Rating: 
Summary: Good Summer Read
Review: This was a good summer read, full of excitement and mystery. The author wrote the book in such a way that you don't know what is going to happen until the end. It was full of twists and turns and I loved every minute of it. The book was a quick read and I would tell a thriller/mystery lover to read it!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Angels & Demons: A Good But Flawed Thriller
Review: Dan Brown's "Angels & Demons has many things to recommend it: a well-paced plot, interesting characters, and above all a modern clash of two ancient enemies in a fascinating setting. There are, however, some serious flaws in this novel. There is a wealth of historical information presented, and some of it is obviously complete fiction woven in with fact to make for an interesting story. There are, however, some errors which seem to be the result of faulty research. For example, the protagonist (Robert Langdon, a religious symbologist) thinks that "Novus Ordo Seclorum" means "New Secular Order," which it does not. Another character (a priest in the Vatican) thinks that the Catholic Church embraces Creationism, which it does not. These mistakes along with others mar what is otherwise an enjoyable read.
Rating: 
Summary: Another great Dan Brown novel!
Review: This is my 2nd foray into the world of Robert Langdon, Dan Brown's reoccurring Harvard symbologist. Ironically, this is Langdon's first appearance, his 2nd being "The Da Vinci Code", which I read first.Perhaps because I read "The Da Vinci Code" first, I thought it was a bit better than "Angels & Demons". Or perhaps it's because "The Da Vinci Code" allowed me to do a bit of sleuthing on my own and presented a challenging array of puzzles--a couple of which I was proud to solve. No matter, "Angels & Demons" itself is an excellent piece of work. Again, as in "The Da Vinci Code", the reader is very aware that Dan Brown has put in an enormous amount of research and effort into writing this amazing book. The lines between fiction and non-fiction are blurred as many of the details of the book revolve around true things. I do not want to spoil the book for future readers, so I will give a very basic overview of the book. Leonardo Vetra, a leading scientist at CERN (the real-life world's largest particle physics center) has been killed and branded with a horrible ancient symbol....an ambigram (a word that reads the same upside down as rightside up) of the word ILLUMINATI, an ancient foe of the Catholic Church. Perhaps more disturbing is that Vetra had discovered a way to actually create antimatter, the perfect energy source. Depending upon its use, however, it could either be the most efficient energy source (a droplet could fuel New York City for an entire day) or for a means of mass destruction (a single gram has enough destruction as a 20 kiloton nuclear bomb--like that used on Hiroshima). Moreover, antimatter is extremely unstable and if it comes into contact with anything, even air, it will annihilate. Again, antimatter is a real thing, not fiction. What do the Illuminati, Catholic Church, CERN, and antimatter have to do with each other? You will have to read the book to find out. Dan Brown provides a fast-paced read and an enlightening view of art, history, and faith (though I would not consider this a religious book by any means...don't read it if you're looking for a religious experience). Brown has thoroughly researched his material in order to write a thrilling book of action, mystery, and suspense. The most amazing thing is though the plot is unlikely, it is thoroughly believable because much of the information contained in the book is true. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book.
Rating:
Summary: highly engrossing
Review: This earlier book by the author of The DaVinci Code offers the same sort of scintific/religous mystery. The bulk of the story takes place within a 24 hour period and has the same protagonist as DaVinci Code. Once again the story revolves around a secret society, and the suspense is quite palpable. Read this before DaVinci and you'll be glad you did.
Rating:
Summary: Could not put it down
Review: In the same way I go through James Patterson's Alex Cross series,unable to stop and put the book down, so it was with Angels & Demons. The story is a great thriller and has a new hero Robert Langdon.What I like most about the story was it's sophistication, fast pace and great value in exposing audience to art history.Everyone I turned on to this book loves it!
Rating:
Summary: Stunningly Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Angels and Demons was one of the most interesting thrillers that I have ever read. Being in Rome as I was a few years ago made the book even better. I recommend it to anyone who loves history and thriller novels. There are so many interesting facts in here, like the origin of the weird pyramid eye on the dollar bill, the space plane, the Vatican conclave ceremony, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: So Cliched it Gives Cliches a Bad Name!
Review: I was thrilled to finally get my hands on a copy of this much-praised thriller, but after the first couple pages I was reading just for laughs---and there were many. The cliches of character, description, action, plot, and just about everything else are a hoot! The characters are so comical, the writing so hackneyed, and the love affair so predictable that this book gives cliches a bad name. If you ever read Alastair Maclean, seen Raiders of the Lost Ark, or most other thrillers of this ilk, you'll groan over this book---my wife and I had a great time on vacation reading passages out loud and laughing aloud.
Rating:
Summary: Too over the top
Review: Much preferred Da Vinci Code. The scenarios in A&D are outrageous and the motives, reactions and responses of characters are too often unrealistic. The last few chapters are laughable with unsatisfying twists, coming off as twists for the sake of twists. Made-for-TV thriller material here with awkward commentary on the so-called spiritual state of the modern world. Da Vinci Code is somewhat better researched, a better paced thriller and its weaknesses are generally forgivable.
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Summary: A WONDERFUL ROMP THRU TERROR AND HISTORY
Review: This story pulls you in, especially if you love exotic settings and occult intrigue, as I do. The story's hero thinks that he, as a Harvard professor, knows all about the mysterious Illuminati, and he believes they are extinct. But he learns he may be mistaken when a distinguished scientist and priest at CERN turns up dead with the word "Illuminati" branded on his chest. But this is no ordinary brand; it is an "ambigram" -- a word scripted to look the same upside down as right side up. This is the first of six amazing ambigrams we see illustrated in this book. The Illuminati, it seems, are out to get revenge against the Vatican for its past sins, which are many. The illusive Illuminati have hired a "hassassin" (a more ancient form of "assassin") to kill the four cardinals who are candidates to replace the pope, who has recently died. The story takes Robert Langdon, the Harvard professor, and Vittoria Vetra, the sexy (adopted) daughter of the dead scientist-priest on an incredible day-long adventure in a mostly futile attempt to stop the murders, along with a deadly jar of anti-matter hidden somewhere in the labyrinth of Vatican City. The anti-matter is counting down to midnight when it will work the final revenge on the church: the complete destruction of the Vatican complex with its priceless treasures. What makes the book special is the historic clues that Langdon pursues, as he tries to find the markers left by the Illuminati at the time of Michelangelo and Bernini, whose work is resplendent in the numerous churches and monuments of Rome and Vatican City. I loved the details woven into the story, especially the descriptions of secret places within the Vatican. The characters in this story are Vatican Swiss Guards, Cardinals of the Church, the camerlengo who is left in charge at the pope's death, and the bitter, wheelchair-bound Director of CERN in Geneva. I can't help but wonder how much of the descriptions and characterizations (certainly not the actual characters) are real. Emotions build as the characters realize the unfolding events transcend their own situation and I actually found myself crying at one point in the book. But I experienced a kind of let-down near the end. The final twist of the plot was one I did not anticipate and it left me without the kind of wrap-up that I had expected. I thought everything would end tidy and sure, with the good guys and bad guys clearly identified. Maybe the final ambiguity was by design; maybe the author wanted us to think about who was more correct: the Illuminati point of view that the Church had committed too many atrocities and outlived its usefulness, or the Church's point of view that science can never give us all the answers. A really great book delivers not only adventure and thrills, but also provocative ideas. This book seesaws between the opposites that are implied by its title. We move from scene to scene, character to character in a dance of intrigue. Dan Brown is one helluva story-teller and this book left me always wanting to know what was on the next page.
Rating:
Summary: It Illuminates
Review: For anyone with a love for art and thrillers, this is the deffinite book. Dan Brown is amazing! This book keeps you chasing page after page along with the characters to see how it unfolds. Robert Langdon is quick and intelligent. The plot is unique and breathtaking. The Illuminati is a brotherhood you'll never forget.
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