Life is a Balancing Act – Even for Angels

Undercover angel Phoebe Speedwell is more than just a grumpy tween on a seemingly impossible mission - she’s also my way of trying to help young readers understand what makes people tick.

After experiencing the first two years of modern secondary school through the eyes of my daughter and her friends, I observed the default human reaction (from children and parents alike) of labelling anyone who behaves badly towards us as ‘mean’ or even ‘evil’. Encouraged by some really inspiring work by local headteachers, I wanted to nudge children towards understanding that bad behaviour always has an underlying cause, whether it’s current or past trauma or just the struggles of daily life making people snap.

So, I threw trainee angel Phoebe straight into day one of secondary school and all the weird and wonderful behaviour of children at that age. She has to navigate the trials and tribulations of tween life, school and social skills, while also attempting to complete her top-secret angel assignments.

Initially, Phoebe is convinced that everyone in her class is possessed by demons. That must be the only explanation, surely, for the teasing, the bullying, the awkwardness. And as for the coffee-slurping, stressed-out teachers..? (Sorry, teachers.) But, as she takes a closer look, she learns they’re all just regular humans, with natural flaws and idiosyncrasies, and that some of them have a lot to deal with, on top of finding their feet in big school.

Of course, Undercover Angel is well and truly a comedy series. (I don’t think I could write a serious book if I tried!) It's a fast-paced adventure, full of mystery, mayhem and more cats than is strictly necessary. As a classic ‘fish out of water’ protagonist, Phoebe is confused and bemused by everything from idioms to social media, tea-drinking to classic ‘mean girl’ antics, uncomfortable school uniform to why the old guy on the bus has to cough quite like that.

Seeing the world through Phoebe’s eyes allows readers to enjoy an unfiltered and refreshingly honest view of the world around them. Why can’t people say what they mean? Why is that girl pretending to be friendly? And, seriously, what’s with all the cups of tea???

Although it’s not very angelic, Phoebe doesn’t really like humans. So she’s shocked when she starts getting attached to those closest to her, such as her self-proclaimed BFF Chloe and eccentric Aunty Agnes, Phoebe’s landlady and guide. She definitely hadn’t planned to make friends while on her mission.

Despite beginning to soften around the edges, Phoebe never fully overcomes her need to succeed – Star Trainee three centuries in a row, don’t you know! In book two, Undercover Angel : Grounded, Phoebe is faced with a tough choice: break the Archangels’ rules and help her new-found friends or stay out of trouble and put everyone in the human realm at risk. Unfortunately, another trainee, who’s completely out of his depth, has been sent to tackle a dangerous beast in the school basement. The authorities won’t listen to Phoebe about how much danger everyone is in, the new trainee keeps running away and her BFF thinks the monster is cute…

In her journey, Phoebe learns that things aren’t as black and white as they seem, whether it’s human behaviour or the best route to achieving your objectives. After all, life is one long balancing act, with your aims and ambitions on one side and the needs and wishes of those around you on the other. And, apparently, it’s no different for an angel. Phoebe has to do everything she can to work within the rules, while also finding a way to save her friends and, ultimately, prove her worth as a star trainee.

However, she never quite seems to find the right balance and, by the end of the trilogy, she’s going to have to decide what she wants and make some tough decisions about her future. Undercover Angel is about self-acceptance, as well as accepting others and their many foibles. It’s about choosing your own destiny, while recognising that your choices affect those around you.

But it’s also about cats, crochet and the healing power of hot chocolate.

Undercover Angel is Armadillo Magazine's Book O' the Week. Read Louise's review @ www.armadillomagazine.co.uk

Lisa J Allen lives in the north of England with her husband, two mini bookworms and a perpetually hungry black cat. In a past life, she was a business journalist, but more recently enjoyed a brief stint as a college librarian. The first book in the Undercover Angel series was published by Tiny Tree in June 2025, with book two out in April 2026. The trilogy concludes in early 2027. Lisa can be contacted via author@lisajallen.com and her website www.lisajallen.com