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3.58 AVERAGE
3.58 AVERAGE
It seems like I've been constantly let-down with all the attempts of Greek mythology retellings. Namely, The Goddess Test series, Everbound, and now, Persephone.
I'm not exactly sure what made me dislike this book. It was either the stupidly simple plot, the characters, or even the absence of anything remotely interesting. It was likely a combination of the above, and along with the mediocre writing, leading to my disliking of this book.
Generally, it never really felt like anything was at stake. Ya, Persephone successfullykills the bad guy , but this was fairly easy, when I was expecting, based on the characters' explanations, a difficult and life-threatening task.
The fact that everything was predictable as heck also caused me to not take this book seriously.
The writing was atrocious at worst, mediocre at best. Let's take a few examples, shall we?
Well, DUH, if you roll your eyes, OBVIOUSLY you're showing your opinion.
The second parts of those sentences were merely unnecessary and annoying and were just one of those DUH moments. The book was full of these. I found myself making this face quite a bit while reading Persephone:
Hades was... Bleh. A disgrace to Greek mythology and all the badass gods we expect from it. His relationship with Persephone is kind of unbelievable and I didn't feel very impressed by it as everyone else seems to be. The protagonist was naive and stupid and I never found myself sympathizing with her.
Why is this book appealing to most? I've no idea. I certainly found it very unappealing. Excuse me while I go diligently search for an entertaining Greek mythology book.
If you are looking for a good book on Greek myth, go read some of Rick Riordan's books. Don't make the same mistake I made.
I'm not exactly sure what made me dislike this book. It was either the stupidly simple plot, the characters, or even the absence of anything remotely interesting. It was likely a combination of the above, and along with the mediocre writing, leading to my disliking of this book.
Generally, it never really felt like anything was at stake. Ya, Persephone successfully
The fact that everything was predictable as heck also caused me to not take this book seriously.
The writing was atrocious at worst, mediocre at best. Let's take a few examples, shall we?
"She rolled her eyes to show her opinion of that particular dieting method."
Well, DUH, if you roll your eyes, OBVIOUSLY you're showing your opinion.
I peered past her out the window, grinning so she knew I was joking."
The second parts of those sentences were merely unnecessary and annoying and were just one of those DUH moments. The book was full of these. I found myself making this face quite a bit while reading Persephone:
Hades was... Bleh. A disgrace to Greek mythology and all the badass gods we expect from it. His relationship with Persephone is kind of unbelievable and I didn't feel very impressed by it as everyone else seems to be. The protagonist was naive and stupid and I never found myself sympathizing with her.
Why is this book appealing to most? I've no idea. I certainly found it very unappealing. Excuse me while I go diligently search for an entertaining Greek mythology book.
If you are looking for a good book on Greek myth, go read some of Rick Riordan's books. Don't make the same mistake I made.
I’m a sucker for Greek mythology retellings. However, I read the reviews before going into this book so I had low expectations. That being said, the book wasn’t terrible. It read like a wattpad story and the characters were slightly problematic. The relationship between Persephone and Hades seemed rocky and I know it could have been great if it was a little more developed. Still an enjoyable read though. I liked the new twist with Boreas as the villain in the story.
The book was just a nice quick read. Not to complicated but well enough written that the sequel is a go.
Full Review posted on Book Lovin' Mamas
I loved Kaitlin’s writing style and how she brought the Gods and Goddesses into the modern day. The story between Hades and Persephone is a different take on what you are told as a kid, which is another reason why I loved reading this book. I adored Hades in this book. I loved how strong the character Persephone was when she was in the underworld and how she helped out her friend at the end. I was surprised to find out who was helping the bad guy though. I was in shock when I learned it was a person that Persephone had grown to trust. I’m looking forward to the next book now. =) I can’t wait to find out what happens next. I recommend this book to YA readers out there and readers who have a fascination with mythology. This book will have you wanting more after you finish the last page (or in my case…my Ipad).
I loved Kaitlin’s writing style and how she brought the Gods and Goddesses into the modern day. The story between Hades and Persephone is a different take on what you are told as a kid, which is another reason why I loved reading this book. I adored Hades in this book. I loved how strong the character Persephone was when she was in the underworld and how she helped out her friend at the end. I was surprised to find out who was helping the bad guy though. I was in shock when I learned it was a person that Persephone had grown to trust. I’m looking forward to the next book now. =) I can’t wait to find out what happens next. I recommend this book to YA readers out there and readers who have a fascination with mythology. This book will have you wanting more after you finish the last page (or in my case…my Ipad).
I read this book in 2013. And then in 2016 I got twitter, and at some point I started following the author and then I was like 'I should reread these books I think I liked them' Recent rereading of my diary from ninth grade has confirmed that yes, I did like them. To be fair, it seems that every book mentioned in said diary was 'incredible' and 'so inspiring' and 'amazing'. Only some of said books have withstood the test of time. But you don't want to hear about that. You want to hear about how I read this book, mostly quite enjoyed it, got the next two books from the library, and am prepared to tear through them before school starts. I really liked this take on the Greek gods, and the different relationships in the book, though the writing leaves a bit to be desired.
So in creating this book, Bevis has essentially erased several Greek myths from the canon, leaving them until now to happen. Orpheus and Eurydice, Hades and Persephone--these stories take place within the book. Most of the gods are dead, and are living in the underworld, which is by all accounts quite a nice place to be. This is quite effective, though not really explained. The gods live off worship...but most of them died back in ancient times...but they still have some power even though they're dead? But tat's okay. Thanks to Percy Jackson, most people are fairly familiar with these myths, or at least versions of them. It didn't feel like a girlier (yeah, books shouldn't be gendered but their marketing sure is) version of Percy Jackson. Less sass for one thing, and a totally different interpretation of everything. There's definitely a lot more mythology to be explored in this world. Also, the gods are morally ambiguous, which I really like. It's one of the central conflicts Persephone faces in the novel.
I really like the relationships in this one, too. Hades and Persephone is a big one, and it's very hot and cold, because these guys have issues. Even though it was a straight romance, it went really slowly and they became friends first, and there was an age difference--the romance wasn't as big a deal as the friendship, and I really appreciated that. Because Demeter isn't around for most of the novel, that felt a bit empty on the development side, as did the relationship with Melissa which was limited to cheap words to justify action at the end of the story. Again, though, it didn't really bother me, because I wasn't reading this for depth. I really loved the characters of Cassandra and Thanatos, and the nuance of their relationship with Persephone. The ending set that up lots for future novels. These relationships had lots of room to grow, but were generally enjoyable. Persephone is just a downright likable character, and the whole discovering yourself arc is nothing new, but no less enjoyable for it.
And then there's the writing. It's not worse than most other YA books on the market, and it didn't really bother me, except for one thing: at the action parts, it becomes very tell-y, and I found those scenes really hard to follow. This troubled me somewhat, especially because it's paired with a meandering plot where nothing happens and then everything happens.
This is a fast read. It's fun. It's not that diverse, but it's a fresh take on Greek mythology with lots of potential that you can charge through pretty fast. It doesn't deserve as many superlatives as my less discerning ninth grade self would have given it, but who cares?
So in creating this book, Bevis has essentially erased several Greek myths from the canon, leaving them until now to happen. Orpheus and Eurydice, Hades and Persephone--these stories take place within the book. Most of the gods are dead, and are living in the underworld, which is by all accounts quite a nice place to be. This is quite effective, though not really explained. The gods live off worship...but most of them died back in ancient times...but they still have some power even though they're dead? But tat's okay. Thanks to Percy Jackson, most people are fairly familiar with these myths, or at least versions of them. It didn't feel like a girlier (yeah, books shouldn't be gendered but their marketing sure is) version of Percy Jackson. Less sass for one thing, and a totally different interpretation of everything. There's definitely a lot more mythology to be explored in this world. Also, the gods are morally ambiguous, which I really like. It's one of the central conflicts Persephone faces in the novel.
I really like the relationships in this one, too. Hades and Persephone is a big one, and it's very hot and cold, because these guys have issues. Even though it was a straight romance, it went really slowly and they became friends first, and there was an age difference--the romance wasn't as big a deal as the friendship, and I really appreciated that. Because Demeter isn't around for most of the novel, that felt a bit empty on the development side, as did the relationship with Melissa which was limited to cheap words to justify action at the end of the story. Again, though, it didn't really bother me, because I wasn't reading this for depth. I really loved the characters of Cassandra and Thanatos, and the nuance of their relationship with Persephone. The ending set that up lots for future novels. These relationships had lots of room to grow, but were generally enjoyable. Persephone is just a downright likable character, and the whole discovering yourself arc is nothing new, but no less enjoyable for it.
And then there's the writing. It's not worse than most other YA books on the market, and it didn't really bother me, except for one thing: at the action parts, it becomes very tell-y, and I found those scenes really hard to follow. This troubled me somewhat, especially because it's paired with a meandering plot where nothing happens and then everything happens.
This is a fast read. It's fun. It's not that diverse, but it's a fresh take on Greek mythology with lots of potential that you can charge through pretty fast. It doesn't deserve as many superlatives as my less discerning ninth grade self would have given it, but who cares?
Admittedly, the first few chapters of Persephone were a bit rocky. We had jerky guys falling over themselves for the main character, the stereotypical mean girls who hate her, basically every trope you can find in a YA paranormal.
But I'm glad I stuck with it, because honestly, I enjoyed Persephone. It greatly overcame those first few chapters and turned into something really, really good.
Once we get to the Underworld, the story picks up. Bevis' exploration of the Underworld and how it's changed over the centuries was really fun and interesting. Everything that dies goes to the Underworld, so it's full of televisions and gaming systems. It worked in the novel, despite how silly it sounds.
The aspect I enjoyed most was the fact that the main Gods in the Underworld--Hades, Thanatos, Charon, etc.--all considered themselves friends and, of a sort, family. Their bonds run deep and it shows, and I always enjoyed any scene where they were all together and interacting. Persephone eventually becomes a facet of this relationship and she fits right in.
Another good aspect was the fact that Bevis doesn't shy away from the fact that the Gods are, well, Gods. Specifically Greek Gods. Hades often has his jerk moments, which Persephone doesn't stand for, as do the other Gods. It's acknowledged that Demeter wasn't a great mother herself, and that Zeus was more often than not a raging asshat.
The only downsides I felt were that sometimes the novel felt a bit aimless. Stuff happened, but it felt more like it was padding at times in order to make the book longer before the final act could start. Also, I wasn't certain how much Persephone had grown over the course of the novel. She slowly learns about her powers, true, but I don't know how much she really changed. She's a fine character to begin with, but I hope this changes in the next two books.
Overall I'm glad I stuck with Persephone, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next two books in the trilogy.
(A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.)
But I'm glad I stuck with it, because honestly, I enjoyed Persephone. It greatly overcame those first few chapters and turned into something really, really good.
Once we get to the Underworld, the story picks up. Bevis' exploration of the Underworld and how it's changed over the centuries was really fun and interesting. Everything that dies goes to the Underworld, so it's full of televisions and gaming systems. It worked in the novel, despite how silly it sounds.
The aspect I enjoyed most was the fact that the main Gods in the Underworld--Hades, Thanatos, Charon, etc.--all considered themselves friends and, of a sort, family. Their bonds run deep and it shows, and I always enjoyed any scene where they were all together and interacting. Persephone eventually becomes a facet of this relationship and she fits right in.
Another good aspect was the fact that Bevis doesn't shy away from the fact that the Gods are, well, Gods. Specifically Greek Gods. Hades often has his jerk moments, which Persephone doesn't stand for, as do the other Gods. It's acknowledged that Demeter wasn't a great mother herself, and that Zeus was more often than not a raging asshat.
The only downsides I felt were that sometimes the novel felt a bit aimless. Stuff happened, but it felt more like it was padding at times in order to make the book longer before the final act could start. Also, I wasn't certain how much Persephone had grown over the course of the novel. She slowly learns about her powers, true, but I don't know how much she really changed. She's a fine character to begin with, but I hope this changes in the next two books.
Overall I'm glad I stuck with Persephone, and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next two books in the trilogy.
(A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.)
The dialogue was severely lacking. The writing in general was very simple bordering on bad. There was no chemistry between this version of Persephone and Hades. Hades was a pretty good character, but Persephone was like a stereotype of a teenager. It seemed like Bevis was attempting to criticize/question the age difference between Persephone and Hades without actually saying anything about it.
I recently finished reading [b:Goddess of Spring|30194|Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning, #2)|P.C. Cast|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388187186s/30194.jpg|30583] by [a:P.C. Cast|17015|P.C. Cast|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1347676514p2/17015.jpg] again so I was hesitant to read this because I love the way she handled the Hades / Persephone story in her book. Based on all the great reviews of this book though, I had to give it a try. I'm SO glad I did! I loved this story and have already read all 3 books in the last 2 days. They way [a:Kaitlin Bevis|6150699|Kaitlin Bevis|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1338428860p2/6150699.jpg] wrote the story between Hades and Persephone was refreshing. I like that Persephone doesn't just accept that she is a goddess and immediately start acting like one. She still tries to fit in with humans even when the Gods try to tell her she's above all that. She struggles with her new responsibilities and decisions and the impact of it all. If you are wavering on whether or not to read this book, go for it!!! You won't be sorry.
This was a surprisingly enjoyable read, it wasn't perfect but it was enjoyable. There was a lot of potential here and quite a bit of it was really really great but it fell short in a couple aspects unfortunately. As always, I'll try to keep this as spoiler free as possible but I can't promise I won't accidentally give something small away so read the rest of this with caution.
1. Characters -
Persephone - I liked a lot about her character, but then there were times that she annoyed the crap out of me. I love the way she reacted to finding out she's a goddess, it wasn't downplayed and she didn't just accept it right away. She freaked out and then it took time to come to terms with it (once she actually believed it was happening and true). Even then she clung to her "human life" which all seemed really normal to me, more normal than most big reveals like this are written. I also liked her stubborness to a point, it's something I can relate to. There is, however, a point where it becomes too much and borders on stupid. I understood her character and her stubborness, her need to protect others and to always be so dang nice and good but sometimes these things annoyed me. She's selfless and stubborn to a fault and ends up doing things that my brain screams are stupid. I understand it but it still annoys me. Overall I think she's a strong lead with some great potential but I think she could be written slightly better and that she needs to grow a little which is understandable for a character her age.
Hades - Gods I love Hades. I seem to have a thing for characters that are supposed to be Hades in books. I thought this Hades was good, not the best Hades but certainly one with a lot of potential. It's interesting to read Hades as more of a good guy. I sure as heck don't want to read about the creepy, evil Hades of the actual myth but this Hades seemed even more good than most. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, just different. I found it interesting and that in turn made the whole underworld an interesting idea. I actually liked that he cared for his people and read psychology books, those things made him interesting to me. I also liked that he actually cared about the age difference between him and Persephone like any sane being would. I would have found it extremely weird and creepy if he hadn't and I thought that this book, for once, handled the age gap well. I did find that he was slightly too overprotective of Persephone for my taste but overall I loved his character.
Demeter - I'm Adding Demeter because she annoyed me for a lot of the book. I get that she was trying to protect Persephone and that's her character but I was annoyed (like Persephone) at some of the things she did. I won't go into it too much but she needs to work a bit on her parenting skills. This wasn't really a knock on the writing of the character just something that annoyed me about the character themselves.
Cassandra - I'm adding Cassandra because she's a bigger minor character than the others. I really like Cassandra. I like the way that she handles Hades and the idea behind her character is interesting and also helpful for moving the story along and introducing plot in a normal way. I like her mix of trying to be helpful and not really knowing how to handle a "human". I just really like Cassandra.
Melissa - I like Melissa, sometimes. We don't see Melissa too much in this one which means she isn't as well written as some of the other characters. Again, there's potential here but it's not quite there yet.
Boreas - I've got to say my opinion of the main antagonist changed quite a bit from the beginning to the end. He was a much more sinister and scary character toward the beginning of the book and then, for me, the ending was kind of a let down. I understood what happened of course but it still fell a little flat regardless.
Minor Characters - Overall the minor characters are okay. They aren't spectacular but I don't expect much from minor characters. I really like how characters from the myths are scattered throughout and I love figuring out who they are. Overall I like them and they all bring something to the table.
2. Plot - I thought that the plot overall was pretty good. I think the word of the day for this book is potential. I see potential everywhere with this book and it makes me excited for the rest of the series. The beginning reveal was handled very well and reacted to properly by Persephone. The pacing throughout the rest I thought was okay, there were a couple parts that were a little slow for me. Again I'll say that the ending was a little bit of a let down. It was talked up like it was going to be so difficult and epic and then it was over very quickly. All of the build up led to that? I liked the world building and found the underworld and the mix of the old myths with the new world very interesting and thought it was well thought out. Overall it was enjoyable and had a lot of potential but wasn't perfect.
3. Romance - The romance in this was probably my favorite part. I thought it was paced extremely well and Persephone took a good amount of time to start warming up to Hades and then a good amount of time to build the romance. I thought it was really well written. As mentioned earlier, I liked the way they handled the age gap. The romance was well written and I loved it.
Overall I really enjoyed this book but it wasn't perfect. There's a lot of potential here (I know, how many times can I say potential in one review?). I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. I love Hades and Persephone books and this was a good one. I would recommend this to others that like Hades and Persephone stories or anyone that wants a pretty good, interesting romance with a potentially great sequel.
1. Characters -
Persephone - I liked a lot about her character, but then there were times that she annoyed the crap out of me. I love the way she reacted to finding out she's a goddess, it wasn't downplayed and she didn't just accept it right away. She freaked out and then it took time to come to terms with it (once she actually believed it was happening and true). Even then she clung to her "human life" which all seemed really normal to me, more normal than most big reveals like this are written. I also liked her stubborness to a point, it's something I can relate to. There is, however, a point where it becomes too much and borders on stupid. I understood her character and her stubborness, her need to protect others and to always be so dang nice and good but sometimes these things annoyed me. She's selfless and stubborn to a fault and ends up doing things that my brain screams are stupid. I understand it but it still annoys me. Overall I think she's a strong lead with some great potential but I think she could be written slightly better and that she needs to grow a little which is understandable for a character her age.
Hades - Gods I love Hades. I seem to have a thing for characters that are supposed to be Hades in books. I thought this Hades was good, not the best Hades but certainly one with a lot of potential. It's interesting to read Hades as more of a good guy. I sure as heck don't want to read about the creepy, evil Hades of the actual myth but this Hades seemed even more good than most. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, just different. I found it interesting and that in turn made the whole underworld an interesting idea. I actually liked that he cared for his people and read psychology books, those things made him interesting to me. I also liked that he actually cared about the age difference between him and Persephone like any sane being would. I would have found it extremely weird and creepy if he hadn't and I thought that this book, for once, handled the age gap well. I did find that he was slightly too overprotective of Persephone for my taste but overall I loved his character.
Demeter - I'm Adding Demeter because she annoyed me for a lot of the book. I get that she was trying to protect Persephone and that's her character but I was annoyed (like Persephone) at some of the things she did. I won't go into it too much but she needs to work a bit on her parenting skills. This wasn't really a knock on the writing of the character just something that annoyed me about the character themselves.
Cassandra - I'm adding Cassandra because she's a bigger minor character than the others. I really like Cassandra. I like the way that she handles Hades and the idea behind her character is interesting and also helpful for moving the story along and introducing plot in a normal way. I like her mix of trying to be helpful and not really knowing how to handle a "human". I just really like Cassandra.
Melissa - I like Melissa, sometimes. We don't see Melissa too much in this one which means she isn't as well written as some of the other characters. Again, there's potential here but it's not quite there yet.
Boreas - I've got to say my opinion of the main antagonist changed quite a bit from the beginning to the end. He was a much more sinister and scary character toward the beginning of the book and then, for me, the ending was kind of a let down. I understood what happened of course but it still fell a little flat regardless.
Minor Characters - Overall the minor characters are okay. They aren't spectacular but I don't expect much from minor characters. I really like how characters from the myths are scattered throughout and I love figuring out who they are. Overall I like them and they all bring something to the table.
2. Plot - I thought that the plot overall was pretty good. I think the word of the day for this book is potential. I see potential everywhere with this book and it makes me excited for the rest of the series. The beginning reveal was handled very well and reacted to properly by Persephone. The pacing throughout the rest I thought was okay, there were a couple parts that were a little slow for me. Again I'll say that the ending was a little bit of a let down. It was talked up like it was going to be so difficult and epic and then it was over very quickly. All of the build up led to that? I liked the world building and found the underworld and the mix of the old myths with the new world very interesting and thought it was well thought out. Overall it was enjoyable and had a lot of potential but wasn't perfect.
3. Romance - The romance in this was probably my favorite part. I thought it was paced extremely well and Persephone took a good amount of time to start warming up to Hades and then a good amount of time to build the romance. I thought it was really well written. As mentioned earlier, I liked the way they handled the age gap. The romance was well written and I loved it.
Overall I really enjoyed this book but it wasn't perfect. There's a lot of potential here (I know, how many times can I say potential in one review?). I'm looking forward to the rest of the series. I love Hades and Persephone books and this was a good one. I would recommend this to others that like Hades and Persephone stories or anyone that wants a pretty good, interesting romance with a potentially great sequel.
When I won this book recently I was really happy because I love reading anything involving Greek mythology. I'm a huge fan of the Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout and the Oracle of Delphi series by Diantha Jones, so I was really excited to read Persephone. The only retelling I've read about her and Hades's story was Everneath by Brodi Ashton but still I can't quite compare all.
I really liked this book when I started it. I liked Persephone's voice and was excited to see what's going on in her life and why a lot of people acted weird around her and if the feeling of being watched really happened or was in her head. There was a lot of weird stuff going on like, suddenly stuff started freezing and a rockstar giving her his number. That doesn't happen in real life. But when Persephone's mother tells her she's a goddess, Persephone thinks her mother has gone off the deep end. And really, who wouldn't react like that? That one of my favorite things in it. How Persephone didn't believe it for a while until she faced an actual god who wanted to hurt her. I feel like in most young adult books, heroine's believe too soon whatever is happening to them. This made is actually realistic for a change.
Anyway, before Persephone knows what's happening to her, Hades (Yes, girls, start swooning!) has swept her off to the underworld and marked her as his bride. And that's how the story truly starts taking shape.
I quite like Hades. He isn't what you expect the god of the underworld to be like. He doesn't have flames as hair or is evil, as he describes, he's really a nice guy actually and a good ruler. Of course has his flaws and darker sight but he was great. My favorite scenes almost always involved him, so that does say a lot. I loved his demeanor to Persephone. You can tell right away he cares for her and over the weeks and months I saw their relationship growing. I only wished his declaration of love was put a little differently. I can't quite explain what my problem was with it.
One of my favorite things in this whole book was how the underworld was pictured. Not a dank and dark cave or anything. Persephone and Hades lived in an amazing place where you can decorate your room anyway you like by just thinking about it. The underworld had also stores, where people actually worked because they liked doing what they did. It even had something that looked a lot to Starbucks. If that's not a nice afterlike than I don't know what is!
I actually really loved the minor characters like, Cassandra, Helen, Thanatos, Charon... And what great book doesn't have one of the characters betray the others? :)
There were some minor points that made me not love this book the whole way. Sometimes I felt like the scenes were too fast or hurried. Like, one moment there's a scene going one and the next it ends abrubtly. Also the diologue could've been a bit better.
Most of the time I had a hard time liking Persephone. She was nice and all that, but she was so naive. The only times I liked her was when she was in the beginning, when she was with Hades, and at the end when she went all goddess on Boreas. That actually kind of kicked ass. And some small part of me wished Hades would've been a little darker like you expect Hades to be. I would imagine him a little more dominant and maybe a little scary but this Hades was amazing too anyway!
So overal Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis was a very likable read. The few minor points I had deminish it's greatness a little but it doesn't change the fact that I did enjoy this book. It's really fast-paced, with a lot of action and awesome godlike powers. I am definitely looking forward to reading the second book, Daughter of the Earth and Sky. I hope I can get my hands on it soon!
I really liked this book when I started it. I liked Persephone's voice and was excited to see what's going on in her life and why a lot of people acted weird around her and if the feeling of being watched really happened or was in her head. There was a lot of weird stuff going on like, suddenly stuff started freezing and a rockstar giving her his number. That doesn't happen in real life. But when Persephone's mother tells her she's a goddess, Persephone thinks her mother has gone off the deep end. And really, who wouldn't react like that? That one of my favorite things in it. How Persephone didn't believe it for a while until she faced an actual god who wanted to hurt her. I feel like in most young adult books, heroine's believe too soon whatever is happening to them. This made is actually realistic for a change.
Anyway, before Persephone knows what's happening to her, Hades (Yes, girls, start swooning!) has swept her off to the underworld and marked her as his bride. And that's how the story truly starts taking shape.
I quite like Hades. He isn't what you expect the god of the underworld to be like. He doesn't have flames as hair or is evil, as he describes, he's really a nice guy actually and a good ruler. Of course has his flaws and darker sight but he was great. My favorite scenes almost always involved him, so that does say a lot. I loved his demeanor to Persephone. You can tell right away he cares for her and over the weeks and months I saw their relationship growing. I only wished his declaration of love was put a little differently. I can't quite explain what my problem was with it.
One of my favorite things in this whole book was how the underworld was pictured. Not a dank and dark cave or anything. Persephone and Hades lived in an amazing place where you can decorate your room anyway you like by just thinking about it. The underworld had also stores, where people actually worked because they liked doing what they did. It even had something that looked a lot to Starbucks. If that's not a nice afterlike than I don't know what is!
I actually really loved the minor characters like, Cassandra, Helen, Thanatos, Charon... And what great book doesn't have one of the characters betray the others? :)
There were some minor points that made me not love this book the whole way. Sometimes I felt like the scenes were too fast or hurried. Like, one moment there's a scene going one and the next it ends abrubtly. Also the diologue could've been a bit better.
Most of the time I had a hard time liking Persephone. She was nice and all that, but she was so naive. The only times I liked her was when she was in the beginning, when she was with Hades, and at the end when she went all goddess on Boreas. That actually kind of kicked ass. And some small part of me wished Hades would've been a little darker like you expect Hades to be. I would imagine him a little more dominant and maybe a little scary but this Hades was amazing too anyway!
So overal Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis was a very likable read. The few minor points I had deminish it's greatness a little but it doesn't change the fact that I did enjoy this book. It's really fast-paced, with a lot of action and awesome godlike powers. I am definitely looking forward to reading the second book, Daughter of the Earth and Sky. I hope I can get my hands on it soon!