Angel to the Rescue

“Angel to the Rescue” is a clever play on words combining people - adults and children alike - who are at the threshold of buckling from drawing their last straw with several forms of guardian angels tasked with bringing them back from the brink. The main character, Rachel Kelly is a therapist whose recent heartbreak drives her need to self-distract with a few new pro bono cases referred through her best friend - a middle-school guidance counselor. Navigating through the intricacies of her young patients’ abuse and a young boy who swears he sees “angels,” Rachel and her young charges are thrust into situations where they need to rely on each other as well as the angels in their lives whose sole purpose is to help and protect them. 

McCarty’s novel was a unique blend of empathy, heartache, and desperation. The characters are well-developed and as the pages pass, readers will not be able to help themselves from rooting for the characters’ deepest desires to be answered; however, the use of biblical passages and the frequent references to a higher power and redemption through belief and worthiness might be less than appealing for some readers. That being said, if as a reader you find yourself rooting for the underdog, characters who can push through their emotional quagmire to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, then this novel will not disappoint! 

Amy Willis