Heaven

September 15, 2012
This final installment of the forbidden love story in the popular Halo trilogy stands on its own well, with only a few references to events in previous books. Bethany, an angel, fell in love with handsome Xavier, a human with turquoise eyes, back in the first book. At the beginning of this volume they marry, thereby incurring the wrath of Heaven or, at least, the wrath of a faction of warrior angels called the Sevens. The couple goes into hiding, protected by Bethany's brother, the archangel Gabriel, and her sister Ivy. The Sevens stay on the hunt, however, until Bethany and Xavier find themselves compelled to make a desperate bargain that leads to their possibly eternal separation. What will Bethany have to do to reunite with Xavier? Adornetto writes from a staunchly Christian viewpoint, stopping frequently to discuss fairly standard Christian doctrine. Her prose flows along quickly despite this, but the plot seems hastily thrown together, leaving some minor but noticeable holes. Most egregiously, late in the book readers learn a crucial fact about Xavier that may change everything, but the story never again refers to that point. Although major characters come across as standard-issue romance heroes, a few of the minor characters stand out, such as rakish archangel Raphael. Mostly forgettable. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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December 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-Following on the heels of Halo (2010) and Hades (2011, both Feiwel & Friends), Heaven is more angst-filled and tiresome than its paranormal predecessors. Against Heaven's rules, angel Bethany and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier, marry. This prompts the Sevens, rigid angel watchdogs, to pursue them relentlessly. To make matters worse, the couple can't consummate their union for fear of further angering the powers that be. After narrowly escaping a Seven at a remote cabin, they hide in plain sight as Ole Miss university students. Posing as siblings on campus leads to more heartbreak and jealousy for Beth as she tries to discourage all the other girls from crushing on Xavier. In an ensuing campus battle with the Sevens, Xavier dies. As he hovers between life and death, Lucifer takes over his body. Gabriel saves him but pays the price. Xavier's remarkable ability to remain unfazed by all of this comes as no surprise after Ivy, Beth's angel sister, confesses a long-held secret. Beth makes the ultimate sacrifice to leave Earth and Xavier behind to save his sister. Will she find her way back from Heaven to be reunited with Xavier? Cliched? Absolutely. What calamity doesn't befall the ill-fated lovers? Minor characters are mentioned then dropped, and the religious aspects are heavy-handed. Bethany is supposedly a spirited rebel but her self-absorption grows annoying, as does her codependence with Xavier. This book is strictly for fans of the series.-Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton

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