Book Review: Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

"Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in low was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier's love and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can't keep Beth from being tricked into motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth's release back to Earth. but what he asks of her will destroy he, and quite possibly, he loved ones, as well. "
"Something happened- something I could never have imagined. It was so unfathomable, I felt nothing but a sickening feeling that seemed to come from my core and spread like poison through my body. Th highway defied gravity and suddenly reared in front of us. A deep jagged crack appeared in its centre. The highway was splitting open. The crack widened like a hungry cavernous mouth, waiting to swallow us up. The wind that whipped my face grew warmer, and steam rose from the broken asphalt. I knew instinctively what it was from the feeling of hollow emptiness that emanated from it. It was a gateway to Hell, and we were heading straight toward it."
MY RATING: 9/10
Although this book was quite good, I found that it didn't live up to the first book. The characters seemed to change. I found Bethany a lot more naive and it wasn't cute like it was in the first book. This book showed a very different side of Xavier and I'm not sure if I liked it. He has been one of my favourites for such a long time though. One of the things I did like was seeing a different side of Jake Thorn. I knew after reading the first book that he wouldn't just vanish. He had to come back and bam... there he was.
This book may contain a few adult thoughts but all and all I think that anyone in their "young adult years" would be able to read it without being scared for life :P
My favourite thing about this series is how the end grips you and makes you want to read the next one. The ending suspense is great!
THANK YOU ALEXANDRIA ADORNETTO FOR SHOWING US A GREAT USE OF SUSPENSE!
Sincerely, Sidny♥♪♫

Spoiler: Hades by Alexandra Adornetto

Although this book didn't live up to the first, I still enjoyed it. I felt like we got to know the characters better. This series is very interesting and the use of suspense is good.
Bethany: Someone might hate me for saying this but Bethany seems to be getting stupider with time. At first it was cute but now it's just maddening. I wish that she wasn't marrying Xavier in a way because welll that could cause like a million problems! Maybe somewhere deep down she felt something for Jake Thorn.
Xavier: He is an amazing bf and he would protect her against everything. It take a real man to propose the way he did. He must really love Beth. He never gave up :')
Gabriel: I think he loves Molly but he doesn't want to lose his status as an archangel and infuriate Heavan. They would be soooo goood together though!
Ivy: She is the best big sister ever. She understand why Beth loves Xavier and the best thing is she's a strong woman.
Molly: She really loves Gab and they are so sweet. I wish that it would have worked out. But am I the only one that noticed that when they broke into hell... she was missing? Like where the hell was she? Did they just leave her behind and the motel or did I just miss something major.
Jake: He might have actually felt passion for Beth and at the end I think it was him rumbling the earth because he was mad at Xavier for his proposal and Berthany's approval.

Favourite/Memorable Lines and Moments:
♥Pg,4
" 'I was so wasted I don't remember a damn thing,' Lawson declared.
'I remember you tried to hook up with me,' replied a boy named Wesley in his lilting accent. He contorted his face into a grimace.
'Whatever... it was dark. You could do alot worse.'
'Not funny,' Wesley growled. 'Someone posted a picture on Facebook. What am I gonna tell Jess?'
'Tell her you couldn't resist Lawson's ripped body.' Xavier thumped his friend on the back as he sauntered past. 'He's really built from all those hours on the PlayStation.' "

♥Pg. 8
" 'Oh, Bethany, relax. We're used to the PDAs by now.'
'Where did you learn that?' I asked curiously. I'd never heard Ivy use abbreviated colloquialisms. Her formal speech usually sounded so out of place in the modern world.
'I do spend time with young people, you know,' she said. 'I'm trying to be hip.'
Gabriel and I burst out laughing."

♥Pg. 15
" 'But don't let them talk you into anything you don't feel comfortable with.'
'They're my friends.'
'So what?' He shrugged. 'If your friends walked off a cliff, would you do it too?'
'Why would they walk off a cliff?' I asked in alarm. 'Is someone having problems at home?' "

♥Pg. 22
" When Xavier arrived he was dressed as a cowboy in faded jeans, tan boots and a checkered shirt. he even wore a leather cowboy hat.
'Trick or treat?' he said with a grin.
'No offence, but you don't look anything like Batman.'
'Aint no need to be nasty now ma'am,' Xavier said, adopting a heavy Texan accent. 'Are you ready to go? Our ride's awaitin' '
I laughed. 'You're going to keep this up all night aren't you?'
'Probably,' Xavier said. 'I'm driving you wild with desire aren't I?' My brother coughed to remind us of his presence."

♥PG. 70
"Larissa bared er teeth in a smile before grabbing a tight hold of my wrist and turning it upward. Her grip a cold and claw-like, but I tried not flinch. She held my wrist faceup as Elliott pressed something down on the inside. I braced myself to feel pain, but when I looked, he'd only left an inky imprint behind. It was a stamp of admittance in the form of a smiley face. "

♥Pg. 112
" 'So what's with the Mary Sue outfit ?' Asia asked, plucking at the frilly sleeve of my dress. 'You got some fetish for Southern belles? It's very pure. That's what this is all about, right? But did you really have to dress her like she's twelve?'
'No one dressed me,' I snapped.
'Oh, how cute!' Asia threw me a scathing look. 'It talks.' "

♥Pg. 135
"I wanted to reach out and take his face in my hands, to tell him that I was okay- trapped, lonely and miserable but otherwise unharmed."

♥Pg. 159.
" 'University of Alabama?' I asked. 'Molly and the girls have applied there. They want to be sorority sisters.'
'Another three years with Molly?' Xavier wrinkled his nose teasingly."

♥Pg. 161
" 'I don't know what happened between you and Beth, but it can't be so bad.'
Xavier let out a short, humourless laugh and I guessed what he was thinking. He want to say, 'Well, Mom, my girlfriend was abducted by a demon ex-student of Bryce Hamilton and dragged into Hell on the back of a motorbike and right now we've got no idea how to bring back. So, yeah, actually it is that bad.' "

♥Pg. 177.
" 'Bethany's friend or not, this girl could make a preacher cuss.' "

♥Pg. 200.
" 'You won't handle anything.' Gabriel's tone was chilling. 'Is that clear? Control your raging testosterone for a minute and listen. I know you want Beth back- we all do- but acting like some comic-book hero isn't going to help.' "

♥Pg. 388
" 'I just always imagine it would be with him,' I murmured almost to myself.
'I know,' Jake said, his voice drenched with exaggerated sympathy. 'And usually I'd be more than open to the prospect of a threesome, but under such circumstances I think it might be a little awkward.' '

♥Pg. 394
" 'Michael wouldn't send us on a wild goose chase,' Ivy murmured. 'There must be something he wants us to do.'
'Or maybe he's just a douche.'
'Indeed,' said a disembodied voice behind them."

Sincerely, Sidny♥♪♫

Book Review: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

"An angel is sent to earth on a mission. But falling in love is not part of the plan."

"Three angels- Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human- are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all while avoiding all human attachments.

Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seem too strong.

The angels mission is urgent and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?"

My Rating: 10/10

This book really spoke from the heart and though it is lovey dovey it still has enough action to keep a person interested. The language used in the book is very descriptive and helps paint a vivid picture in my mind of what is happening the whole time. Alexandra Adornetto has done a great job painting a fantasy in our own world. I like that she uses a small town it makes me look at the new kids in my school different that's for sure. This book was also the perfect length it didn't seem to drag on too long. It was just right. I love the fact that the girl is the one with the "powers" there aren't many authors who give females such an interesting role.

THANK YOU ALEXANDRA ADORNETTO FOR A SUPERNATURAL FEMALE!

Sincerely, Sidny.

Spoiler: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

I found this book very interesting. The way it covered religion without offending me was great!

Bethany wasn't the smartest character in the whole world... I can't believe she didn't figure out that Jake Thorn was a demon. I seriously thought he was the Devil himself. I like the fact that she feel for Xavier but seriously... the first pretty boy you meet your legs weaken.. mmmmkkk :P

Xavier is the perfect man and he is officially getting added to my fantasy crush list.. He would put his life on the line for Bethany no matter what. I felt bad that he lost the first girl. All because of Jake( i freakin' hate jake).

Molly is probably the best girl friend someone could have. She reminds me a lil bit of myself. Mostly because she babbles.

Jake Thorn: Is it no obvious that he's evil... I mean hell all these bad things happen as soon as he shows up in town. DUH!

Gabriel: Oh the protective big brother... he is a good guy I think and good for Molly I do believe.

Ivy: I wish she was my big sister :D

Taylah: That was terrible that she died. I mean why? I honestly thought Molly would die first...

Prom: Well if that wasn't a disaster i don't know what is. How could Xavier believe that Bethany would cheat on him so easy. That's just so dumb.

How Bethany showed Xavier what she was, was totally awesome and however, Alexandra came up with it was awesome. Jumping off the cliff, loving it.

I didn't like the ending because it was confusing. Were they going back to heavan, to another town or staying home wtf.

Favourite Line/ Moments:

Pg. 4: “‘Bethany, hand me the key,’ said Gabriel. Looking after the key to the house was the only job I had been entrusted with. I felt around the deep pockets of my dress. ‘It’s here somewhere,’ I assured him. ‘Please tell me you haven’t lost it already.’ ‘We did fall from the sky, you know,’ I said indignantly. ‘It’s easy for things to go missing.’ “ ♥Pg. 5 “ Human life was so complicated there were devices to boil water, wall sockets that channeled electrical currents, and all manners of utensils in the kitchen and bathroom designed to save time and increase comfort. Everything had a different texture, a different smell- it was like a circus for the senses.” ♥Pg. 12 “One of the most frustrating words in the human language as far as I could tell, was love. So much meaning attached to this one little word. People bandied it about freely, using it to describe their attachments to possessions, pets, vacation destinations and favorite foods. In the same breath they then applied this word to the person they considered most important in their lives. Wasn’t that insulting? Shouldn’t there be some other term to describe deeper emotion? Humans were so preoccupied with love. They were all desperate to form an attachment to one person they could refer to as their ‘other half.’ It seemed from my reading of literature that being in love meant becoming the beloved’s entire world. The rest of the universe paled into insignificance compared to the lovers. When they were separated, each fell into a melancholy state, and only when they were reunited did their hearts start beating again. Only where they were together could they really see the colors of the world. When they were apart, that color leached away, leaving everything in a gray haze. I lay in bed, wondering about the intensity of this emotion that was so irrational and so irrefutably human.” ♥Pg. 40 “ ‘Xavier Laro’s blond and play on the lacrosse team. He’s pretty hot. I wouldn’t blame you for liking him, but I think he might already have girlfriend. Or did they break up? I’m not sure; I could try and find out.’ “ ♥Pg. 57 “ ‘The teacher got really mad when one of the boys said something about Lady Capulet.’ ‘What did he say?’ ‘He called her a MILF, which must be offensive because Miss Castle called him a thug and sent him out of the room. Gabe, what is a MILF?’ Ivy smothered her smile behind a napkin while Gabriel did something I’d never seen before. He blushed and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. ‘Some acronym for a teenage obscenity, I imagine,’ he mumbled.” ♥Pg. 83 “ ‘Hi Molly,’ Xavier said when it became apparent that she wasn’t gong to initiate conversation. ‘Hi,’ she replied briskly and gave my sleeve a proprietary tug. When she spoke, it was in the wheedling voice of a small child. ‘Beth, come to the cafeteria with me- I’m practically dying of starvation! And after school on Friday I want you to come back to my place- we’re all getting facials from Taylah’s sister, who’s a beautician. It’s going to be awesome. She always brings lots of samples so we can do our own at home.’ ‘That does sound awesome,’ said Xavier with a feigned enthusiasm that made me giggle. ‘What time should I come over?’ “ ♥Pg. 87 “ ‘It’s not right,’ Molly continued accusingly. ‘He walks around looking gorgeous, being friendly to everyone, but won’t let anyone close to him.’ “ ♥Pg. 114 “ ‘Great. Well, how about you give me your number and I’ll put it in my phone. We can talk details later.’ He withdrew a shiny black gadget from the pocket of his windbreaker. It lay twinkling in the palm of his hand. I could hear the clatter of cookery coming from the kitchen and knew there was no time to lose. ‘It’s easier if you give me yours and I call you,’ I said quickly. He didn’t argue. I spied a newspaper of the coffee table, tore off a corner, and handed it to him. ‘I might need a pen,’ he said. I found one marking the place in a leather bound book one of my siblings had been reading. Xavier scribbled some digits, and I pocketed the slip just in time to give Gabriel and Ivy a beatific smile as they smile as they walked in, carrying a tray of mugs. I walked Xavier to the front door, where his eyes lingered a moment on his eyes lingered a moment on what I was wearing. The intensity had gone from his face and his characteristic half-smile had returned. ‘By the way, nice jammies,’. ♥Pg. 137 “ ‘The future Is not to be feared but confronted,’ said Angela. The way she said way she said it was almost a challenge.” ♥Pg. 137 “ ‘It’s your life line,’ the woman said, her eyes wide with alarm. ‘I’ve seen anything like it before.’ ‘What about my life line?’ I asked impatiently. ‘My dear’- Angela’s voice dropped to a mere whisper- ‘you don’t have one.’ ♥Pg. 157 “ ‘Did anyone else notice that it took Romeo all of five seconds to switch from Rosaline to Juliet?’ ‘That’s because he knew Juliet was the one from the moment he met her,’ I said. ‘Puh-lease,’ Bianca retorted. ‘You can’t know that you love someone after two minutes. He just wanted to get in her pants. Romeo is just like every other horny teenage boy.’ “ ♥Pg. 191 “ ‘ Sit Phantom!’ Ivy cooed. ‘On your bottom!’ ‘Oh, for goodness’ sake!’ Gabriel put down his book and pointed a long finger at Phantom. ‘Sit, ‘ he commanded in a deep voice. Phantom looked sheepish and sank straight to the floor. Ivy scowled in frustration. ‘I’ve been trying to get him to do that all day! What is it with dogs and male authority?’ “ ♥Pg. 242 “ ‘Let’s get out of here’ Xavier said, packing up his books. ‘Not until you’ve finished your essay.’ ‘I’m done.’ ‘You’ve written three line.’ ‘Three carefully considered lines,’ Xavier objected. ‘Quality over quantity, remember?’ “ ♥Pg. 250 “ ‘Beth I’d take on Megatron’s army to protect you.’ “ ♥Pg. 251 “ ‘Here eat this,’ he commanded and pushed a health bar across the table. As an athlete, he always seemed to have an endless supply at any given time. The label told me this one contained cashews, coconut, apricots and seeds. ‘I can’t eat this; it’s got birdseed in it!’ ‘Those are sesame seeds and they’re full of energy. I don’t want you burning out.’ ‘Why would I do that?’ ‘Because your blood sugar is probably low- so don’t argue.’ Sometimes it was easier not to argue with Xavier when his objective was taking care of me. ‘All right mother,’ I said biting into the chewy bar. ‘By the way, this tastes like cardboard.’ “ ♥Pg. 259 “ Before he could stop me I locked my arms around his neck and pulled him into an alcove between the lockers. It was his own fault really, standing there with his soft hair flopping over his eyes, his school shirt coming untucked, and the plaited leather band hugging his smooth tanned wrist as if it were part of him. If he didn’t want to be mauled, he shouldn’t have put himself right in my path.” ♥Pg. 261 There is a lovely poem on this page Edgar Allen Poe. It was monstrously long. So I decided to just say the page :D. ♥Pg. 271 “Is that what you spend your spare time doing?’ ‘You got me. All I do is write down lines to impress women.’ ‘Women?’ ‘Sorry- one woman,’ he rectified as I scowled at him.” ♥Pg. 284 “ ‘Well I don’t want a boyfriend, Daddy,’ said Madeline. ‘Boys are dirty, and they make a mess when they eat.’ ‘I’d imagine the six-year-old ones would.’ Xavier chuckled. ‘But don’t worry, they get better at it.’ “ ♥Pg. 309 “ ‘ Did I mention I’ve finally decided on a nickname for you?’ ‘ I didn’t know you were looking.’ ‘Well, I’ve given the matter some serious thought.’ ‘And what have you come up with?’ ‘Cookie,’ I announced proudly. Xavier scrunched his face. ‘No way.’ ‘You don’t like it? What about Bumblebee?’ ‘Worse.’ ‘Snookie-wookie?’ ‘Do you have any cyanide?’ “ ♥Pg. 311 “With the talk concluded, Xavier spontaneously swept me up into his arms. ‘Urgh, would you two just get a room already?’ Taylah called out. ‘C’est tres disgusting.’ “ ♥Pg. 312 “ ‘Wait have you seen it?’ ‘Seen what?’ I exploded. ‘You know,’ she said emphatically ‘It!’ She gestured in the vicinity of her groin until I finally understood her meaning. “ ♥Pg. 319 “ ‘There is nothing more alluring than a girl with a healthy appreciation of food,’ “ ♥Pg. 370 “ ‘ No really don’t use skin-care products.’ ‘Whatever, suit yourself.’ ‘It’s true, Mel,’ said Molly. ‘Beth’s family probably doesn’t even believe in beauty products. They’re kind of like the Amish.’ “ ♥Pg. 412 “As I watched him I realized that my whole world was right in front of me, just over six feet tall and lying on my bed. “ ♥Pg. 424 “When angels’ tears do flood the earth, The gates of Hell shall see rebirth. When the demise of angels doth impend, The human boy shall meet his end.” ♥Pg. 427 “ ‘Love you,’ Xavier said just before he drifted back to sleep. ‘Love you more,’ I said playfully. ‘Not a chance,’ Xavier said, fully awake now. ‘I’m bigger, I can contain more love.’ ‘I’m smaller, therefore my love particles are more compressed, which means I can fit more.’ Xavier laughed. ‘That argument makes no sense. Over ruled.’ “ ♥Pg. 430 “ ‘How did you learn to cook?’ ‘I had no choice, I had to learn,’ Xavier said. ‘My whole family besides Mom are useless in the kitchen. When she works late at the clinic they order pizza or eat whatever they can find that says, ‘add water and stir.’ So I cook for them whenever Mom isn’t around.’ ‘Xavier’s a man of many skills,’ I told Ivy and Gabe glowing.” ♥Pg. 435 “ ‘He’s the most amazing guy I’ve ever met, and I’m not going to pass up the opportunity to be with him just because you’re having a little PMS freak-out.’ She narrowed her eyes at me. ‘And for your information, he says you’re a bitch.’ “ ♥Pg. 435 “ ‘ Envy is a deadly sin, Bethany,’ Jake purred. His eyes were completely covered by a glistening black film, so I could distinguish between pupil and iris. ‘You should know that. Why don’t you just congratulate Molly and be gracious?’ ‘Or start writing her eulogy,’ I snapped. “ ♥Pg. 448 “ ‘Welcome to the dark side,’ he said, and laughed coldly. ‘Although I prefer to think of it as the fun side.’ There was murmurs of appreciation from his followers. ‘I can promise you nothing feels better than sin. Why not turn to pleasure when life treats us with such indifference? We are here all of us, because we want to feel alive!’ “ ♥Pg. 473 “ ‘I liked his tattoos. Do you think I should get one? I was thinking one that says ‘leirbag.’ ‘ ‘You want a tattoo of Gabriel’s name backwards?’ ‘Damn, is it that obvious? I’ll have to think of something else.’ ‘Gabriel doesn’t like tattoos,’ I said. ‘He says the human body is not a billboard.’ “ ♥Pg. 482 “ ‘ Do you ever worry that they might that they might show up again and everything will fall apart?’ ‘No , because I think between the two of us, we’ll manage to put things back together.’ ‘You always know what to say.’ I smiled. ‘Do you rehearse those lines at home?’ ‘It’s all part of my charm,’ Xavier winked.” ♥Pg. 482 “ She twirled and is saw that she had undergone a complete transformation. She had dropped the length of her skirt to below the knee, buttoned her blouse up to her chin, and fastened her tie neatly. He hair was pulled back in a severe braid and she had discarded all of her jewelry. She was even wearing the regulation school socks. ‘You look like you’re ready for the convent,’ Xavier said. ‘Good!’ Molly seemed please. ‘I’m trying to look mature and responsible.’ ‘Oh, Molly,’ I sighed. ‘This wouldn’t have anything to do with Gabriel would it?’ ‘Well, duh,’ Molly said. ‘Why else would I walk around looking like such a loser?’ “
Looking forward to getting the second book "Hades" when it comes to my school library on order. Next book on the list is the Outsiders by S.E Hinton.Sincerely, Sidny