican City. I'm a fan of apocalyptic literature, and this fits the bill. The book has religion, art, history, murder, and just a hint of romance. It's a very suspenseful book, and you won't want to stop reading. Robert Langdon and Vittoria Vetra have great personalities, and they don't hesitate to take action. I liked the character development and obvious work put into every aspect of the story. The book is great, and the plot twist at the end is completely shocking.

On a closing note, one could visit the places mentioned in Angels & Demons. Interestingly enough, the statues, churches, and geography of Rome and Vatican City are accurate. The Illuminati and CERN are also quite real. The Da Vinci Code is in my pile of 'to read' books, and I'm really looking forward to it.

RATING: 9.5 of 10

Best of random goodbyes,

Harry