Review Detail

I am really glad I kept reading past the first 30 or 40 pages because I ended up loving this book. The beginning was a little hard to get through, Phoebe was really whiny and while I understand why she was upset I didn't know if I wanted to read about a whiny character. But once Phoebe gets on the island, the pace picked up and I wanted to know what all was going on.

I actually liked every single character in the story. Phoebe wasn't a helpless and weak person, and her emotions felt real. She handles herself in ways that are believable and the relationships she develops with the other characters are genuine. The baddies, like Adara and Stella (for a little while) act like every other popular cranky girl you come across - snarky, judgmental and possessive. While the dynamics of the interactions between these characters are a bit typical, they never felt forced or insincere. Each character also represented their associated God really well. The descendants of Hades, the "Hades Harem" were the goths, decked out in black and heavy makeup. The Poseidon kids were burnout/stoner surfer kids with sun bleached shells and adorned in puca shells. I truly loved how Childs mixed the Gods and their domains with the characters without overwhelming detail.

I liked that Childs used mythology as the backdrop for her story, but it never took over and drove the book in a certain direction. Almost everything that happened could happen to anyone, cliques, spur of the moment marriages and moves, confusing crushes, all of it. Mythology just added a bit of flair and an interesting premise.

There were a couple of things that weren't explained to my liking, but I guess they really don't have answers and I'm just being picky. Overall I loved this book. It was a cute and fast read that kept me turning its pages after the first couple chapters. But that's more an issue of my pet peeves than an actual problem in pacing. I recommend this book to anyone in the mood for a light read with funny characters and a little bit of romance. The mythology accents the story enhancing the characters and relationships. And since it's such a short read, I think everyone would enjoy taking a break from the super intense thrillers that have been released lately.