Bethany and Xavier's love has withstood the forces of evil, but it can't keep Bethany from getting tricked into a motorcycle ride to Hades, the inferno that is every angel's worst nightmare.
Imprisoned in the midst of lavish hotels with friendly demons and nightclubs with souls condemned to dance perpetually, Bethany finds herself in the hands of Jake Thorn, the very same demon that threatened her relationship with Xavier. During her stay in Hades, Bethany discovers that Jake now wants her more than ever as queen of the Underworld, and as the lives of Bethany's loved ones become jeopardized in their rescue mission, Bethany is forced to strike a deal with the devil, making the ultimate sacrifice that can destroy her and the ones she loves.
What I liked about the book:
1. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN BETHANY AND XAVIER
SERIOUSLY.
I think it's the best thing ever about the book.
Xavier and Bethany are a couple Gorilla-glued together, and when Bethany is whisked away in a motorcycle by Jake... BAM!!! The two are now separated by Hell and are not cuddling and holding each other every single second in this ordeal of a book. For once in actual angel book setting, I actually agree with the bad character.
This distance omitted most of the cheesy lines I endured in the previous book (although Beth uses the same flowery language normal teenagers and angels wouldn't), and I could tell that being apart from Xavier and being closer to Jake spawned a path of self-discovery for Beth. Her character became more defined and feistier, and her love for Xavier (which is mushy as ever) deepened with the story's predicament. In "Hades", Adornetto presents a Beth who tries to grasp with the concept of sacrifice and eventually learns that it is inevitable in the battlefield of love.
2. The setting
Again, Alexandra Adornetto never fails to set up a whole new world readers would learn to appreciate. Hell, when people think about it, is automatically associate it with blood, torture, pain, and suffering. We imagine Hell being up in flames and filled with ear-piercing cries from tormented souls and wicked demons. Without disregard to how society views the inferno, Adornetto presents Hell in a more subtle and modern way. Fabricating it with the paradox of a greedy world's emptiness, one's image of Hell will never be the same again.
3. The cover
As Feinwell and Friends did with the first book, the cover for Adornetto's sequel is as stunning as it can get. Again, it captures the essence of the book's plot, and gives readers a chance to take a peek on the story before even landing on the first page.
4. ACTION!
There isn't much, but I'm glad Adornetto took out a huge chunk of fluff and replaced it with flashes of motion. I'm also happy to be spared of the high school drama and sappy lines exchange by our couple of the year. It was a good plot development, and I hope this carries on in the final installment.
What I didn't like about the book:
1. LUCIFER'S NAME IS BIG DADDY
SERIOUSLY?
BIG DADDY?
Is that the best ghetto name you can think of, huh?
In Hades, demons call Lucifer, the so-called brightest star and ringleader of fallen angels and demons, BIG DADDY.
DO YOU EVEN EXPECT ME TO FEAR THAT NAME LET ALONE TAKE IT SERIOUSLY?
MY GOD. *facepalms*
2. Hades
Let me get this straight. I know Adornetto wants a more dramatic terminology for Hell, but Hell and Hades ARE NOT THE SAME. Hell is a place of suffering where the wicked are punished after death while Hades is a mythological figure, the God of the Underworld. Although Hades can be considered as an abode for the dead, the Greek Underworld also contains the most valiant heroes alongside wandering souls and those cast in the pit of Tartarus. They are be subject to different fates in the afterlife, and the concept of Hades does not fully context suffering and pain as what Christian religion implies. It was a bad choice for Adornetto to rename Hell into Hades as a merging of monotheism and polytheism results to nothing but a clash of core beliefs.
3. Bethany's stupidity
Though her character underwent some minor changes, Bethany still hasn't lost the ONE trait she has in common with other whiny YA heroines: STUPIDITY.
YES. STUPIDITY.
I MEAN, SHE KNOWS AN OUIJA BOARD IS AN INSTRUMENT OF EVIL FROM WHAT'S SHE TAUGHT BUT SHE STILL GOES AHEAD AND PARTICIPATES IN SOME SILLY HALLOWEEN SEANCE JUST BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T WANT TO BE LABELED A "CHICKEN" OR A "KILLJOY".
THERE IS MORE TO LIFE THAN JUST BEING LABELED A FREAKIN' KILLJOY.
OH GOD.
AND ONE MORE THING, WHY DIDN'T SHE JUST GET OFF THE GODDAMN MOTORCYCLE? SHE'S AN ANGEL FOR CHRISSAKE, AND IF EVER SHE GOT HER PRECIOUS GLOWING SKIN DAMAGED SHE HAS A SERAPHIM FOR A SISTER AND SHE CAN CURE HER WITH A SINGLE TOUCH!!!
OH MY...
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
HOW CAN SHE BE SO SO STUPID AFTER ALL THIS TIME??? OH YEAH, RIGHT. SHE NEEDS TO BE STUPID JUST SO HER DEAR DARLING KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR CAN RESCUE HER!!!!
AND IF SHE REALLY TRUSTED AND KNEW XAVIER THEN SHE WOULDN'T EVEN BELIEVE THAT LIE THAT GOT HER ON THE MOTORCYLE IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!!
IT JUST SHOWS THAT INSTALUV, DEAR READERS, HAS ITS OWN CONSEQUENCES SUCH AS BEING LOCKED IN HELL AND COMING FACE-TO-FACE WITH BIG DADDY.
UGH.
I CAN'T EVEN TAKE HIS NAME SERIOUSLY.
Oh, and here are more hints of her stupidity from the book:
MY STUPIDITY.
See??? EVEN BETHANY ACKNOWLEDGES HER OWN STUPIDITY. LOOOOOOL. SUCH A PEA BRAIN.
4. The villain was an epic fail.
JAKE THORN.
The name sounds badass and hot, but I end up imagining our resident Prince of Evil like this:
Yes. A bit close to Professor Snape's appearance with his hooked nose drooping slightly.
AND FOR GOD'S SAKE, WHY DOES HE SOUND SUCH A SPOILED BRAT IN FRONT OF BIG DADDY? I MEAN, COME ON, HE SOUNDS LIKE A LITTLE BOY WHO JUST GOT ROBBED OFF A PIECE OF CANDY.
UGH.
*facepalms*
5. What happened to Bethany's new friends from Hell
I'm not spoiling anything, but I really wasn't in favor of how things ended between them and Bethany. I mean, it wasn't really Bethany's fault, BUT SHE COULD'VE AT LEAST TRIED HARDER.
So, I guess I should wrap it up...
Describe the book in one word: OKAY.
Favorite characters:
Taylah.
Not spoiling anything. You guys have to find out for yourselves.
Any annoying characters?
Oh the usual.
Add Molly to it. What she did was TOTALLY embarrassing. Ugh. She's just too damn shallow and rash which is why she appears too easy for guys.
UGH.
Favorite quote:
"Never love that which you cannot keep.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5 cupcakes
Is it worth your money?
Nah. Read it as PDF.
Is it worth your time?
*shrugs*
Recommended to:
>Those who have read the series, and like me, are curious enough to wonder what would happen in the end and if Bethany would finally get a brain
> Suckers for a YA romance/angel genre
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