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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
I do not like angel-themed urban fantasy/paranormal romance. I consider it hugely disrespectful to use actual religious content for "hawt teen boyz!" fantasies.
And since I spent most of "Halo" wishing that the characters would burn in hell, I expected to enjoy Alexandra Adornetto's second book. Sadly, "Hades" amplifies most of what I despised about the first book (particularly the moronic teenage angels and drippy "Twilighty" romance), and adds in some truly gagworthy new additions (oh look, a prince of Hell is in LUV with the heroine!).
A seance on Halloween night lets an evil spirit into the world, and then Jake Thorn tricks Bethany into coming into Hell with him... on a motorcycle. Yeah, it has the lake of fire and tortured souls, but Adornetto is more interested in Hades' sexy clubs, five-star hotels, and large quantities of designer clothing. I am not kidding about any of this.
Why has Jake done this? Why, he's madly in love with Bethany and wants to marry her, and Bethany is moping because she can't see Xavier. Eventually, a plot device allows Bethanny to astrally project into the human world, where the other angels can't see her. Since half the book has gone by with nothing much happening, it is revealed that her kidnapping may herald the Apocalypse.
"Hades" is a perfect example of why theology and shallow teen romance will never mix. The plot is a mushy, drippy, cloyingly sentimental "New Moon"-style story, with most of the narrative being about poor Bethany and how sad she is. And since paranormal romance is all about love triangles, she tries to cram one -- Bethany is SO pure and wonderful that even a fallen angel can't resist her ("Hell's a whole lot brighter with you in it").
But occasionally Adornetto tries to shoehorn in some philosophical or theological points, and it just BURNS because it's so very shallow. I mean, she wrote a story where an ANGEL gets dragged into hell on a MOTORCYCLE. Oh, and Hell? The place where the damned are eternally tormented? Well, 98% of the time, it's depicted as being less unpleasant than Las Vegas.
The writing is every bit as bad as you can imagine. Adornetto tries to make a cool, contemporary depiction of hell, but it ends up being cringeworthy -- for instance, Satan is referred to as "Big Daddy." And her plot is riddled with idiotic plot holes, ghastly romantic prose (you'll end up wanting to poke out Xavier's "turquoise" eyes), and a painfully shallow knowledge of... everything. Is Adornetto even aware that Hell is not a physical place?
As for Bethany, she's one of the worst heroines I've ever seen. She's supposed to be one of God's angels -- you know, an ageless timeless being of pure intellect -- but she's spineless, whiny, prissy, clueless, awash in hormones and quick to give in to peer pressure. And she's also painfully passive, just sluggishly reacting instead of doing anything herself.
"Hades" is perfectly named -- reading it is like spending a few hours in hell. Ghastly writing, theology-rape, and a heroine who needs to be ditched by Virgil right over the pit.
And since I spent most of "Halo" wishing that the characters would burn in hell, I expected to enjoy Alexandra Adornetto's second book. Sadly, "Hades" amplifies most of what I despised about the first book (particularly the moronic teenage angels and drippy "Twilighty" romance), and adds in some truly gagworthy new additions (oh look, a prince of Hell is in LUV with the heroine!).
A seance on Halloween night lets an evil spirit into the world, and then Jake Thorn tricks Bethany into coming into Hell with him... on a motorcycle. Yeah, it has the lake of fire and tortured souls, but Adornetto is more interested in Hades' sexy clubs, five-star hotels, and large quantities of designer clothing. I am not kidding about any of this.
Why has Jake done this? Why, he's madly in love with Bethany and wants to marry her, and Bethany is moping because she can't see Xavier. Eventually, a plot device allows Bethanny to astrally project into the human world, where the other angels can't see her. Since half the book has gone by with nothing much happening, it is revealed that her kidnapping may herald the Apocalypse.
"Hades" is a perfect example of why theology and shallow teen romance will never mix. The plot is a mushy, drippy, cloyingly sentimental "New Moon"-style story, with most of the narrative being about poor Bethany and how sad she is. And since paranormal romance is all about love triangles, she tries to cram one -- Bethany is SO pure and wonderful that even a fallen angel can't resist her ("Hell's a whole lot brighter with you in it").
But occasionally Adornetto tries to shoehorn in some philosophical or theological points, and it just BURNS because it's so very shallow. I mean, she wrote a story where an ANGEL gets dragged into hell on a MOTORCYCLE. Oh, and Hell? The place where the damned are eternally tormented? Well, 98% of the time, it's depicted as being less unpleasant than Las Vegas.
The writing is every bit as bad as you can imagine. Adornetto tries to make a cool, contemporary depiction of hell, but it ends up being cringeworthy -- for instance, Satan is referred to as "Big Daddy." And her plot is riddled with idiotic plot holes, ghastly romantic prose (you'll end up wanting to poke out Xavier's "turquoise" eyes), and a painfully shallow knowledge of... everything. Is Adornetto even aware that Hell is not a physical place?
As for Bethany, she's one of the worst heroines I've ever seen. She's supposed to be one of God's angels -- you know, an ageless timeless being of pure intellect -- but she's spineless, whiny, prissy, clueless, awash in hormones and quick to give in to peer pressure. And she's also painfully passive, just sluggishly reacting instead of doing anything herself.
"Hades" is perfectly named -- reading it is like spending a few hours in hell. Ghastly writing, theology-rape, and a heroine who needs to be ditched by Virgil right over the pit.
Let's say this book I couldn't stop reading however, it states how it's practically impossible to enter hell because of your angelic powers? So how do they? I will probably read the next book depending on the reviews for number three.
But it seems that apparently you can't communicate with earth however Beth some how do?
It's slightly confusing since how didn't they not know if Jack was one of the Originals? They must know who he is?
Later on he's states to not trust a demon but he's a fallen angel? I'm not sure. The book confuses me in places, I like some parts and others not as much. But the epilogue was totally different, and I wasn't excepting that at all. You'll will either like it or not.
But it seems that apparently you can't communicate with earth however Beth some how do?
It's slightly confusing since how didn't they not know if Jack was one of the Originals? They must know who he is?
Later on he's states to not trust a demon but he's a fallen angel? I'm not sure. The book confuses me in places, I like some parts and others not as much. But the epilogue was totally different, and I wasn't excepting that at all. You'll will either like it or not.
Young adult, paranormal, fantasy fiction is quite the genre to be in these days. Barnes and Noble even has a section specifically for this genre of books. As with all genres, there are some that are really good, some that are enjoyable, and some that really are awful. This is one that falls into the really enjoyable/well written category.
I enjoyed the first book of this series, Halo. The second book starts about 6 months following the events in book one. Bethany and Xavier are still going strong; Bethany and her siblings are still working to bring about harmony in the small town of Venus Cove and the surrounding areas. As always, there must be some conflict for our heroine to overcome, some obstacle for our main couple to overcome. Last time around it involved Jake Thorn, a fallen angel, trying to influence the people of Venus Cove. This time, the stakes are higher as Jake has found a way to take Bethany down into Hades.
I was curious how this author was going to keep the story flowing, with the voice of the story (since this is written in the 1st person of Bethany) and she was stuck in Hades. But with a slight plot device that moved along another secondary character, we are able to still see what is occurring back in Venus Cove as those left behind are working to save Bethany.
Ultimately, this series is about the battle between good/evil, heaven/hell, and angels/demons. What I like about this series is that while it has a religious theme, it is not preachy. It uses the history of angels/demons as the setting, but not as a platform to preach to me. The characters are intriguing, leaving me wanting to know more of their history, which is doled in small doses. Enough to satisfy the reader, but not so much that it detracts from the flow of the book.
Some parts a bit choppy, feel a little forced, such as when Molly finds out the truth about Bethany's family and her inclusion on the journey to rescue her. In fact, once the actual rescue happens, Molly seems to be forgotten, fading into the background. At times, Bethany seems almost too innocent, too naïve, that it is hard to remember that she is actually an angel, sent to Earth to save the people from a growing sense of evil/discord.
While Bethany continues to be slightly naive, but this time we saw her start to find her own strength, to fight back once she fully grasps the situation in Hades with Jake, and to make decisions on her own, without expecting others to tell her what to do. It seems that her character is more than just the voice/half a love story, but that her role is becoming more defined for the coming battle looming between heaven and hell.
I am looking forward to the next book in this series, which I anticipate will bring about the final battle and the culmination of not only the love story between Bethany and Xavier, but that of many of the secondary characters as well.
I enjoyed the first book of this series, Halo. The second book starts about 6 months following the events in book one. Bethany and Xavier are still going strong; Bethany and her siblings are still working to bring about harmony in the small town of Venus Cove and the surrounding areas. As always, there must be some conflict for our heroine to overcome, some obstacle for our main couple to overcome. Last time around it involved Jake Thorn, a fallen angel, trying to influence the people of Venus Cove. This time, the stakes are higher as Jake has found a way to take Bethany down into Hades.
I was curious how this author was going to keep the story flowing, with the voice of the story (since this is written in the 1st person of Bethany) and she was stuck in Hades. But with a slight plot device that moved along another secondary character, we are able to still see what is occurring back in Venus Cove as those left behind are working to save Bethany.
Ultimately, this series is about the battle between good/evil, heaven/hell, and angels/demons. What I like about this series is that while it has a religious theme, it is not preachy. It uses the history of angels/demons as the setting, but not as a platform to preach to me. The characters are intriguing, leaving me wanting to know more of their history, which is doled in small doses. Enough to satisfy the reader, but not so much that it detracts from the flow of the book.
Some parts a bit choppy, feel a little forced, such as when Molly finds out the truth about Bethany's family and her inclusion on the journey to rescue her. In fact, once the actual rescue happens, Molly seems to be forgotten, fading into the background. At times, Bethany seems almost too innocent, too naïve, that it is hard to remember that she is actually an angel, sent to Earth to save the people from a growing sense of evil/discord.
While Bethany continues to be slightly naive, but this time we saw her start to find her own strength, to fight back once she fully grasps the situation in Hades with Jake, and to make decisions on her own, without expecting others to tell her what to do. It seems that her character is more than just the voice/half a love story, but that her role is becoming more defined for the coming battle looming between heaven and hell.
I am looking forward to the next book in this series, which I anticipate will bring about the final battle and the culmination of not only the love story between Bethany and Xavier, but that of many of the secondary characters as well.
I did enjoy this outing. It can get a bit preachy, but I managed to look past it.
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i really loved this book.
all of my friends a few months back started talking about halo so i borrowed it off my friend, i loved it so much that the day hades came out i was at school and they told me that it was in a book store, i made my mother go and get it for me. i read it and loved it, yes some parts dragged on for a while but many parts of it were amazing, it made me scared, cry, laugh and all in between.
this book has lingered in my mind for weeks, all i wanted to do was to go home and read it. all of my friends love it!
a lot of people have been talking crap about the book hades, but i think it is amazing.
i recommend this book if you like fantasy romance with a twist, and i can not wait for the next book to come out.
all of my friends a few months back started talking about halo so i borrowed it off my friend, i loved it so much that the day hades came out i was at school and they told me that it was in a book store, i made my mother go and get it for me. i read it and loved it, yes some parts dragged on for a while but many parts of it were amazing, it made me scared, cry, laugh and all in between.
this book has lingered in my mind for weeks, all i wanted to do was to go home and read it. all of my friends love it!
a lot of people have been talking crap about the book hades, but i think it is amazing.
i recommend this book if you like fantasy romance with a twist, and i can not wait for the next book to come out.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Another Adornetto book down the hatch, okay improvements first. Hades is MUCH better paced than Halo, halo was slow and dragged on far to long but Hades' plot gets moving much quicker and stays interesting and well paced. I also liked the way certain characters were used here in opposition to the first book. Molly became much more relevant and her thoughts and opinions got a surprising amount of time. I liked seeing the less composed more angry and half hazard versions of Ivy and Gabriel and I thought Xavier taking a backseat was actually kinda nice. Okay now for the bad, notice how I haven't mentioned Beth yet? Bethany is untimely unchanged from the first book, even though she goes through a lot of tragedy and horrid things she always ends up back at square one: Being a useless damsel in distress with all bark, no bite and a surprising amount of judgement. Through out her time in Hell Beth keeps coming to honestly smart conclusions, but when shit hits the fan she retreats back into herself only to do it all over again. the only reason her constant stupidity isn't as annoying is because its expected at this point. Also, in terms of ending, I wasn't a fan, the actual rescue from Hell is over very quickly for being 400 pgs in the making and the epilogue IS SO DUMB?? We don't get any recovery talk from her time in hell, or a reunion between Beth and molly, nope just GRADUATION DAY! Her and Xavier end up skipping graduation so that he can PROPOSE!? They have been dating for max 2 years and just went through a lot of trauma, and Beth seems to know Xavier is doing this is a trauma response but just doesn't stop him?? Then the book ends on a cliffhanger and god dammit there's still one more book left. Anyway, yeah 3 stars, better than Halo but I wouldn't tell you to read it lol
CONTENT WARNING DESCRIPTION
( I added a content warning but I feel it needs a little more description. I put a moderate warning for sexual assualt, I would put It more like 'intended rape'. Jake forces Bethany to agree to have sex with him, she ends up getting stripped to underwear and he intends to go further but is interrupted. TBH its disturbing but not too graphic but i figured I should be a bit more detailed.)
CONTENT WARNING DESCRIPTION
( I added a content warning but I feel it needs a little more description. I put a moderate warning for sexual assualt, I would put It more like 'intended rape'. Jake forces Bethany to agree to have sex with him, she ends up getting stripped to underwear and he intends to go further but is interrupted. TBH its disturbing but not too graphic but i figured I should be a bit more detailed.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content
My rating system:
5✩ - Well, there went my day. Couldn't put it down. I think it destroyed any hope of reading other books...
4✩ - This book was fantastic! I really enjoyed it. It may be missing something, or there is one major issue in it, but overall I would highly recommend it!
3✩ - This book was average. Neither good nor bad. Certainly not the worst book I've read, but not the best either.
2✩ - This book really just wasn't for me.
1✩ - Well, I finished it. How? I don't know. Definitely do not recommend it.
5✩ - Well, there went my day. Couldn't put it down. I think it destroyed any hope of reading other books...
4✩ - This book was fantastic! I really enjoyed it. It may be missing something, or there is one major issue in it, but overall I would highly recommend it!
3✩ - This book was average. Neither good nor bad. Certainly not the worst book I've read, but not the best either.
2✩ - This book really just wasn't for me.
1✩ - Well, I finished it. How? I don't know. Definitely do not recommend it.