Review: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Idyllic seaside Venus Cove is the least likely place to be in need of help from above. Children attend school regularly and the community is rich in religion, poor in crime. For reasons unknown even to them, the Archangel Gabriel has been sent with two of his fellow angels, healer Ivy and youthful Bethany, to the coastal town. Their mission is to do good and reconnect the townsfolk with spirituality and help them believe in miracles again. Bethany isn’t clear why; Venus Cove isn’t exactly a hotbed of malcontents, but as she begins attending Bryce Hamilton School, it isn’t needy souls who draw her attention. It’s dreamy Xavier Woods. He’s human. She’s an angel-an angel forbidden to love in all but the most general of ways. She isn’t supposed to fall in love.
I want to begin by cautiously saying I believe this book has been poorly marketed. By this I don’t mean publicists and publishers haven’t been doing their best to spread the word about Alexandra Adornetto’s U.S. debut. That I believe has been done. What I mean is Halo has been promoted as a romance between an angel and a mortal, about the forces of good battling the forces of evil. It is all of these things, but to say it’s just about those is misleading. It is also extremely religious (in a most non-secular way) and would appeal mostly, in my opinion, to those of a Christian (more specifically: Catholic) sensibility or readers who do not mind reading about Christian doctrine in their YA paranormal fantasy romances.
Normally I’m not bothered by religion in fiction to be completely put off from recommending what others might find interesting. In this case, I am forced to hesitate and really examine what Adornetto has presented. While there is a romance (albeit a lackluster one), it’s surrounded by what is clearly religious and not spiritual. Gabriel and Ivy can explain their mission to Bethany as doing good, reinvigorating spirituality, engaging in acts of charity, or spreading kindness, but there are so many examples of why this is exclusive rather than inclusive. For all of these gentle intentions and harmless euphemism, there are also very Christian insinuations that consider a narrow definition of spirituality and faith imposed on Venus Cove without the consent of the population.
I know what some of you might be wondering: it’s a story about angels. How could it not be religious? Doesn’t the very premise itself scream religion and Christianity in particular? Well, yes and no. It’s possible to draw from the mythology and the history of the bible without being preachy (I believe Hush, Hush was a secular angel romance; Lamb was upfront about its subject material). Halo doesn’t do this. Aside from the inclusion of prayers and song, which are in keeping with the nature of the protagonist and not at all troubling (this adds veracity to Bethany being the angel that she is), there was one particular statement that upset me.
A newspaper article prompts the naive Bethany to inquire about the Middle East and indirectly voice the concerns of readers: why weren’t they sent there where it’s very obvious help is needed but on the other hand, why are bad things happening over there to begin with? Ivy’s answer (and here I am quoting directly from my ARC) is troubling, to say the least: their agents “can’t do their job properly” (p. 102), being overrun by evil forces as it were. My question is: why would Christian spiritual figures be in full force in a largely non-Christian area of the world? Not that in the world of fiction, inter-faith cooperation can’t be possible, but in this case, with that quote and in context, Adornetto’s angels are imposing their ways and their lack of availability in the area as being indirectly responsible for the inability of the Middle East to overwhelm these evil forces. Honestly, that’s too presumptuous for me. I can only hoped this was fixed for the final print version.
I can’t say Adornetto intended this to be offensive, but it might be seen as such. This is why I’m very hesitant to recommend this to just any reader who might otherwise enjoy the story. I think it’s admirable that she has not one, but two novels published at such a young age (her writing does show promise), but I’m afraid her narrative reflects a level of inexperience on various levels that will hopefully, given time, improve. Her prose tends to be heavy-handed, with much “telling” rather than “showing,” which sometimes works for Bethany as she navigates the strange and alien world of humans. At other times it doesn’t.
I think Adornetto really wanted to write a beautiful romance. With references to Romeo & Juliet, there is little doubt Xavier and Bethany are supposed to be her star-crossed couple. However, they embody the archetypes of “helpless, dependent female” (Bethany frequently ignores her new friends completely) and “over protective male” that I’m very disappointed to see happening more often in YA literature. At some point many girls might identify with that dynamic. Some might still want the fantasy of being saved (or enjoy reading about it), but I believe it’s inordinately more empowering for a protagonist to stand on her own two feet. Other may, of course, be fine with the pairing and characterization.
In any event, the plot seems a bit unsure of itself. There is never any clear or really consequential conflict until the very end. Even then, it’s not very surprising, nor did I find it particularly dramatic, given that the protagonist can’t die. But the saccharine romance and Bethany’s awkwardness (written best in the first chapter) navigating the human world may appeal to other readers. Even though I can't help but feel I may be missing the point, I was just not the most receptive audience in this case.
Thank you to Feiwel & Friends for my Advance Review Copy.
As a reminder, you can read this and my other book reviews at Jawas Read, Too!