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A review by txikimandy
Neon Gods by Katee Robert
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I read this for a “Rated-R” book club, and I have to say I’m pretty disappointed. The worldbuilding is awful and the writing is subpar at best. It’s full of grammatical errors and “I don’t think this word means what you think it means” errors. The characters are great and I liked the plot well enough, however everything was just not done well enough for me. Particularly in the beginning, the reasons for characters disliking one another were not explored/explained enough, nor was the governmental structure or the rest of the world. We are evidently in a universe where California and Ohio exist (and according to other reviews about this book, Disney villains), but we don’t get any information about how this seemingly magical world fits into our mundane one. If you’re reading for plot or a well-written, fleshed-out story, I do not recommend this book.
The one good thing I can say about Robert’s writing is the characterization. Some of it left more to be desired, like Hades’s perception of what his constituents think of him and why it doesn’t line up with how they actually feel. But overall, Hades and Persephone each had really big character arcs that I felt were well-developed.
Further, to Robert’s credit, she is a really good smut and romance writer. There were some sex scenes that I felt were described unrealistically (for example, a mere two paragraphs until Persephone finishes) or were not long enough, but the vast majority were descriptive, hot, and steamy. The fluffy romance scenes between Hades and Persephone were amazing. I melted every time there was anything romantic happening. I liked the development of both characters and their relationship. If you read purely for smut and romance, I would recommend this book.
The one good thing I can say about Robert’s writing is the characterization. Some of it left more to be desired, like Hades’s perception of what his constituents think of him and why it doesn’t line up with how they actually feel. But overall, Hades and Persephone each had really big character arcs that I felt were well-developed.
Further, to Robert’s credit, she is a really good smut and romance writer. There were some sex scenes that I felt were described unrealistically (for example, a mere two paragraphs until Persephone finishes) or were not long enough, but the vast majority were descriptive, hot, and steamy. The fluffy romance scenes between Hades and Persephone were amazing. I melted every time there was anything romantic happening. I liked the development of both characters and their relationship. If you read purely for smut and romance, I would recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Sexual content, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Blood, Classism, War, Gun violence, Abandonment, and Grief