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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
this book olny came out last than 24hr ago and i am all most down i like this book but it is so diffrant that halo the book before this one but in a good way's and a bad way's the story tack a big tweest and you mite have a idea where the most of the story takes place if you no what hades means i din't and i was shoat anyway hades means hell yes hell the story we all love contuns in hell I wosint happy with the ending it was not how i thout the book would ending but the more i think about it the more it make's more cans but i wonted more it like it ended in the midel of a story but it did leat us no that there would be a next book unlike halo wich did not.
Just when I thought Adornetto could redeem herself, she dials up the levels of stupidity and grossness. In Hades, be ready to mix up Catholic Christian beliefs and Greek, villainization of characters who don't immediately kiss Bethany's ass, rampant misogyny/sexism, Xavier's assholery reaching Christian Grey levels of rudeness, and a main lead who sits around twiddling her thumbs waiting for her Big Strong Man to come rescue her…despite the fact she's an ANGEL.
Onto the review…
Plot: Taking place six months after the Jake Thorn debacle, our story opens up on Bethany and Xavier talking about Gabriel making burritos or something. It's Halloween and Bethany makes it clear she hates it because, don't you know, she's an angel!
Here we get our first taste of the rampant sexism and slut-shaming in these books. Xavier's buddies are complaining about being hung over, and one them remarks that he “can't believe Wilson hooked up with Kay Bentley.” One boy says that it's “[Wilson's] funeral” and that “everyone knows that [Kay's] got more miles than my dad's vintage Chrysler.” Ah, I love the smell of slut-shaming and sexism first thing in the morning. The chewed gum analogy, am I right? Because women's value goes down like a car's because of sex!
Xavier chimes in with a blatantly-homophobic remark because boys liking boys? Being ~gay~ is funny! “Tell [Jess,Wesley's girlfriend] you couldn't resist Lawson's ripped body,” is what he says. Bethany, of course, sees nothing with this and instead chooses to wax poetry over Xavier's beauty. I honestly don't know who's worse: Bella Swan or Bethany. After some boring class time, where Bethany lets us know she prefers Molly without her makeup because it makes “[Molly] look her age rather than someone ten years older.” Because there's no greater sin than a teenage girl wearing makeup!
There's some more blathering, and Bethany agrees to perform a séance with the girls because they think her relationship with Xavier is codependent. Which it is because every waking moment is spent with him, not that Bethany really gives two shits, but I digress. But why on Earth would Bethany agree to do a séance when it goes against everything she believes in?
Fast forward, Bethany and Xavier arrive at a party, where he makes it clear he doesn't like girls who aren't demure & stereotypically demure. Bethany whines about how she longs for what sounds like the Victorian era (maybe?) So, our main character, wishes she could live in a time when women were considered little more than breeding cattle and people of color were enslaved. Yikes.
Look, another dose of sexism! In the form of classmate Ben, who remarks “My God, they're sickening,” and that he hopes he “never falls for someone so hard that [he] agrees to have sex in a tractor.” I saw a review that claimed this book has age-appropriate content for young teens (probably 12-16-year-olds), a wholesome romance, and no profanity. Um, did we read the same book? I'm on page 30 of book 2. There's been multiple instances of slut-shaming and sexism but I guess that'sokay. Anything that has well-written portrayals of people of color, women, non-Christians, or non-straight characters is inappropriate.
Anyway, when Bethany plays Match Maker Sue, Ben's “lack of confidence in [her] skills was disappointing,” and she gets offended. At the idea of being with Bethany's friend, Abby, he says this, which really shows how Adornetto views other women and how she probably didn't have a lot of female friends growing up: “‘Beg all you want.’ Ben snorted. ‘My decision is final. I won't be set up with a cooler-drinking, stiletto-wearing bimbo. We'd have nothing to say to each other except bye.’” Notice he doesn't say anything about Xavier's buddies or any other man, just the women.
The girls to the séance once Bethany cleaves herself from Xavier's side and Bethany makes it clear she disapproves and judges Abby, because she doesn't like how Abby emphasizes other side like it's a “ghost story at school camp.” These are teens who have no idea about the supernatural. Of course it's going to be a ghost story/urban legend for them! Also why is the angel okay with performing a séance? No, really. Why would an angel of God mess with the dead? Also pretty sure in today's circles, Ouija boards aren't really concerned occult objects anymore. Anyway, the girls get spooked when Taylah warns them of danger, and I know it's Jake she's warning them about.
Molly breaks the circle, releasing Jake's spirit, and Bethany goes outside to go skulk around for Xavier. Ben seems overly concerned—to the point I really thought he'd become a guy panting after Bethany—but Bethany brushes him aside in favor of worrying to Bell Swan levels. ‘But why was every hair on my body standing on end? Why were chills coursing through my veins like tiny lightning bolts?’ If this were Dora, I'd be screaming at the top of my lungs. Seriously, Bethany had about a quarter of a brain cell.
After she runs into both Molly and some stoner named Ryan we've never met before, one of Xavier's friends shows up, saying he's been hurt and they need to call 9-1-1. Because Bethany has Bella levels of omniscience, she says that “Before he spoke, Wesley threw my strange look; it was almost imploring, like he was seeking my forgiveness.” Why is this here? Can you be anymore obvious?
As Bethany and CO. freak out, she says, “[Wesley's] panic seemed to have transformed into a perverse delight in my distress.” She decides to hop onto the back of his motorcycle and all things become clear when she sees Xavier, unharmed. Plot twist: It's not Wesley but the demon Jake Thorn. He drags Bethany to Hell/Hades. This is where the plot slows to a crawl. It really turns into a Suethor's wet dream of getting to wear pretty dresses, the universe wrapped around them, and two hot guys chasing after them.
For a good chunk of the book, she mopes around Hell and gets to wear pretty dresses. Aside from one escape attempt, she just sits in the 5-star hotel Jake puts her in. Bethany puts herself on a high horse to ask Jake: “Do you enjoy inflicting pain and torture? Do you get off on it?” Bethany, honey, he's a DEMON. What did you expect?
Here we meet Asia, the baddest bitch ever, Tucker, a cardboard cut-out, and Hanna, a Nazi. (I'll go into that shit later.) Asia's the only POC in the book so far and of course Bethany, a white girl, is uncomfortable with her. That reeks to me of “how dare this Black girl not like me?” Because Asia is correct that she doesn't understand why Jake is so obsessed with Beth and makes it clear she doesn't like Beth.
Team Asia! <3
Because she's special, Tucker decides to help Bethany by showing her a lake that allows her to astral project. Bethany, being the simpleton she is, doesn't even hesitate to accept his help, and of course, he's helping her out of the goodness of his heart. Because she's Special. Since this story is in first-person, Adornetto has to cram Beth into every scene because we can't pull out of her POV for a few chapters. While Beth sits and twiddles her fingers, we get Hanna's backstory.
She was a Nazi.“We had little money and I had no skills so I jointed the Hitler Youth, and when Buchenwald was opened, I was sent to work there.” Who knew what was happening.
And Beth, an angel, doesn't care.
How did this pass through an editor? How? Even our main lead doesn't acknowledge that Hanna was a part of one of the world's biggest genocides and instead says, ‘He betrayed you!’ I couldn't believe what I was hearing. ‘He tricked you into bargaining away your life. That's despicable, even for Jake.’” And it's so painfully clear Bethany sympathizes with Hanna and we, as an audience, we're supposed to sympathize with her too. The text doesn't treat this like a horrible person who was part of a horrible thing, no, it focuses on how mean Jake is to trick her!
While Beth is busy being a NAZI SYMPATHIZER—no, I will not get over it or let it go—we cut to Molly, demanding to know where Beth is. We get Xavier being a snide, sexist little prick as Molly refuses to leave. When she explains about the séance, everyone talks cryptically until Molly demands to know what's going on.
And then the archangel Michael shows up. Xavier proceeds to be a little shit—“You're powerful enough to do it. Break in and get her out. How hard can it be?” he says to an all-powerful angel—and when Molly faints, he also gaslights her. Because Adornetto was team Edward. And hates women. ‘At least I think that's what he was; a really big, really bright man. He was all wet with light and his voice sounded like a hundred voices and he had wings—huge wings like an eagle!’ [Molly said.] The look Xavier gave Molly would have made even the surest witness doubt their sanity.”
Xavier defers to Gabriel because patriarchy, who makes the choice to bring Molly in. Xavier doesn't like this. Which means he's questioning an angel's judgement. An archangel. A warrior of God. THE SAME ANGEL WHO WAS BEHIND GOMORRAH AND SODOM. But yes, the privileged little white boy knows more than God's warrior. And what's with Xavier's unsettling hatred of Molly? Like Adornetto, quit putting people you hate in your books as vapid shallow twits. It's not cute, and it feels way too personal.
Cut back to Tucker and Beth. They find a portal and Taylah and, because she's a shallow white BLONDE, Taylah's soul was cast into Hell. Or maybe it was because when she was fifteen and being groomed—she says dating, I say groomed—by a senior, they did a hit-and-run. Bethany has this to say: “I didn't know what to say to her. The sin of omission was a serious offense. There were some who believed a bystander who allowed an injustice to take place was as guilty as the perpetrator himself. Taylah's only defense was her youth and inexperience. Evidently it hadn't been enough to exonerate her.” It's horrible that that happened, but the fact Beth doesn't even acknowledge a fifteen-year-old was dating an eighteen-year-old. I'm not saying it excuses it, but Beth completely ignores that Taylah undoubtedly was groomed.
There's some sort of ceremony where, like every Sue fantasy, Beth gets stuck in a pretty, pretty dress that ends with Beth saving a child's life. A capitol offense in the eyes of Big Daddy. Which is what they call Lucifer. Lucifer himself looks like the KFC mascot. Now I'm picturing a Colonel Sanders with a tail. Thanks. He also has a pimp cane. We also find out a demon who's named Diego has a Spanish accent. Just call him fucking Paco, Adornetto.
They sentence Bethany to death via scary bonfire. Instead of trying to get out her for-sure death sentence, we have Molly trying to confess to Gabriel. Xavier's completely ugly to her for no reason (“‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Spit it out but make it quick, we don't have much time.’”) and Molly has no sense of priorities. She's convinced she's gonna be an old crone if she doesn't get with Gabriel, and I'm really tired. Why can't she be a NORMAL seventeen-year-old girl? Why can't she get a hint? Who is Molly based on, Adornetto??
We cut back to Bethany and Jake and in the morning, they come for her. They tie her up and light her on fire, but my oh my, the flames don't hurt her. Lucifer, or Big Daddy as they unironically call him, throws her into a dungeon. Because we can't go a chapter without Beth waxing poetry over Xavier, we jump cut to the Scooby gang in Tennessee. The nun they were gonna see is possessed and in a hack-slashed scene, Gabriel and Ivy exorcise the demon. The scene ends with Molly getting sick outside, having just witnessed a possession and exorcism. Of course, Xavier has no effects from it's because he's a Man, but at least Molly didn't faint because of her fragile womanly sensibilities.
The next chapter opens up with Molly confessing to Gabriel. Because she has messed-up priorities. Bethany proceeds to judge her and be a giant hypocrite. “No, Molly, don't do it. You're smarter than this. Think about it. Gabriel isn't what you want him to be. You're about to make a huge mistake. You only think you know him. You've imagined there's more to it than there really is. If you're hurting now, this will only make things worse. Go and talk to Xavier first. Wait a while—you're tired. Molly, listen to me!” Which is rich coming from the same girl who exposed to existence of angels because she liked a boy…a boy she knew for a few weeks. A shallow, insipid infatuation.
I do like Gabriel's rejection of Molly, except I hate the part where he says, “‘If you think you love me, then you don't know what love is. Love has to be reciprocated for it to be real.’” There's this really neat thing called unrequited love. Molly's reaction, while childish, is pretty realistic of a teenage girl with an infatuation—because Gabriel's white and hot, remember.
Xavier throws a fit randomly and goes for a drive. Jake and Beth show up. Jake tries to kill Xavier, so Beth makes a deal. After Xavier's saved by Gabriel and Ivy, Jake makes his terms clear in the grossest way possible and spells it out—he wants her virginity—because Beth's an idiot. Adornetto's roots are showing again—a woman's value is her hymen. If she loses it, she's “used” and a “crushed rose.” This shit makes me hurl.
Some back-and-forth where Beth says, “You're supposed to have sex with the person you love, the person you trust, the person you hope will one day be the father your children.” And what of the people who are sexually assaulted and raped? Are they lesser because of it? [Note: No, they're not.] When Jake says sex is for pleasure, Beth counters it's for life. Guess she'll forget that once she married Xavier.
Whoever said this series was okay for teens needs their head checked. What, because there's no “inappropriate” content—i.e, not-straight & not-white characters that are actual characters—that you personally don't want your kids exposed to? But this, where a character is black-mailed into sex, i.e. rape, and where there's explicit discussions of sex, are okay?? On top of the fact that it's framed as an act of love. “Maybe I need to stop thinking of this as an act of sordid unfaithfulness, but rather as the ultimate act of love,” thinks Beth. A SORDID UNFAITHFULNESS? IT'S RAPE, BETH. IT'S NOT KNOWINGLY CHEATING. IT'S RAPE !!!!! Of my fucking GOD. Adornetto has some major, major disgusting worldviews if she thinks making the main lead think of her rape as an “act of ultimate love” is okay. Jesus. I'm so disgusted. I am APPALLED.
The Scooby gang show up to the portal, Xavier is ugly to an archangel that can smite his ass because he's Edward Cullen 2.0 and you know Adornetto was a die-hard Team Edward Twihard, Michael shows up, and we cut to Beth and a disgustingly-long scene that feels like it's supposed to be romantic of a Suethor's wet dream of a sexual pad, complete with rose petals. Jake wastes no time and starts kissing and stroking Beth all over. Just before Jake can get very far, the Scooby gang crashes through a wall. With the car.
I'm serious.
Here's the quote: “I heard Jake let out a vicious stream of curses right before the far wall exploded in a an ear-splitting shower of dirt and stone, and a familiar 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible plunged through the jagged hole.”
The Scooby gang show up, minus Molly, and there's some victim blaming from Xavier. Jake gets killed and the epilogue ends with Beth and Xavier skipping graduation for him to propose. The book ends with everything shaking.
Characters:
Bethany: She's still the judgemental little shit obsessed with Xavier to a creepy degree, only dialed up by one hundred. She's also a Nazi sympathizer. She sits around the entire book, whittling, waiting for Xavier to come save her, despite being a fucking angel. She stands on her soap box and acts holier-than-though to demons. I understand she's an angel but seriously? If I thought she was stupid before, she's more so in this book. Girl, the ground opened up while you were on the back of a motorcycle. Where did you THINK the demon took you? Disneyland? Bethany became so dumb and judgemental, she made Ana Steele look like a well-adjusted woman.
Xavier: He has turned into Edward/Christian/Hardin 2.0 that slut-shames every woman who isn't Beth and is absolutely homophobic. He constantly mouths off to angels, dismisses and condescends Molly for being an average teenage girl, and thinks he knows best. He's a smarmy, entitled, condescending, misogynist asshole. In the first book, I sort of enjoyed him but of course, Adornetto can't let go of serial killer, racist, homophobic sociopath Edward so she has to contort Xavier into him.
Molly: I don't understand why Molly's so dead-set on Gabriel. She's demonized and villainzed for being your average teenage, especially when it comes to her crush, Gabriel. She has no other goals except to get with him because…? He's hot and white, I guess. Like, girl, get your priorities straight please! A little self-worth/respect goes a long way. I promise, you don't have to humiliate yourself for a dude who doesn't care about you.
Gabriel & Ivy: They didn't do much honestly. Couldn't they have come up with a better excuse like, I don't know, mono or something for Beth's absence? I liked Gabriel up until he made the comment about love. Also Ivy doesn't go against him because she's a Woman, despite her outranking him.
Jake: I found Jake much more fun than Xavier Cullen/Grey Woods. He had personality, flair. He was dramatic. I hated the end where he became a rapist. Just…no. I liked the little things he did for Beth—letting her stretch her wings, respecting her wishes when she made it clear—and the slight depth we got. He misses his wings. The end though ruined him for me. Of course, you had to make him much worse than the love interest.
Hannah & Tuck: FUCK HANNA. I'm sorry, but a NAZI character? You expect me to sympathize with a Nazi? AND BETH SYMPATHIZES WITH HER TOO? Hell no. Nope. I understand we're in Hell/Hades (Adornetto doesn't know where she wants it to take place, like, damn) but Beth not acknowledging Hanna's Nazi origins just pissed me beyond off. Her lack of acknowledgement gives me the idea that she was okay with it. Tuck's a sweet boy who I would die for though.
Asia: She is best girl. Team Asia.
All in all, this book was even worse than Halo. This was a dumpster fire of rape, sexism, racism, and twisting of people's beliefs to fit Adornetto's fucked up views. If I knew her in real life, she'd probably be the girl everyone hates.
Onto the review…
Plot: Taking place six months after the Jake Thorn debacle, our story opens up on Bethany and Xavier talking about Gabriel making burritos or something. It's Halloween and Bethany makes it clear she hates it because, don't you know, she's an angel!
Here we get our first taste of the rampant sexism and slut-shaming in these books. Xavier's buddies are complaining about being hung over, and one them remarks that he “can't believe Wilson hooked up with Kay Bentley.” One boy says that it's “[Wilson's] funeral” and that “everyone knows that [Kay's] got more miles than my dad's vintage Chrysler.” Ah, I love the smell of slut-shaming and sexism first thing in the morning. The chewed gum analogy, am I right? Because women's value goes down like a car's because of sex!
Xavier chimes in with a blatantly-homophobic remark because boys liking boys? Being ~gay~ is funny! “Tell [Jess,Wesley's girlfriend] you couldn't resist Lawson's ripped body,” is what he says. Bethany, of course, sees nothing with this and instead chooses to wax poetry over Xavier's beauty. I honestly don't know who's worse: Bella Swan or Bethany. After some boring class time, where Bethany lets us know she prefers Molly without her makeup because it makes “[Molly] look her age rather than someone ten years older.” Because there's no greater sin than a teenage girl wearing makeup!
There's some more blathering, and Bethany agrees to perform a séance with the girls because they think her relationship with Xavier is codependent. Which it is because every waking moment is spent with him, not that Bethany really gives two shits, but I digress. But why on Earth would Bethany agree to do a séance when it goes against everything she believes in?
Fast forward, Bethany and Xavier arrive at a party, where he makes it clear he doesn't like girls who aren't demure & stereotypically demure. Bethany whines about how she longs for what sounds like the Victorian era (maybe?) So, our main character, wishes she could live in a time when women were considered little more than breeding cattle and people of color were enslaved. Yikes.
Look, another dose of sexism! In the form of classmate Ben, who remarks “My God, they're sickening,” and that he hopes he “never falls for someone so hard that [he] agrees to have sex in a tractor.” I saw a review that claimed this book has age-appropriate content for young teens (probably 12-16-year-olds), a wholesome romance, and no profanity. Um, did we read the same book? I'm on page 30 of book 2. There's been multiple instances of slut-shaming and sexism but I guess that'sokay. Anything that has well-written portrayals of people of color, women, non-Christians, or non-straight characters is inappropriate.
Anyway, when Bethany plays Match Maker Sue, Ben's “lack of confidence in [her] skills was disappointing,” and she gets offended. At the idea of being with Bethany's friend, Abby, he says this, which really shows how Adornetto views other women and how she probably didn't have a lot of female friends growing up: “‘Beg all you want.’ Ben snorted. ‘My decision is final. I won't be set up with a cooler-drinking, stiletto-wearing bimbo. We'd have nothing to say to each other except bye.’” Notice he doesn't say anything about Xavier's buddies or any other man, just the women.
The girls to the séance once Bethany cleaves herself from Xavier's side and Bethany makes it clear she disapproves and judges Abby, because she doesn't like how Abby emphasizes other side like it's a “ghost story at school camp.” These are teens who have no idea about the supernatural. Of course it's going to be a ghost story/urban legend for them! Also why is the angel okay with performing a séance? No, really. Why would an angel of God mess with the dead? Also pretty sure in today's circles, Ouija boards aren't really concerned occult objects anymore. Anyway, the girls get spooked when Taylah warns them of danger, and I know it's Jake she's warning them about.
Molly breaks the circle, releasing Jake's spirit, and Bethany goes outside to go skulk around for Xavier. Ben seems overly concerned—to the point I really thought he'd become a guy panting after Bethany—but Bethany brushes him aside in favor of worrying to Bell Swan levels. ‘But why was every hair on my body standing on end? Why were chills coursing through my veins like tiny lightning bolts?’ If this were Dora, I'd be screaming at the top of my lungs. Seriously, Bethany had about a quarter of a brain cell.
After she runs into both Molly and some stoner named Ryan we've never met before, one of Xavier's friends shows up, saying he's been hurt and they need to call 9-1-1. Because Bethany has Bella levels of omniscience, she says that “Before he spoke, Wesley threw my strange look; it was almost imploring, like he was seeking my forgiveness.” Why is this here? Can you be anymore obvious?
As Bethany and CO. freak out, she says, “[Wesley's] panic seemed to have transformed into a perverse delight in my distress.” She decides to hop onto the back of his motorcycle and all things become clear when she sees Xavier, unharmed. Plot twist: It's not Wesley but the demon Jake Thorn. He drags Bethany to Hell/Hades. This is where the plot slows to a crawl. It really turns into a Suethor's wet dream of getting to wear pretty dresses, the universe wrapped around them, and two hot guys chasing after them.
For a good chunk of the book, she mopes around Hell and gets to wear pretty dresses. Aside from one escape attempt, she just sits in the 5-star hotel Jake puts her in. Bethany puts herself on a high horse to ask Jake: “Do you enjoy inflicting pain and torture? Do you get off on it?” Bethany, honey, he's a DEMON. What did you expect?
Here we meet Asia, the baddest bitch ever, Tucker, a cardboard cut-out, and Hanna, a Nazi. (I'll go into that shit later.) Asia's the only POC in the book so far and of course Bethany, a white girl, is uncomfortable with her. That reeks to me of “how dare this Black girl not like me?” Because Asia is correct that she doesn't understand why Jake is so obsessed with Beth and makes it clear she doesn't like Beth.
Team Asia! <3
Because she's special, Tucker decides to help Bethany by showing her a lake that allows her to astral project. Bethany, being the simpleton she is, doesn't even hesitate to accept his help, and of course, he's helping her out of the goodness of his heart. Because she's Special. Since this story is in first-person, Adornetto has to cram Beth into every scene because we can't pull out of her POV for a few chapters. While Beth sits and twiddles her fingers, we get Hanna's backstory.
She was a Nazi.“We had little money and I had no skills so I jointed the Hitler Youth, and when Buchenwald was opened, I was sent to work there.” Who knew what was happening.
And Beth, an angel, doesn't care.
How did this pass through an editor? How? Even our main lead doesn't acknowledge that Hanna was a part of one of the world's biggest genocides and instead says, ‘He betrayed you!’ I couldn't believe what I was hearing. ‘He tricked you into bargaining away your life. That's despicable, even for Jake.’” And it's so painfully clear Bethany sympathizes with Hanna and we, as an audience, we're supposed to sympathize with her too. The text doesn't treat this like a horrible person who was part of a horrible thing, no, it focuses on how mean Jake is to trick her!
While Beth is busy being a NAZI SYMPATHIZER—no, I will not get over it or let it go—we cut to Molly, demanding to know where Beth is. We get Xavier being a snide, sexist little prick as Molly refuses to leave. When she explains about the séance, everyone talks cryptically until Molly demands to know what's going on.
And then the archangel Michael shows up. Xavier proceeds to be a little shit—“You're powerful enough to do it. Break in and get her out. How hard can it be?” he says to an all-powerful angel—and when Molly faints, he also gaslights her. Because Adornetto was team Edward. And hates women. ‘At least I think that's what he was; a really big, really bright man. He was all wet with light and his voice sounded like a hundred voices and he had wings—huge wings like an eagle!’ [Molly said.] The look Xavier gave Molly would have made even the surest witness doubt their sanity.”
Xavier defers to Gabriel because patriarchy, who makes the choice to bring Molly in. Xavier doesn't like this. Which means he's questioning an angel's judgement. An archangel. A warrior of God. THE SAME ANGEL WHO WAS BEHIND GOMORRAH AND SODOM. But yes, the privileged little white boy knows more than God's warrior. And what's with Xavier's unsettling hatred of Molly? Like Adornetto, quit putting people you hate in your books as vapid shallow twits. It's not cute, and it feels way too personal.
Cut back to Tucker and Beth. They find a portal and Taylah and, because she's a shallow white BLONDE, Taylah's soul was cast into Hell. Or maybe it was because when she was fifteen and being groomed—she says dating, I say groomed—by a senior, they did a hit-and-run. Bethany has this to say: “I didn't know what to say to her. The sin of omission was a serious offense. There were some who believed a bystander who allowed an injustice to take place was as guilty as the perpetrator himself. Taylah's only defense was her youth and inexperience. Evidently it hadn't been enough to exonerate her.” It's horrible that that happened, but the fact Beth doesn't even acknowledge a fifteen-year-old was dating an eighteen-year-old. I'm not saying it excuses it, but Beth completely ignores that Taylah undoubtedly was groomed.
There's some sort of ceremony where, like every Sue fantasy, Beth gets stuck in a pretty, pretty dress that ends with Beth saving a child's life. A capitol offense in the eyes of Big Daddy. Which is what they call Lucifer. Lucifer himself looks like the KFC mascot. Now I'm picturing a Colonel Sanders with a tail. Thanks. He also has a pimp cane. We also find out a demon who's named Diego has a Spanish accent. Just call him fucking Paco, Adornetto.
They sentence Bethany to death via scary bonfire. Instead of trying to get out her for-sure death sentence, we have Molly trying to confess to Gabriel. Xavier's completely ugly to her for no reason (“‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Spit it out but make it quick, we don't have much time.’”) and Molly has no sense of priorities. She's convinced she's gonna be an old crone if she doesn't get with Gabriel, and I'm really tired. Why can't she be a NORMAL seventeen-year-old girl? Why can't she get a hint? Who is Molly based on, Adornetto??
We cut back to Bethany and Jake and in the morning, they come for her. They tie her up and light her on fire, but my oh my, the flames don't hurt her. Lucifer, or Big Daddy as they unironically call him, throws her into a dungeon. Because we can't go a chapter without Beth waxing poetry over Xavier, we jump cut to the Scooby gang in Tennessee. The nun they were gonna see is possessed and in a hack-slashed scene, Gabriel and Ivy exorcise the demon. The scene ends with Molly getting sick outside, having just witnessed a possession and exorcism. Of course, Xavier has no effects from it's because he's a Man, but at least Molly didn't faint because of her fragile womanly sensibilities.
The next chapter opens up with Molly confessing to Gabriel. Because she has messed-up priorities. Bethany proceeds to judge her and be a giant hypocrite. “No, Molly, don't do it. You're smarter than this. Think about it. Gabriel isn't what you want him to be. You're about to make a huge mistake. You only think you know him. You've imagined there's more to it than there really is. If you're hurting now, this will only make things worse. Go and talk to Xavier first. Wait a while—you're tired. Molly, listen to me!” Which is rich coming from the same girl who exposed to existence of angels because she liked a boy…a boy she knew for a few weeks. A shallow, insipid infatuation.
I do like Gabriel's rejection of Molly, except I hate the part where he says, “‘If you think you love me, then you don't know what love is. Love has to be reciprocated for it to be real.’” There's this really neat thing called unrequited love. Molly's reaction, while childish, is pretty realistic of a teenage girl with an infatuation—because Gabriel's white and hot, remember.
Xavier throws a fit randomly and goes for a drive. Jake and Beth show up. Jake tries to kill Xavier, so Beth makes a deal. After Xavier's saved by Gabriel and Ivy, Jake makes his terms clear in the grossest way possible and spells it out—he wants her virginity—because Beth's an idiot. Adornetto's roots are showing again—a woman's value is her hymen. If she loses it, she's “used” and a “crushed rose.” This shit makes me hurl.
Some back-and-forth where Beth says, “You're supposed to have sex with the person you love, the person you trust, the person you hope will one day be the father your children.” And what of the people who are sexually assaulted and raped? Are they lesser because of it? [Note: No, they're not.] When Jake says sex is for pleasure, Beth counters it's for life. Guess she'll forget that once she married Xavier.
Whoever said this series was okay for teens needs their head checked. What, because there's no “inappropriate” content—i.e, not-straight & not-white characters that are actual characters—that you personally don't want your kids exposed to? But this, where a character is black-mailed into sex, i.e. rape, and where there's explicit discussions of sex, are okay?? On top of the fact that it's framed as an act of love. “Maybe I need to stop thinking of this as an act of sordid unfaithfulness, but rather as the ultimate act of love,” thinks Beth. A SORDID UNFAITHFULNESS? IT'S RAPE, BETH. IT'S NOT KNOWINGLY CHEATING. IT'S RAPE !!!!! Of my fucking GOD. Adornetto has some major, major disgusting worldviews if she thinks making the main lead think of her rape as an “act of ultimate love” is okay. Jesus. I'm so disgusted. I am APPALLED.
The Scooby gang show up to the portal, Xavier is ugly to an archangel that can smite his ass because he's Edward Cullen 2.0 and you know Adornetto was a die-hard Team Edward Twihard, Michael shows up, and we cut to Beth and a disgustingly-long scene that feels like it's supposed to be romantic of a Suethor's wet dream of a sexual pad, complete with rose petals. Jake wastes no time and starts kissing and stroking Beth all over. Just before Jake can get very far, the Scooby gang crashes through a wall. With the car.
I'm serious.
Here's the quote: “I heard Jake let out a vicious stream of curses right before the far wall exploded in a an ear-splitting shower of dirt and stone, and a familiar 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible plunged through the jagged hole.”
The Scooby gang show up, minus Molly, and there's some victim blaming from Xavier. Jake gets killed and the epilogue ends with Beth and Xavier skipping graduation for him to propose. The book ends with everything shaking.
Characters:
Bethany: She's still the judgemental little shit obsessed with Xavier to a creepy degree, only dialed up by one hundred. She's also a Nazi sympathizer. She sits around the entire book, whittling, waiting for Xavier to come save her, despite being a fucking angel. She stands on her soap box and acts holier-than-though to demons. I understand she's an angel but seriously? If I thought she was stupid before, she's more so in this book. Girl, the ground opened up while you were on the back of a motorcycle. Where did you THINK the demon took you? Disneyland? Bethany became so dumb and judgemental, she made Ana Steele look like a well-adjusted woman.
Xavier: He has turned into Edward/Christian/Hardin 2.0 that slut-shames every woman who isn't Beth and is absolutely homophobic. He constantly mouths off to angels, dismisses and condescends Molly for being an average teenage girl, and thinks he knows best. He's a smarmy, entitled, condescending, misogynist asshole. In the first book, I sort of enjoyed him but of course, Adornetto can't let go of serial killer, racist, homophobic sociopath Edward so she has to contort Xavier into him.
Molly: I don't understand why Molly's so dead-set on Gabriel. She's demonized and villainzed for being your average teenage, especially when it comes to her crush, Gabriel. She has no other goals except to get with him because…? He's hot and white, I guess. Like, girl, get your priorities straight please! A little self-worth/respect goes a long way. I promise, you don't have to humiliate yourself for a dude who doesn't care about you.
Gabriel & Ivy: They didn't do much honestly. Couldn't they have come up with a better excuse like, I don't know, mono or something for Beth's absence? I liked Gabriel up until he made the comment about love. Also Ivy doesn't go against him because she's a Woman, despite her outranking him.
Jake: I found Jake much more fun than Xavier Cullen/Grey Woods. He had personality, flair. He was dramatic. I hated the end where he became a rapist. Just…no. I liked the little things he did for Beth—letting her stretch her wings, respecting her wishes when she made it clear—and the slight depth we got. He misses his wings. The end though ruined him for me. Of course, you had to make him much worse than the love interest.
Hannah & Tuck: FUCK HANNA. I'm sorry, but a NAZI character? You expect me to sympathize with a Nazi? AND BETH SYMPATHIZES WITH HER TOO? Hell no. Nope. I understand we're in Hell/Hades (Adornetto doesn't know where she wants it to take place, like, damn) but Beth not acknowledging Hanna's Nazi origins just pissed me beyond off. Her lack of acknowledgement gives me the idea that she was okay with it. Tuck's a sweet boy who I would die for though.
Asia: She is best girl. Team Asia.
All in all, this book was even worse than Halo. This was a dumpster fire of rape, sexism, racism, and twisting of people's beliefs to fit Adornetto's fucked up views. If I knew her in real life, she'd probably be the girl everyone hates.
It was better than the first book. I have to admit that. But I also have to admit that it's pretty much Twilight with angels and maybe just a little bit better plot. But Bethany needs to go.
Full Review posted at Book Lovin' Mamas
I rated this book 4 full moons. I do wish the book had a little more action to it. It was predictable at points, but it had it's moments where you were like WHOA, what and why did that just happened. I also have to say...the cliffhanger was GREAT. I can't wait to see what Alexandra writes next in this series. What could happen now to Xander and Bethany?
I rated this book 4 full moons. I do wish the book had a little more action to it. It was predictable at points, but it had it's moments where you were like WHOA, what and why did that just happened. I also have to say...the cliffhanger was GREAT. I can't wait to see what Alexandra writes next in this series. What could happen now to Xander and Bethany?
I wasn't in love with Halo but I liked it enough to give Hades a try and I gotta say I'm happy I did! Hades was a much better story because the pacing was perfect. Things didn't move too fast and I found myself happy with Bethany's character.
I must admit that things happening in Hades didn't really add up for me. The way Jake handled Bethany didn't seem right. He's a demon so I thought he would have done more to her, even if it was against her will.
I remember reading a description that made me think I would judge Xavier's loyalty or not, but I honestly never did. I understand he got upset and Ivy and Gabriel had to set him straight sometimes, but I think for a teenage boy that's normal.
What I was not expecting was the whole Gabriel and Molly thing. I'm really anxious to read about them in the Heaven!
Overall, I found myself really liking the book and I liked that we got to see a lot more of Bethany's family, Ivy and Gabriel. They're nice characters to read about and I'm glad we learned more about them.
I must say I definitely didn't see that ending coming and I don't really think it made sense - Xavier never acts so spontaneous like that. But it made me eager to find out what Heaven's all about!
I must admit that things happening in Hades didn't really add up for me. The way Jake handled Bethany didn't seem right. He's a demon so I thought he would have done more to her, even if it was against her will.
Spoiler
I also thought that Bethany being able to communicate with Xavier was really cute but it didn't seem like that should be happening and I thought it was kind of annoying that she could. Don't get me wrong I'm glad she could but I don't like it when the main characters always can do these extraordinary things.I remember reading a description that made me think I would judge Xavier's loyalty or not, but I honestly never did. I understand he got upset and Ivy and Gabriel had to set him straight sometimes, but I think for a teenage boy that's normal.
What I was not expecting was the whole Gabriel and Molly thing. I'm really anxious to read about them in the Heaven!
Overall, I found myself really liking the book and I liked that we got to see a lot more of Bethany's family, Ivy and Gabriel. They're nice characters to read about and I'm glad we learned more about them.
I must say I definitely didn't see that ending coming and I don't really think it made sense - Xavier never acts so spontaneous like that. But it made me eager to find out what Heaven's all about!
I really enjoyed the first book but this one was just so flawed and painful to read. Beth was such a whiney, useless, and infatuated character that it was hard to feel compassionate towards her and her perfect life. She's an angel although she doesn't do anything helpful but spends all her time thinking about her boyfriend. It's annoying and she reminded me about Bella Swan (not a good thing). Don't think I'll read the 3rd book
The blurb about the author says she loves reading about theology what it doesn't say is she either reading the wrong theology books or she is paying no attention to what she is reading.
Everything about this book from the premise of an angel being abducted into hades (which ia apparently like some hotel somewhere) and Satan ruling Hell (Hell was made for Satan's punishment not for him to rule) to the angel herself going along to a seance to her being a vacuous vapid teenager without anything that makes her in anyway compelling.
The main crime of the book though is that of a book which purports to be based on Christian theology and it is because it quotes scripture and does mention God and Jesus, is that it is really a Christ-less theology and his atoning and sacrificial and sufficient death on the cross are not at all a part of this world that Adornetto has created.
A Christ-less theology is a useless theology - I think I said in my review of the first book which I read sometime ago, and didn't think I'd read the second one, silly me did, that if she created a world of aliens and have them stay in a town on a mission (and we still don't really know what their mission is meant to be apart from being vacuous) then that book might be something interesting, read might, because if it still had the insipid Bethany in it it may still be excruciating. Sigh - her first trilogy showed a reasonable talent - these books a re a waste of her talent because they are just so stupid. Will I read the third one? Only time will tell.
Everything about this book from the premise of an angel being abducted into hades (which ia apparently like some hotel somewhere) and Satan ruling Hell (Hell was made for Satan's punishment not for him to rule) to the angel herself going along to a seance to her being a vacuous vapid teenager without anything that makes her in anyway compelling.
The main crime of the book though is that of a book which purports to be based on Christian theology and it is because it quotes scripture and does mention God and Jesus, is that it is really a Christ-less theology and his atoning and sacrificial and sufficient death on the cross are not at all a part of this world that Adornetto has created.
A Christ-less theology is a useless theology - I think I said in my review of the first book which I read sometime ago, and didn't think I'd read the second one, silly me did, that if she created a world of aliens and have them stay in a town on a mission (and we still don't really know what their mission is meant to be apart from being vacuous) then that book might be something interesting, read might, because if it still had the insipid Bethany in it it may still be excruciating. Sigh - her first trilogy showed a reasonable talent - these books a re a waste of her talent because they are just so stupid. Will I read the third one? Only time will tell.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
O melhor livro da trilogia. Nesse tem mais ação, saí daquele romance bem babado do primeiro livro
emotional