ARC Review: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Title: Halo
Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Releases: 8/31/2010
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Number of Pages: 496
Reading Level: Young Adult


4 out of 5 Stars


Thank you Book It Forward Tours for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.




Description from Goodreads:


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.


My thoughts:


Bethany Church is an angel on a mission. She is assigned to the town of Venus Cove along with her “siblings", Gabriel (yes, that Gabriel) and Ivy. They hope to reverse the darkness that is affecting the little town, and restore morals and kindness to the residents. Bethany is the youngest of the three, and finds life on Earth affects her differently than the two more experienced angels. Gabriel and Ivy aren’t thrilled with Bethany’s desire to live life like a normal teen. She relates to  humans in a way the others can’t, and wants to experience as much as possible while she is there. The older angels worry this will be a distraction from the mission they have accepted. When she meets and subsequently falls in love with the gorgeous, Xavier. she is faced with not only upsetting her siblings, but also the powers that be.


This is the first book in a planned trilogy by teen author Alexandra Adornetto. Beautifully written with an endearing cast of characters. Xavier and Gabriel are the epitome of dreamy. Bethany’s naivety was sweet. She really seems to love life on earth. She faces normal teen struggles as well as the realization she’ll eventually have to return to heaven, and leave the boy she has fallen for. I guess that justifies a few emotional meltdowns. Ivy was just awesome with her domestic powers and unconditional kindness. I hope to see more character development of both Gabriel and Ivy in future books. While it did have a couple of slow parts it didn’t stop me from enjoying this novel. I do wish Bethany would have matured more by the end of the book. Hopefully she’ll become more independent as the series progresses. Her feelings for Xavier were a little over the top at times. I think (hope) the author will eventually explain why the bond is there with these two lovebirds, and maybe it won’t seem as bizarre to me. For now I’ll just blame her lack of experience with human emotions, and keep my fingers crossed that the neediness she exhibits in Halo won’t be a staple for the remainder of this trilogy.


Halo is a romantic and captivating tale of good versus evil. I recommend this to all who love the angel phenomena that is taking over our local bookstores.

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