My Ex From Hell

Originally posted on The Selkie Reads Stories (http://selkiereadsstories.blogspot.com)

I highly enjoy most of the young adult books that are based on Greek mythology, and My Ex From Hell was one that kept me on my toes. Tellulah writes in an easy and fluid way so the reading experience I had was like reading Sophie Bloom's diary. My Ex From Hell is a nice light read and it is a welcome break from all the heavy and emotionally loaded books in the YA market today.

Sophie Bloom is one sassy sister. She's just like any sixteen year-old girl; she goes to boarding school, has her fair share of family problems, belongs in a tight group of friends, and has a knack for getting into trouble. The thing that I liked the most about Sophie was her voice- she was snarky, sarcastic, and sometimes overly dramatic. This girl is opinionated and she's not afraid to speak her mind. I also enjoyed the sense of humor portrayed in the book because it was natural and wasn't too forced- it all came natural to Sophie and her friends without missing a beat.

I really got a kick out of the world Tellulah created for My Ex From Hell, both the Greek mythology and boarding school aspects of it. Sophie's boarding school life and her relationship with her friends seemed so natural and I enjoyed Tellulah's depictions of various characters and places based on the Greek myths. One thing that set My Ex From Hell apart from other Persephone books that I have heard of is that Tellulah doesn't pair off Persephone/Sophie with Hades but with Hades' son Kai. Tellulah did a really good job of bringing this story to the modern world for younger generations to enjoy.

My Ex From Hell sucked me in during the first few chapters, but i'm sad to say that it lost me somewhere along the middle. Some things felt a bit too forced and rushed, and it just wasn't that much of a believable story anymore. If the characters weren't sixteen, the book felt very much like a middle grade novel. However, the very lovable Sophie Bloom and her unabashedly honest mouth was a redeeming factor for me, and the unexpected ending made me eager to read the next books in the series.