My Disliking of Divergent

I’m sure everyone who is reading that post title is thinking: Whaaat?! I know I’m in the minority for disliking Divergent, but after a re-read, I stopped liking this book altogether.

My rating: 2 stars

A year or so ago, I picked up a copy of Divergent, due to the huge hype surrounding the novel. I devoured the book in less than two days, enticed by the world Roth had created. Needless to say, I loved Divergent to bits.

Recently, I decided to pick the book up again for a reread, and was astonished to find that I didn't love the book as much as I did before. My opinion of Divergent lowered drastically as I began to notice the flaws in the book.

My theory for why I ceased loving this book is as simple as this; I've read better dystopians, ones which are much more deserving of praise than Divergent. My eyes have opened and I have been exposed to books that represent the dystopian genre more accurately than Divergent.

Divergent is known for its gritty action scenes and just the overall thrill-ride experience. I appreciate this, I really do, but other than that, it doesn't have much going for it. A dystopia has to have more than action, action, and more action. In my opinion, the fact that it was labeled “dystopia” did it more harm than good, as opposed to it being labeled a thriller/action book. It doesn't quite live up to the greatness of this genre, unfortunately. I would even go so far to say that it is a bit shallow in its portrayal of a dystopian society.

My first issue is that there is minimal world-building. We aren't given vivid descriptions of Tris’s world; I don’t know exactly how the dauntless compound looks. How can this be deemed as dystopia when it doesn't contain the basics—otherwise known as world building?

Another issue I had was the lack of a back-story. Roth just told us how things were; she didn’t bother to even allude to how this society came to be.

What probably frustrated me the most was the whole “factions based on personality/skills” deal. Putting it mildly, it didn't make sense. I mean, it would make sense for a society like that to arise if we had a problem like that in our society in the present day, but the fact of the matter is, we don’t. No one goes into conflicts based on their skills; it would actually make more sense if they were divided based on race or religion, which are actual problems presently. The idea of the Divergent society is very far-fetched. Which ties into my previous point; if we had a back-story, it would actually make sense.

As a reader, my standards for a book have become much stricter over time, and I have come to expect a lot more from my books. Divergent disappointed me and didn't have much depth to it, and I really believe this book is over-hyped.   

Review: The Eternity Cure, by Julie Kagawa

Title: The Eternity Cure

Author: Julie Kagawa

Genre: Dystopia/ paranormal

Pub. Date: April 30, 2013

Allison Sekemoto has vowed to rescue her creator, Kanin, who is being held hostage and tortured by the psychotic vampire Sarren. The call of blood leads her back to the beginning—New Covington and the Fringe, and a vampire prince who wants her dead yet may become her wary ally.

Even as Allie faces shocking revelations and heartbreak like she’s never known, a new strain of the Red Lung virus that decimated humanity is rising to threaten human and vampire alike. -Goodreads

Well. How did I forget to review this book?

*shrugs* I guess laziness does that to you.

Julie Kagawa, I must say, you’ve redeemed yourself. I should never have doubted your brilliance. Ever.

I don’t even know what I loved most about this book.

The action, or the suspense?

Zeke, or Kanin?

I didn’t think it was possible, but I loved Kanin even more in this book. We were just given a glimpse of him in the first book, but no worries, he is present for a majority of the novel.

There was a huge twist that I would never have anticipated during this book. I won’t say anything to ruin it, but let’s just say I got very angry over said revelation.

Do I even need to bring up how well the world-building was pulled off? Don’t worry, folks, this book lives up to the dystopian genre, and does not ignore the importance of world-building.

I liked seeing Zeke’s maturity in this book. In the previous novel, he had a childish personality of sorts; he was innocent and maybe a bit naïve. After the horrible events he witnessed, he has matured a lot, and while I wasn’t a huge fan of his new character, I felt it was fitting given the circumstances.

Jackal was hilarious. You can’t help but grow fond of this irritating character. He was, hands down, my absolute favorite character. His dry humor and sarcasm brings light to this otherwise bleak novel.

Oh, and that last scene? That gave me chills. It was too horrific, too scary to imagine. The villain was vile and evil and… villainous. He’s not lame like other villains I have come across; this guy’s legit.

Because of my fondness and affection for Zeke, the end pretty much ripped my heart apart. Just be prepared when you begin this book to have an overload of feels.

What a gripping novel. I’m surprised I was able to write a review.

4.5 stars

Review: Angelfall, by Susan Ee

Title: Angelfall
Author: Susan Ee
Genre: Paranormal/ Dystopia/ Post-apocalyptic
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels' stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

Let Angelfall be an example for us that publishing houses don't always have the perfect choosing ability. This makes me want to read more self-published books; who knows what hidden gems we'll find?

Imagine this scene in which a publisher is arguing with his boss over Angelfall:

Boss: Look at this atrocity! Who is going to want to read this?!

Publisher: But I found it entertaining to read.

Boss: *scoffs*Entertaining to read? This is most certainly not an enjoyable book to read. Where are the vital components of a young adult book? Where is the insta-love? The love triangle? The perfect female lead? Angelfall does not conform to our standards.

Publisher: But, I think—

Boss: You think teens these days want to read a book like this – an imperfect protagonist, a guy who isn't over-protective and there to save the day? No.

Publisher: Isn't it better that this book takes a different approach to this topic, and doesn't severely underestimate the intelligence of our target audience?

Boss: No, it is not. People don’t like change. Look at all the copies of the books that go by our standards have sold. Look at all the copies that Fallen and Hush Hush have sold. People don’t care if it is virtually the same story but with different characters; they just care about the romance.

Boss: Meh. This book is utter rubbish.

*Tosses book in the trash*


This book has EVERYTHING I crave in my paranormal books. Every. Freakin. Thing.

Interesting plot? Check.
Believable heroine? Check.
Slow-developing romance? Check.
Goes in depth on angels, without any info-dumps? Check.
Well-written setting? Check.

I must say, my favorite part was when Penryn pretended to be an angel, by holding wings behind her back to give the illusion that she is an angel, in order to save Raffe. I swear, this had me laughing for at least 5 minutes straight.

And the fact that she slaps Raffe when she first meets him? That just increased my liking of her. This girl's got brains, she's tough, and best of all, she's funny.

The end had me horrified. This is certainly how a post-apocalyptic novel should be written, and it is written perfectly. I am waiting for that next book!

5 stars!

Summer Reading Challenge

Hosted by Sophia at Bookwryming Thoughts

I am going to be participating in this Summer Reading Challenge, (even though I am a bit late in posting this) and my goal is to read and review 15 books or more. 

Anyone is eligible to join! You can head on over to Sophia's blog and post your link for the post in the linky widget. There is even a giveaway for participants.

Stacking the Shelves #3

Happy Summer everyone!

A few days ago, I went to a used bookstore, where I got all my books for really cheap. I kind of just grabbed books that I recognized because I was that excited, without reading the synopsis or anything. 

Here's what I got:

From top left:

1. Glass, by Ellen Hopkins

2. I am the Messenger, by Markus Zusak

3. Catalyst, by Laurie Halse Anderson
4. Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher

5. Only the Good Spy Young, by Ally Carter

6. Tithe, by Holly Black

7. Burned, by Ellen Hopkins

8. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, by Ally Carter

E-books:

1. Of Poseidon, by Anna Banks

2. Die For Me, by Amy Plum

3. Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake

Mostly this week I'm catching up on series I have meant to read for a while. What's on your Stacking the Shelves?

Feature and Follow (2)

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Preferred follow method: GFC or Bloglovin'

Question:

Share your favorite literary quote!

Answer:

I don't think I can name just one.. Here are a few:

“Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.” 

-Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

“I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn't already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race-that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.” 

-Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

“Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” 

-John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

“And now I need you to do for me what I cannot do for myself. For you to be my eyes when I do not have them. For you to be my hands when I cannot use my own. For you to be my heart when mine is done beating.” -Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Princess

"Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck.” 

-Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

Review: Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys

Title: Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Genre: YA historical fiction
Pub. date: March 22, 2011

Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.

Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously--and at great risk--documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives.Between Shades of Gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart. -Goodreads

"Was it harder to die, or harder to be the one who survived?”

When was the last time you heard of those small Baltic countries beside Russia? You know, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland? Most don’t even know these countries exist. Is anyone aware of the horrors they had to endure at the hands of the Soviets, how they were brutally forced out of their homes and forced into cramped, disease-ridden labor camps all over the USSR? Maybe, but thanks to the media, it is made out to be a seemingly insignificant event in the great scheme of things.

"We’ll soon be back in our homes. When the rest of the world finds out what the Soviets are doing, they will put an end to all of this.

Would they?”

This book reports the events a Lithuanian girl, Lina, and her family had to go through. They starved, they suffered, they were forced to overwork, and they had absolutely no freedom.

Between Shades of Gray is not for the weak. It contains detailed, often gruesome depictions of the everyday lives of these victims. They were treated worse than animals by the cold, indifferent NKVD.

Each and every character in this book affected me in one way or another. They each had their own stories which were painful to read about.

Lina

"There were only two possible outcomes in Siberia. Success meant survival. Failure meant death. I wanted life. I wanted to survive."

Fifteen-year-old Lina is the narrator of this story. To convey her thoughts and feelings, she drew pictures, and wrote, despite Communists and their strict adherence to censorship. The fact that Lina is my age and forced to endure these immense struggles, and remained strong, evoked this soulful feeling from me. Her courage and hope are palpable through her writings.

Jonas
Jonas is Lina’s ten-year-old brother. Because of all the horrors he witnessed, it is noticeable how much he is forced to mature over the course of the novel.

Andrius

“Andrius, I'm...scared."

He stopped and turned to me. "No. Don't be scared. Don't give them anything Lina, not even your fear.”

It can be claimed that the story of Andrius and Lina is a love story, but it is so much more than that. They pick each other up when they fall, they support each other, they give the other the strength to keep going. This is what true love is.

"Sometimes there is such beauty in awkwardness. There’s love and emotion trying to express itself, but at the time, it just ends being awkward.”

The writing
Lina’s narration is straight to the point. It is detailed enough to help us envision these scenes in our heads, but not overly descriptive.

I could say that I cried. A lot. But after a while, these all-consuming sobs kind of disappeared, leaving behind a heavy weight on my heart that causes my throat to choke up whenever I so much as think of this book.

There is a difference between reading these historical events out of a textbook, and reading them from a more personal POV. Which is why this book is so necessary in today’s screwed-up world; it affects people much more on an emotional level, instead of just filling our heads with facts.

Books like these are under appreciated in the present day. We need more of these types of books, these books that open our eyes to the rest of the world. As an American, I am spoiled. When I see all these horrid events –wars, starvation, oppressive governments- I feel like I am such a sheltered girl in comparison to these victims in third-world countries. The problems we have to go through are nothing compared to the less-fortunate people.

Like the author said, Between Shades of Gray was not written for pity. It was written for people to do something about this and try to bring change to the world. Places like the Gaza Strip, Syria, Darfur, Nigeria; all these places are suffering while we are sitting on our butts complaining about stupid issues. But after reading this, it gave me motivation to speak up, to help.

Don’t hesitate. Read this book. I guarantee it will change your view of the world and will affect you in ways you hadn’t anticipated.

5 Stars!

Review: Prodigy, by Marie Lu

Title: Prodigy (Legend, #2)
Author: Marie Lu
Genre: YA dystopia
Pub. date: Jan. 29, 2013

June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.

It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.

But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action. -Goodreads

You find joy in torturing us, don't you, Marie Lu? You couldn't have just spared us from the suffering of a cliffhanger?

Just kidding, we all love you, Ms. Lu. Despite the FEELS that you are making me drown in, I will forgive you since you wrote such an awesome second book that was even better than the first.

Girl, you wrote some ninja-paced action scenes. They were phenomenal, they were amazing, they made me dizzy from how fast-paced they were. We wanted action, and you satisfied us.

I loved how Marie Lu expanded on the dystopian world of Legend. Since setting and world-building are super important for a good dystopian novel, it really made this book stand out of the other dystopia novels crowding bookshelves.

Besides the improvement of the world-building, I loved how much the characters grew between book 1 and book 2. The author made this gradual character growth so believable that I didn't feel, at any time, that they were acting out of character.

Not the biggest fan of Tess, though. I wanted to smack her upside the head whenever she was speaking. Sometimes, she did act out of character.

Put simply, I was truly impressed by the author's talent at switching POV's. She managed to make each character have their own unique, distinct voices that made it easy to identify who was speaking. Not many authors can manage this, so color me dazzled by her talent.

After reading Legend, and going into Prodigy, I thought I already knew what was going to happen. I had the plot all planned out in my head, and knew what to expect. Man, was I wrong. One thing I know for sure: it would be horribly inaccurate to say this book is any way predictable. The plot twists were just too much to endure.

During the last 10 pages or so, I naively believed it was going to be a happy ending. I'll admit, Marie Lu, you had me fooled. One second everything was all good then...

BAM!

I was bombarded with feels. That ending caught me off guard. I found myself furiously re-reading the last few pages, to see if I actually read it correctly. That horrible reveal was, unfortunately, true.

4.5 out of 5 stars!

Waiting On Wednesday #7: Never Fade, by Alexandra Bracken

Title: Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2)
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Genre: YA sci-fi/dystopia
Pub. Date: October 15, 2013

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself? -Goodreads

The first one, The Darkest Minds, was brilliant. Can't wait to get my hands on this one, especially because of that infuriating cliffhanger we were left with.

Review: Cornerstone, by Kelly Walker

Title: Cornerstone (Souls of the Stones #1)

Author: Kelly Walker

Genre: Fantasy

Pub. Date: October 22, 2012

Emariya's life was nearly over before it started. Hidden under the floorboards while her mother died above her, she escaped a brutal death then—only to go racing toward it now, sixteen years later.

After learning her father has been captured, Emariya is desperate to save him, no matter who she has to turn to for help. Oblivious to her potential gifts and the secrets surrounding her dual heritage, Emariya makes a bargain with the prince of a rival land, Torian Ahlen. In exchange for her hand in marriage, he agrees to send his forces to rescue her father. With the arrangements made, Emariya embarks on a tumultuous journey through two kingdoms as different from each other as the families that rule them.

Before long, Emariya comes face to face with her mother's killers, and learns of an ominous prophecy: her and Torian's bloodlines must never be combined. Armed with this frightening new knowledge, Emariya begins to fear the handsome prince may desire more than to steal her heart, and it will take all of her newfound skills to survive. -Goodreads

You know that groan us readers let out when we sense a book is going to conform to the standards and plot typical for YA?

That's what I expected, once I found out that the main character feels love instantly her and the love interest set eyes on each other. You'd think I'd hate this book's guts, right?

Wrong.

The author knows readers hate this, unless you're a 12-year-old. She set in place an interesting explanation for this, an explanation that actually made sense and didn't cause me to pull me hair out in frustration.

The concept of the three Stones is actually quite fascinating. The "three kingdoms on the brink of war" part of the plot is not very unusual for a fantasy, and to be honest, this book isn't very different from other fantasy stories, so I can't really bring myself to say that this book is especially unique.

With much loyalty for her kingdom, Riya, the main character, is easily likable and admirable. Strong in her own way, and willing to do whatever she can for her land.

Many may be confused by the sudden plot twist at the end. I appreciated this part. It caught me wholly off guard.

There was fantastic world-building, and coupled with the surprisingly good writing, made a well-written first novel. Admittedly, I caught myself dozing off a few times, whether it be from the lack of action at times or the overly-detailed descriptions.

While this book didn't blow me off my feet, it was still entertaining to read, and can even be considered a very fluffy read for its genre. It sets the base for future novels while leaving questions unanswered to keep our interest. I am thoroughly impressed.

3/5 Stars

Stacking the Shelves #2

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews

In terms of books, it won't be a great week for me. I got declined twice for my requests of Crown of Midnight, by Sarah J. Maas, and Rebel Spring by Morgan Rhodes. Double rejection. I don't have a whole lot of books this week, especially compared to the dozens of books other bloggers that went to the BEA got for free. But I'm still grateful for the books I have and super excited to begin them!

So, here is my list:

To-Read:

1. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess

2. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury

3. Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys

4. Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo

Angelfall, by Susan Ee

Books from Netgalley:

1. Cornerstone, by Kelly Walker

2. Second Stone, by Kelly Walker

3. Broken Stone, by Kelly Walker

4. Ink, by Amanda Sun

To-Review:

1. Prodigy, by Marie Lu

2. The Indigo Spell, by Richelle Mead

What's on your STS post? Make sure to link in the comments!

Promo: Edge of Truth, by Natasha Hanova

Title: Edge of Truth
Author: Natasha Hanova
Pub. date: June 6th 2013
Genre: YA Dystopia

Citizens who report to work on time, obey the Overlord’s laws, and stay off the Synbot’s radar, live long lives. Long, dull, monotonous lives.

It’s not a bad plan for someone with a hidden, emotion-based ability to trigger earthquakes. In a world pitted against her, sixteen-year-old Rena Moon strives for a life beyond working herself to death at the factory. Seeing an alternative, she risks selling relics from the forbidden lands at Market. It becomes the worst decision she ever made. Someone kidnaps her best friend in exchange for the one thing that would end her oppression.

Driven by loyalty, Rena and seventeen-year-old Nevan Jelani, soulful composer, green thumb extraordinaire, and the secret love of her life, plot to rescue her friend and reclaim her salvage. Still, the thought lingers whether Nevan is a true hero or another thief waiting for his chance at her loot. Events spin wildly, deepening Rena’s suspicions and pushing her limit of control. With more than her chance for freedom at stake, she must decide if she’s willing to kill to protect what’s precious to her. For once, the Overlord isn’t holding all the power, but can Rena live with being reduced to what she’s trying so hard to escape? -Goodreads

Purchase

AUTHOR BIO


Natasha Hanova is an award-winning author of young adult and adult dark fantasy/paranormal fiction. Her short stories are published in Undead Tales 2, October Nightmares and Dreams, and Once Upon a Christmas. She is a member of Novel Clique, YALitChat, and an Affiliate member of the Oklahoma Writer’s Federation, Inc. She lives in Kansas with her wonderful husband, twin boys, and daughter.
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Waiting on Wednesday #6: Antigoddess, by Kendare Blake

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine

Title: Antigoddess (Goddess War #1)

Author: Kendare Blake

Genre: Mythology

Pub. Date: September 10, 2013

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin. -Goodreads

Anyone else DYING of anticipation? I haven't read her other series, Anna Dressed in Blood, but based on the synopsis, I have a good feeling about this one!

What are you waiting on? Comment and link below!

Review: Persephone, by Kaitlin Bevis

Title: Persephone (Daughters of Persephone #1)
Author: Kaitlin Bevis
Genre: Mythology
Pub. Date: July 6, 2012

There are worse things than death, worse people too.

The “talk” was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they’re a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn’t until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth. Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life. -Goodreads

It seems like I've been constantly let-down with all the attempts of Greek mythology retellings. Namely, The Goddess Test series, Everbound, and now, Persphone.

I'm not exactly sure what made me dislike this book. It was either the stupidly simple plot, the characters, or even the absence of anything remotely interesting. It was likely a combination of the above, and along with the mediocre writing, leading to my disliking of this book.

Generally, it never really felt like anything was at stake. Ya, Persephone successfully kills the bad guy, but this was fairly easy, when I was expecting, based on the characters' explanations, a difficult and life-threatening task.

The fact that everything was predictable as heck also caused me to not take this book seriously.

The writing was atrocious at worst, mediocre at best. Let's take a few examples, shall we?

"She rolled her eyes to show her opinion of that particular dieting method."

Well, DUH, if you roll your eyes, OBVIOUSLY you're showing your opinion.

"I peered past her out the window, grinning so she knew I was joking."

The second parts of those sentences were merely unnecessary and annoying and were just one of those DUH moments. The book was full of these. I found myself making this face quite a bit while reading Persephone:

Hades was... Bleh. A disgrace to Greek mythology and all the cool gods we expect from it. The protagonist, Persephone, was naive and stupid and I never found myself sympathizing with her.

Why is this book appealing to most? I've no idea. I certainly found it very unappealing. Excuse me while I go diligently search for an entertaining Greek mythology book.

If you are looking for a good book on Greek myth, go read some of Rick Riordan's books. Don't make the same mistake I made.

2 Stars