Confessions of a Bookaholic: Review: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
Published: HarperTeen (May 29th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardback: 487 pages
Source: Publisher
Series: Starcrossed, book #2
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Can true love be forgotten?

As the only Scion who can descend into the Underworld, Helen Hamilton has been given a nearly impossible task. By night she wanders through Hades, trying to stop the endless cycle of revenge that has cursed her family. By day she struggles to overcome the fatigue that is rapidly eroding her sanity. Without Lucas by her side, Helen is not sure she has the strength to go on.

Just as Helen is pushed to her breaking point, a mysterious new Scion comes to her rescue. Funny and brave, Orion shields her from the dangers of the Underworld. But time is running out—a ruthless foe plots against them, and the Furies’ cry for blood is growing louder.

As the ancient Greek world collides with the mortal one, Helen’s sheltered life on Nantucket descends into chaos. But the hardest task of all will be forgetting Lucas Delos.

Review:

I was actually hesitant to pick up this book. I waited and waited for it since putting down Starcrossed but was so afraid I'd be disappointed. Do you guys ever do that? Usually I find myself not falling in love with the 2nd book in a series. It's sort of like seeing your first love again after being a part for a while and thinking "What was it that I saw in him?" haha! BUT, don't fear..that was NOT the case with Dreamless!

Another thing I worried about was being completely lost! This series has a lot of the Greek myths explained throughout and I'm sort of new to that subject but Josephine makes it so interesting! She made me regret not paying more attention to myths in high school.

In Dreamless, Helen is suffering through hell...literally..every single night. No one can do the task for her and she feels lost on how to succeed. Then a hand reaches out for her and does more than save her, he gives her a partner that she can rely on. I know what you are thinking "Love triangle...noooooo" ...but yesssss, and it's a good one! Don't get me wrong, I love Lucas, but Orion was a nice little addition to this story.

For some reason I kept picturing Orion as this guy...

Yes, it's possible that he looks nothing like that, but to me, THIS is Orion! *sigh* Orion is an incredible character. He's strong, loyal, honest, caring, compassionate, etc., etc. He's the one who is willing and able to stand by Helen's side at any cost. It would be difficult to not have an attraction to that. But still, their slowly building relationship was nice and realistic. I never questioned their friendship and you could really feel the passion building. I really felt that, out of everyone, Orion was the one who really "got" Helen and helped her mature and become stronger.

Lucas is still in the picture, don't worry. He is dealing with swirling emotions that have him a little unbalanced in this book. Even with him alternating between pushy and distant, I enjoyed seeing into his mind.

One of the biggest perks of this entire series is the secondary characters. Lucas has such an interesting family and I enjoyed learning even more about them in Dreamless. Hector is amazing and I want one of him for myself! I think he's my favorite family member by far.

Josephine created a complex plot that was so fun to follow! Some parts were so yucky and bloody and other parts were full of beauty and magic. It's amazing how well Josephine is able to portray each extreme with such clarity.

Josephine Angelini is a brilliant author who managed to capture my heart with her story. Every detail is so well written and the characters continue to grow and change in a way that keeps the story flowing nicely.

Recommended: People who love Greek myths, or any paranormal story. Terrific series!