Review: Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

Title: Dreamless
Author: Josephine Angelini
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: May 29, 2012
Genre: YA, mythology
Pages: 487
Series: Starcrossed #2
1. Starcrossed (review)
2. Dreamless
3. Goddess (expected pub 2013)

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
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.

Josephine Angelini's compelling saga becomes ever more intricate and spellbinding as an unforgettable love triangle emerges and the eternal cycle of revenge intensifies. Eagerly awaited, this sequel to the internationally bestselling "Starcrossed" delivers a gritty, action-packed love story that exceeds all expectations.

From Goodreads

I was so happy to jump back into the world Josie has created on Nantucket Island. The mythology, the characters, the adventure, all of it! The one thing I found hard was remembering everything that’d happened at the end of Starcrossed. I especially had a difficult time remembering all the characters; like who was who and what they could do. It could just be that I haven’t read the first book since last summer.

I loved the impossibility of the task that Helen was undertaking this book. It was such a desperate journey that I couldn’t help but be fully invested in her plea. Not only is she struggling with her purpose in the Underworld, but “real life” is beyond difficult for her, too. Her ventures in the Underworld are taking such a toll on her physically, emotionally, and mentally. On top of that, she feels so wrong about her feelings toward Lucas because everyone believes they’re cousins. All-in-all, this is an emotionally and physically trying book for poor Helen.

Orion was a great new character. He understands Helen, and he can help her in the one way that no one else can: in the Underworld itself. He’s definitely an asset to her down there. He can descend, he can fight, and he’s a great listener when Helen needs to pour out her frustrations. There are so many secondary characters in this book that I want to address them all, but that would take LOTS OF TIME. But it’s nice that there’s so many and that they all have their own personal issues that we see in the book. If it was all about Helen and her angst, I think it would be slightly unbearable. So it’s good that it’s not.

This story is so fast paced. I won’t say it’s a quick read, because it’s long and there’s a lot that happens, but it’s definitely a book you won’t want to be putting down too often. And the ending is explosive! It wraps up well, but it also leads in to the third book really well. I just know so well that sh*t is going to go down in book 3, Goddess, and I can’t wait!