Review: My Ex From Hell by Tellulah Darling

Book Blurb:

Sixteen-year-old Sophie Bloom wishes she’d been taught the following:

a) Bad boy’s presence (TrOuBlE) + teen girl’s brain (DraMa) = TrAuMa (Highly unstable and very volatile.)

b) The Genus Greekulum Godissimus is notable for three traits: 1) awesome abilities, 2) grudges, and 3) hook-ups, break-ups, and in-fighting that puts cable to shame.

Prior to the Halloween dance, Sophie figures her worst problems involve adolescent theatrics, bitchy teen yoga girls, and being on probation at her boarding school for mouthy behaviour. Then she meets bad boy Kai and gets the kiss that rocks her world.

Literally.

This breath stealing lip lock reawakens Sophie’s true identity: Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She’s key to saving humanity in the war between the Underworld and Olympus, target numero uno of Hades and Zeus, and totally screwed.

Plus there’s also the little issue that Sophie’s last memory as Persephone was just before someone tried to murder her.

Big picture: master her powers, get her memories back, defeat Persephone’s would be assassin, and save the world. Also, sneak into the Underworld to retrieve stolen property, battle the minions of Hades and Zeus, outwit psycho nymphs, slay a dragon, rescue a classmate, keep from getting her butt expelled from the one place designed to keep her safe …

… and stop kissing Kai, Prince of the Underworld.

My Ex From Hell is a YA romantic comedy, Greek mythology smackdown. Love meets comedy with a whole lot of sass in book one of this teen fantasy romance series. Compared to Kai and Sophie, Romeo and Juliet had it easy.

My Review:

4 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Another-World, Royal-Court, Supernatural, Hysterical--

Sophie Bloom doesn’t give her life much thought outside hanging out with her friends at their boarding school and plotting against her tormentor Bethany. During an extravagant attempt to foil Halloween for Bethany, Sophie pretends to be her and kisses the boy Bethany planned on meeting. Little did Sophie know that the kiss would end up causing her to gain memories and gifts she had no idea she had ever lost. Apparently, Sophie use to be Persephone and the boy she just kissed is Kai, son of Hades. Sophie is now caught in a battle between the Gods with no real clue what to do.

I had heard really good things about this series and had been looking forward to getting my hands on it for over a year now. When the opportunity arose for me to read it I was really excited. And to be truthful, it did not let me down. The story of Hades and Persephone is one of my all time favorites and I will read any version of it I can. I can honestly tell you that I have never read a version like this before. It loosely (incredibly loosely) follows the myth of the Greek Gods, but with a modern setting and tons of humor and inappropriate commentary/scenarios. I found myself laughing out loud at the story while in public, which is a sure fire way to get looked at like you are a crazy person. But it also means that the book was hysterical. The story was a mash of teen drama, Greek mythology, and adventure.

Sophie was such a unique blend of personalities. She was the apathetic teen who is self involved, the prankster, the good friend, the unwanted only child, the powerful Goddess, the jilted ex-girlfriend, and the selfless and brave hero. She had so many aspects to her personality that came through at the random most inopportune moments. My favorite inappropriate Sophie moment was when she had to fight herself to not strip off her clothes and roll around naked in the grass during a dangerous scenario. She was full of snark and misplaced commentary, just the way I like my main characters. What’s not to love about a girl who is flattered that another girl has a crush on her and sad she does not like girls because she has to let her down gently, yet at the same time realizes five minutes in the girls company would turn her homicidal? She was such a spaz in her thoughts and I could totally relate to the random tangents/connections she created. I loved Sophie and the internal struggles she went through, and despite it all she proved to be a good person/Goddess.

Her relationship with her friends was fun and quirky since they are all so co-dependent on each other and help to balance the others out. Theo was the big brother/gay best friend who just so happens to know everything about Sophie. He has schemed and plotted, but with Sophie’s best interest at heart, really I swear. Hannah is the best female friend, who is completely human yet embraces this crazy world she is shoved into right along with Sophie. I loved how she created herself flashcards to remember elusive facts like it was a class project and her cheering on of Sophie in the most bizarre of situations.

I found the book to be a random hodgepodge of funny comments or scenarios that somehow turns reflective or introspectively deep and then launches into a dangerous battle. It seems so random but it worked to create a cohesive fast paced story that I could not get enough of. The book ended on a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next title in the series. I would recommend this to anyone who has a sense of humor and likes a quest.

I received this title from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.