Thursday, September 16, 2010

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

I’m not a huge fan of romance, especially the kind where the girl can’t rescue herself and instead has to depend on a boy to do it for her. As a result, this really interfered with my enjoyment of Halo because that’s basically what this story is about. So, if that's not your cup of tea, then this probably isn’t the story for you.

Bethany is an angel. Meaning, she’s a supernatural being with abilities that humans don’t have. She, along with two other angels, was sent by Heaven to improve life in Venus Cove. Gabriel and Ivy immediately set to work and get involved in the communities. Bethany goes to high school, presumably to help others. Except she doesn’t. She focuses on behaving like any teenage girl: making friends, doing homework, finding a boyfriend, etc. Which is fine—admirable, actually, because it helps her to better understand the humans she’s supposed to be helping.

But this is what I could not get over: I can count on one hand the number of times Bethany helps humans. And, each of those times, she didn’t set out to help them. Instead, she just happened to be in the area and reacted to the current situation. Not once did she actively seek out a way to carry out her mission. As a result, Bethany doesn’t drive this story. Not what I expect from an angel.

On top of this, she does nothing to save herself, or even protect the ones she loves, when a supernatural evil comes to Venus Cove. Since she’s an angel, I expected her to be on the front lines because she has to know that humans don’t stand a chance against that kind of power. Instead, she hides behind a human to protect her. Definitely not what I expect from an angel.

The idea of angels coming down to Earth (without 'falling') is so unique and intriguing, and I really wanted to like this story. If Bethany had been proactive (rather than reactive), then I think I would have. As it is, though...

12 comments:

Bish Denham said...

Hmmm,not a fan of romance either. Besides, if Scarlet O'Hara can save herself, surely an angel can. Right?

Tabitha said...

LOL!! You got that right. :)

Kelley Vitollo said...

I'm a romance fan, but I didn't like this book :( In fact, I didn't finish it. It was slow for me and I wasn't a fan of Bethany either. This book just didn't do it for me at all.

Tere Kirkland said...

Love romance, but from your review, it sounds like this book won't fit the bill. I don't know why so many YA paranormal romance novels have heroines and heroes that I wouldn't want to spend any time with, much less the time it takes to read the book they inhabit.

I think I'll skip this one. Thanks for your honest opinion!

Tabitha said...

Kelley - it sure was slow. With a lot of things that weren't really necessary to the plot. IMO, there wasn't enough story here to stand on its own.

Tere - I don't know either. It's depressing, though. Fortunately, there are still lots of other books out there that are great. :)

Kelley Vitollo said...

I agree. Slow and wordy for my taste. Some people love it though. It just wasn't for me.

Tabitha said...

Yep, a lot of people seem to love it. I'm glad it's getting people reading...but I do wish it sent a better message to teen girls.

Jennifer said...

Eh, it really doesn't sound like my kind of book...not a romance fan, not an angel book fan, and not a fan of characters that can't help themselves. I thik I'll pass.

Tabitha said...

Then this book is definitely not for you. :)

Shannon said...

Well, I like the cover art but from your review ... If it looks like an angel but doesn't think like one or act like one, then what's the point of it being an angel? Also, I'd like her less for hiding behind a human as an angel. It's like an adult hiding behind a child.

FICTION STATE OF MIND said...

I love romance but not books where the female leads arent strong :0 thanks for the honest review I was on the fence about this one .

Tabitha said...

Shannon - yeah, I had the same feeling regarding hiding behind humans. I just can't see angels as being cowardly, but Bethany kind of is. She has one moment of strength and bravery, but it didn't make up for the other 495 pages. Very disappointing.

Fiction - then this book definitely isn't for you, because Bethany is more the swooning type than the proactive type.