Reviewed by e_rodz_leb on
It’s no secret that I LOVE mythology and Greek myths are my favorite. My Ex From Hell was a really great take on the Persephone story and it is SO FUNNY!
How can I describe the plot without giving it away? As always, I’ll strive to do my best! Sophie is 16 and in reality is Persephone in human form. She is human because of something that happened in the Underworld that she can’t remember (and reasons better left to your own discovery). Sophie has two best friends: Hannah, a gorgeous geek and Theo. As you can read in the description, when Kai comes into the picture and kisses her it unlocks some of her memories, but unfortunately not all of them. What happens next is a type of quest in search for some missing students and for Sophie’s memories.
The characterization is amazing! We have Sophie, which is full of flaws, but very feisty and funny. Hannah is beautiful, but really smart and a loyal friend. Theo is (gay?) and a bit more than a good friend. Kai is breathtaking! Oh, and let’s not forget the bully and ever popular girl, Bethany.
As I said, the story is a modern take on the myth of Persephone, and in this case, Kai is Hades’ son. The couple finds themselves in the middle of a power struggle between the gods (this happens often in mythology, right?). The book is fairly short and fast paced. As Sophie doesn’t have all her memories, we get to experience everything from her point of view. I really enjoyed the writing. It is hilarious! It’s full of modern references, technology, snark, slang and such. However, the ending was a total cliffhanger, and I’m not a fan of that. Thank goodness that My Date From Hell, book #2, is due to be published in
October.
My Ex From Hell is a must for mythology fans, especially if you love the tale of Persephone and Hades (er, like I do!).
Some quotes for you (note these are from the ARC):
“The name is Kai”. He corrected.
How to put this without sounding stupid? Aw, screw it. There is no way. His voice made me tingle and shiver and warmed me in placed that definitely should not have been warm at the moment. … Kai’s voice was dark and lazy and slightly foreign and…whoa baby, I’m getting weak just thinking about it.”
“Hannah was staring wide-eyed at the two of us. “Mommy, daddy, please don’t fight”.
“Stay”, he ordered me. [Theo]
“I’m not a dog,” I shot back at him.
“Too bad for me,” he muttered and staked out.
I glanced at Hannah. “Did I miss something at the dance? Who peed in his cornflakes?”
“How did she end up here? This sudden epidemic of Greek figures in teen bodies is a little to Invasion of the Body Snatchers for me” – Hannah
About the cover: Not really my cup of tea.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 26 April, 2013: Finished reading
- 26 April, 2013: Reviewed