A Touch of Darkness

I used CAWPILE to rate because then end of this book drastically changed my opinion of the story, feeling towards the characters, and affected my overall enjoyment.



SPOILERS BELOW



The first like 40-60% of the book had me. I was in it, locked in. But it lost me in the rest. The end feels like a totally different book with Persephone making a lot choices that felt out of character to what her character has been established from page 1. Didn't her best friend just tell her she's full of kindness and what have you?

I mean, I get it. I get when you are pushed and pushed and you explode. But this felt like a 3-day PMS moment. It is so whip lash from onset to offset. No true build up of this darkness swimming in her before her chat with Hades (like I feel like we had NO warning; Aphrodite being the catalyst we should have had tasted something right after their talk). I know it's briefly mentioned here and there that she has “darkness in her” but it was not explored in a way to lead into what came from Hades confirming the bet. Even worse was there isn't any reflection on anything afterwards. The story goes from her wreaking havoc to then just bringing right back into routine day-to-day: School, work, partying. After THAT? No way. There is a line of feeling guilt and shame but towards the people in the Underworld and maybe Hades. I want to know how she felt! We just got visual rage but I didn't feel anything from her, if that makes sense?

And then in the route of “Happily Ever After”??? No meaningful discussion of feelings and why each party felt the way they did, just acceptance and move on?? No discussion of her outburst towards him, Adonis, Minthe, Demetere? It felt disingenuous.

Maybe these things are explored in the other books but the way this one ended unfortunately has me not wanting to explore that.