Halo by Alexandra Adornetto review

ISBN: 9780732289898;

 ISBN10: 0732289890;

 On Sale: 1/08/2010 Aus
 & 31/08/2010 USA;

 Format: Trade paperback;

 Pages: 484

Amazon
Book Depository

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels, Ivy, Bethany and Gabriel are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness. 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 for 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.

The angels and Xavier must work together to overcome the dark forces - but will Beth survive the battle?

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I must give kudos to Miss Adornetto. She is only 17 and this is her fourth book. Halo is quite beautiful. But it does start off slow, with Bethany learning to be human and explaining her experiences. Her descriptions are in depth, but not over the top. I thought I might get annoyed with her descriptions, but for me, they were just enough. Bethany takes to being human like a duck to water. She doesn't understand why or how her brother and sister are so removed from their feelings. She acts like a teenager, with wanting to be treated as an adult, yet still acts rather childishly. She even snaps "I won't be treated like a child," and then proceeds to storm away defiantly. Being an angel she has different views, and understands the significance of their role on Earth. She's kind, caring and naive, but she is still has a strong personality and conviction. I found her very likable. When she meets Xavier Woods, she becomes a little confused but is thrilled with the attention, even though she knows becoming attached to him is not really allowed. Their relationship grows steadily and they come to realize they have very deep feelings for each other. Gabriel and Ivy are not thrilled with Beth's association with Xavier, but after divine acceptance, they begin to welcome him.  
Xavier comes from a religious family, and is a boy you would love to bring home to meet your mother. He's charismatic, kind, thoughtful, understanding, approachable and never pushes Beth for more than she can give. Of course he's also attractive. I liked Xavier a lot and wish more young men were more like him. There's a new kid from London, Jake, who is also attractive, charming and has an unnatural hold on people. Beth likes to see the best in everyone, and when his true nature is revealed she beats herself up a bit, trying to understand why she didn't see what he was. At the end, Beth and Xavier are both changed by what they have been through, with it affecting Bethany more. Xavier is always there for and helps her through her issues. Beth grew well as a character, and I really want to see how the rest of her story plays out.
Halo is well written, imaginative, enchanting and the characters relatable. The beginning is a bit slow, but not unreadable. I always wanted to read how Bethany would react to a new situation, some of which are quite humorous. Halo, well my version, is 484 pages long and may seem like a daunting read, but I urge you to give it a go anyway. I still can't quit believe it's written by a seventeen year old, and her age does sometimes come through the pages. I think it gives the story a bit more authenticity as Bethany is seventeen too. 
        This is a little more tame YA novel, but I do highly recommend it.
4 out of 5.