HALO

Since the Dark Forces started targeting the sleepy beachside town of Venus Cove, angel Bethany Church, 17 in mortal years, and her siblings Ivy and archangel Gabriel have been sent to restore order. On her first trip to Earth, Bethany is only supposed to observe human behavior, not to befriend any of them. But how can she help succumbing to adolescence when the prom is only months away, she has a burning curiosity about human love and Xavier Woods, the hottest guy at her private high school, asks her out? The first half of this longwinded, repetitious novel with Catholic overtones explains the differences between angel and mortal lives and sets up Bethany’s obsessive, abstinent relationship with Xavier, which begs for Twilight comparisons. The second half finally brings tension when manipulative transfer student Jake Thorn begins recruiting classmates to the dark side. Although the angels thwart Jake in a trite battle of forces, an open ending leaves room for his return. Readers who want to avoid flat, stereotyped characters should end here. (Paranormal romance. YA)