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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
Check my review here: http://katesbooklife.blogspot.com/2011/11/hades-halo-2.html
Actually 4.5 but it dont matter because I actually enjoyed this book. It was really good. I liked it. Need to go get the third one.
Speravo che con questo secondo libro l'Adornetto aggiustasse un attimo il tiro, ma niente da fare.. Sacrifice si conferma abbastanza prevedile nella trama e la protagonista continua nel suo atteggiamento noioso da "va tutto male, malissimo, povera me.." e poi finisce tutto bene e certo non per merito suo!! Non sia mai che combinasse qualcosa d'utile..
L'unica cosa che l'Adornetto ha azzeccato in pieno è stata la fine, nel senso che mi costringe a leggere anche il terzo libro, perchè così in sospeso non mi piace stare!!!
L'unica cosa che l'Adornetto ha azzeccato in pieno è stata la fine, nel senso che mi costringe a leggere anche il terzo libro, perchè così in sospeso non mi piace stare!!!
This paranormal fantasy is the follow up to the highly successful Halo, although it could be read as a stand alone title. Beth is an angel but she is tricked by Jake Thorn and ends up banished to the fiery abyss of hell. Beth is desperate to return to earth and to Xavier, but how will she manage to escape from hell?
Ineffable to sacred or great to be spoken aloud. Man this book. So Alexandra wasted no time getting to the point of this story. Six chapters in and Bethany is in hell, literally. Hell isn't exactly what I expected it to be. This book will having you wanting to yell and cry and make you so frustrated. Xavier as always was hot as ever and the most totally sweet guy ever and seeing him during his time without Bethany broke my heart. And let me tell you the ending is wow. Just wow. It left you hanging on a thread high up in the air and on the verge of being broken. God help us all. I can't wait for the third book.
I love this story though it was a bit too wordy at some points. I don't see why people would hate this book.
This review was originally posted on Tantalizing Illusions
The Halo series by Alexandra Adornetto seems to be a hit or miss among reviewers. Either you'll love it or you'll hate it. That's why I was really nervous to read Hades. I thought Halo was okay but I was getting scared by the reviews of Hades. I finally told myself that as a reviewer I'd have to face my fear and if I wanted to read the book, I should. With such a beautiful cover, and me being as vain as I am, I couldn't ignore this title.
I didn't hate it. After reading Hades all I feel is a bit of disappointment due primarily to how the story ended. I'll start with the good though.
It's hard to stop reading once you've started. I wouldn't say it's an addiction but Hades just draws you in so well and you're always going to question what will happen next. The premise is fantastic and though there are a few clichés, they're easy enough to overlook if you like the story.
If you don't like the story you may have some issues. My first issue was with the characters. I remember loving Bethany and Xander in Halo and hating Jake. I completely switched sides. Bethany and Xander as a couple are codependent. I love that even Bethany's girlfriends, some characters barely seen except to prove that Bethany does have friends, even say so. You might say it's true love and then I'd be stumped because I haven't encountered that yet. Except that this not being able to live without each other kind of love never rang true. Instead of being empathetic and rooting for the happy couple I was thinking how I'd react if I met a Bethany and Xander in real life. Bethany and Xander don't do much without each other. I would have rather Bethany had a personality and individual interests outside of him but she doesn't. I can't really admire that as being individual is really important to me.
I didn't really like any of the characters either. Ivy and Gabriel fell flat again and I saw them as robotic. They were in a way. They're angels and not really human. Mollie was one of the most frustrating characters I've read. I liked that she had a clear personality but that personality bothered me to no extent. The only character I really wanted more of was Jake. He made awful, awful choices and then good ones. In the end I was so fascinated with him that I had to continue reading. The only thing I couldn't understand was why Jake had a thing for Beth. I thought that was a cliché and it really wasn't explained so I was disappointed in that regard.
In Hades we're in a brand new setting: Hell. Even though there were numerous descriptions, Hell never really came alive for me. I liked the concept but we were more focused on Bethany who cared more about Xander. There were some things well done though- "Big Daddy" made me giggle for instance. I would rather have seen more.
What Hades had a ton of were moments where I really wondered how real it could be. Some of the actions by the demons had me wondering how demonic they were and some of heaven's choices made me not root for the other team either. There were too many beautiful people between the angels and demons and at one point I was wishing for someone normal to appear. Thankfully, they did. I was really pleased with one of the very minor character's story for one. (Sorry for being vague but vague is much better than spoiling.)
Plot wise, I also wasn't impressed. I really wish I was but I feel like not much happened. There were 400 pages in this book- above average. That made for a long read as not much stuff happened. There was potential- Bethany was in hell. Hell is a setting where so much is possible but I didn't feel anything. And the conclusion didn't overjoy me either.
All in all, though I did ramble on about what I didn't like there is a reason I keep reading this series. It reminds me of Lauren Kate's Fallen series- you know it's not the best book out there but something about it has you hooked. If you want to read Hades, I won't discourage you. Every book deserves a chance. 2.5 stars.
**
The Halo series by Alexandra Adornetto seems to be a hit or miss among reviewers. Either you'll love it or you'll hate it. That's why I was really nervous to read Hades. I thought Halo was okay but I was getting scared by the reviews of Hades. I finally told myself that as a reviewer I'd have to face my fear and if I wanted to read the book, I should. With such a beautiful cover, and me being as vain as I am, I couldn't ignore this title.
I didn't hate it. After reading Hades all I feel is a bit of disappointment due primarily to how the story ended. I'll start with the good though.
It's hard to stop reading once you've started. I wouldn't say it's an addiction but Hades just draws you in so well and you're always going to question what will happen next. The premise is fantastic and though there are a few clichés, they're easy enough to overlook if you like the story.
If you don't like the story you may have some issues. My first issue was with the characters. I remember loving Bethany and Xander in Halo and hating Jake. I completely switched sides. Bethany and Xander as a couple are codependent. I love that even Bethany's girlfriends, some characters barely seen except to prove that Bethany does have friends, even say so. You might say it's true love and then I'd be stumped because I haven't encountered that yet. Except that this not being able to live without each other kind of love never rang true. Instead of being empathetic and rooting for the happy couple I was thinking how I'd react if I met a Bethany and Xander in real life. Bethany and Xander don't do much without each other. I would have rather Bethany had a personality and individual interests outside of him but she doesn't. I can't really admire that as being individual is really important to me.
I didn't really like any of the characters either. Ivy and Gabriel fell flat again and I saw them as robotic. They were in a way. They're angels and not really human. Mollie was one of the most frustrating characters I've read. I liked that she had a clear personality but that personality bothered me to no extent. The only character I really wanted more of was Jake. He made awful, awful choices and then good ones. In the end I was so fascinated with him that I had to continue reading. The only thing I couldn't understand was why Jake had a thing for Beth. I thought that was a cliché and it really wasn't explained so I was disappointed in that regard.
In Hades we're in a brand new setting: Hell. Even though there were numerous descriptions, Hell never really came alive for me. I liked the concept but we were more focused on Bethany who cared more about Xander. There were some things well done though- "Big Daddy" made me giggle for instance. I would rather have seen more.
What Hades had a ton of were moments where I really wondered how real it could be. Some of the actions by the demons had me wondering how demonic they were and some of heaven's choices made me not root for the other team either. There were too many beautiful people between the angels and demons and at one point I was wishing for someone normal to appear. Thankfully, they did. I was really pleased with one of the very minor character's story for one. (Sorry for being vague but vague is much better than spoiling.)
Plot wise, I also wasn't impressed. I really wish I was but I feel like not much happened. There were 400 pages in this book- above average. That made for a long read as not much stuff happened. There was potential- Bethany was in hell. Hell is a setting where so much is possible but I didn't feel anything. And the conclusion didn't overjoy me either.
All in all, though I did ramble on about what I didn't like there is a reason I keep reading this series. It reminds me of Lauren Kate's Fallen series- you know it's not the best book out there but something about it has you hooked. If you want to read Hades, I won't discourage you. Every book deserves a chance. 2.5 stars.
**
Note: This book contains; kidnapping, violence, and sexual assault. If you are sensitive to any of these topics, this might not be the book for you. So beware.
I thought that this book was a lot better than Halo. Hades had picked up on the action bit a lot quicker than Halo. It did have less of the lovey-dovey scenes but those were replaced with longing-from-afar scenes, which weren't as annoying. I do see a theme of the damsel in distress thing with the main character is a thing in this book, which I'm not a big fan of. It didn't bother me while reading the book, but now that I'm taking a step back from it, it is a flaw I see within the books. I'm hoping that in the last book is the book where the main character will stand up a bit more for herself and not rely on her brother, sister, and boyfriend to rescue her in the end.
I thought that this book was a lot better than Halo. Hades had picked up on the action bit a lot quicker than Halo. It did have less of the lovey-dovey scenes but those were replaced with longing-from-afar scenes, which weren't as annoying. I do see a theme of the damsel in distress thing with the main character is a thing in this book, which I'm not a big fan of. It didn't bother me while reading the book, but now that I'm taking a step back from it, it is a flaw I see within the books. I'm hoping that in the last book is the book where the main character will stand up a bit more for herself and not rely on her brother, sister, and boyfriend to rescue her in the end.
What a great book! Loved it, and I can't wait for Heaven to come out! Loved what from 1 kinda minor character, would be a "big reveal" of them being angels and such, that was really great! And Jake was evil! But anyways, great book, check it out!
Questo libro è qualcosa di spettacolare.
All'inizio pensavo: 'sì, può essere bello quanto vuoi, ma niente può superare Rebel!'
E invece no, mi sbagliavo alla grande.
La trama è meravigliosa, e, sì, non ci sono quelle frasi bellissime che c'erano al primo libro, ma.. davvero dovrei mettergli meno di cinque stelle per questo!?
Sacrifice ti tiene incollato alle pagine fino alla fine: è travolgente, avvincente, con una buona dose di coraggio, sensualità, fedeltà, e magia.
Beth, la protagonista, mi piaceva già nel primo libro, così ingenua e dolce, ma nel secondo ha fatto un grande salto di qualità, dovuto probabilmente a tutti i guai in cui si è cacciata sulla Terra a Rebel.
E Xavier.. be', lui è praticamente perfetto (ho detto praticamente, eh!), e capace di sorprenderti (aspettatevi una bella sorpresa nell'ultimo capitolo:3)
Poi c'è Jake, ve lo ricordate,no? Be', tutti pensavano che ormai fosse solo un brutto ricordo del passato, ma ecco che, durante un'innocua festa di Halloween, le amiche di Beth decidono di fare una seduta spiritica,e, nonostante la ragazza avesse insistito per non farla, viene costretta a partecipare per controllare che tutto andasse per il meglio, e.. bam! Jake ritorna sulla Terra e rapisce Beth, portandola all'Inferno.
La concezione di Inferno dell'Adornetto mi piace da morire: in generale una persona, pensando agli Inferi, immagina un luogo pieno di fuoco, sempre in subbuglio e in cui non c'è mai un attimo di tregua. La scrittrice invece immagina questo posto come un posto buio, pieno di tenebre, in cui ci si può perdere facilmente, dove le anime sono costrette a rivivere i peccati per cui sono stati mandati lì, o a sentire sulla propria pelle ciò che hanno fatto ad altri, oppure (cosa molto originale) a bere e ballare fino allo sfinimento. Ma ci sono anche i demoni, che invece vivono nella lussuria, nel piacere estremo.
L'unica cosa dell'Inferno, come lo immagina l'Adornetto, che non mi piace è il fatto che chiamino Lucifero il Grande Papà, o il Grande Luci. Insomma, questi nomignoli non mi danno proprio idea del Diavolo, anzi: mi danno più un'idea di un padre affettuoso sempre allegro e felice (?).
Insomma, immaginavo che all'Inferno Lucifero si dovesse chiamare con più rispetto, Grande Padre poteva anche andare bene.. ma non so, magari è la traduzione che è un po' fatta male!
Ma tornando a noi: durante la storia Jake mi è anche piaciuto un po', devo dire; già immaginavo che dietro alla sua maschera cattiva ed egoista ci fosse un uomo che in fondo voleva solo un po' di amore, ma aveva paura di sbagliare, perciò teneva l'angelo Beth rinchiuso all'Inferno nella speranza che cambiasse idea, prima o poi..
Questo libro, come ho già detto, mi è piaciuto da morire, forse anche più di Rebel.
Giuro che se ci fossero più di cinque stelle, non esiterei a dargliele!
Consiglio questo libro a chi ha voglia di un po' di magia, originalità, intrighi, e una tenerissima storia d'amore.
All'inizio pensavo: 'sì, può essere bello quanto vuoi, ma niente può superare Rebel!'
E invece no, mi sbagliavo alla grande.
La trama è meravigliosa, e, sì, non ci sono quelle frasi bellissime che c'erano al primo libro, ma.. davvero dovrei mettergli meno di cinque stelle per questo!?
Sacrifice ti tiene incollato alle pagine fino alla fine: è travolgente, avvincente, con una buona dose di coraggio, sensualità, fedeltà, e magia.
Beth, la protagonista, mi piaceva già nel primo libro, così ingenua e dolce, ma nel secondo ha fatto un grande salto di qualità, dovuto probabilmente a tutti i guai in cui si è cacciata sulla Terra a Rebel.
E Xavier.. be', lui è praticamente perfetto (ho detto praticamente, eh!), e capace di sorprenderti (aspettatevi una bella sorpresa nell'ultimo capitolo:3)
Poi c'è Jake, ve lo ricordate,no? Be', tutti pensavano che ormai fosse solo un brutto ricordo del passato, ma ecco che, durante un'innocua festa di Halloween, le amiche di Beth decidono di fare una seduta spiritica,e, nonostante la ragazza avesse insistito per non farla, viene costretta a partecipare per controllare che tutto andasse per il meglio, e.. bam! Jake ritorna sulla Terra e rapisce Beth, portandola all'Inferno.
La concezione di Inferno dell'Adornetto mi piace da morire: in generale una persona, pensando agli Inferi, immagina un luogo pieno di fuoco, sempre in subbuglio e in cui non c'è mai un attimo di tregua. La scrittrice invece immagina questo posto come un posto buio, pieno di tenebre, in cui ci si può perdere facilmente, dove le anime sono costrette a rivivere i peccati per cui sono stati mandati lì, o a sentire sulla propria pelle ciò che hanno fatto ad altri, oppure (cosa molto originale) a bere e ballare fino allo sfinimento. Ma ci sono anche i demoni, che invece vivono nella lussuria, nel piacere estremo.
L'unica cosa dell'Inferno, come lo immagina l'Adornetto, che non mi piace è il fatto che chiamino Lucifero il Grande Papà, o il Grande Luci. Insomma, questi nomignoli non mi danno proprio idea del Diavolo, anzi: mi danno più un'idea di un padre affettuoso sempre allegro e felice (?).
Insomma, immaginavo che all'Inferno Lucifero si dovesse chiamare con più rispetto, Grande Padre poteva anche andare bene.. ma non so, magari è la traduzione che è un po' fatta male!
Ma tornando a noi: durante la storia Jake mi è anche piaciuto un po', devo dire; già immaginavo che dietro alla sua maschera cattiva ed egoista ci fosse un uomo che in fondo voleva solo un po' di amore, ma aveva paura di sbagliare, perciò teneva l'angelo Beth rinchiuso all'Inferno nella speranza che cambiasse idea, prima o poi..
Questo libro, come ho già detto, mi è piaciuto da morire, forse anche più di Rebel.
Giuro che se ci fossero più di cinque stelle, non esiterei a dargliele!
Consiglio questo libro a chi ha voglia di un po' di magia, originalità, intrighi, e una tenerissima storia d'amore.