3.5 stars “Other people just told their boyfriends to go to hell and could take back the words and make up. Me, I actually had to send mine there.”Boyfriend from Hell by Jamie Quaid is an entertaining read. Set in the slums of Baltimore in an environmentally damaged area called The Zone, Boyfriend from Hell has a different take on environmental pollution. The Zone is an area where electronics don’t work; buildings have a blue glow at night (without electricity) and inanimate objects such as statues and garbage dumpsters move. The population of The Zone has all sorts of talents; shape shifting, invisibility, and snake charming are some of the abilities of the residents.I loved the world. It was dark, dirty, and gritty. The Zone had a dangerous, forbidden feel to it. I loved the fact that the artwork and statues literally had an opinion. The characters had all sorts of entertaining eccentricities which made the book more interesting.I had a little difficulty with the main character, Tina. I did like her and found her to be hard-working, goal oriented, pragmatic, and smart. Tina did have an anger management problem, resulting in some curious occurrences. I think what frustrated me was the fact that her skill was not fully explored. I understand that this is a series and that the skill was being set up, but this was something that I would have appreciated a just a little more background. Once she realized that her talent resulted in a little gift, she was quite preoccupied by her good hair. Aside from that, I did like Tina and enjoyed her interactions with the other characters.The rest of the characters made this book fun to read. I felt horrible for Max, the boyfriend who was damned to hell. Max could communicate with Tina through her bathroom mirror and her compact. Andre was perfect as the sleazy business owner with a thing for Tina. The biker boys were perfect – big, burly, and protective. My favorite had to be Milo the kitten, who was more than he seemed. Boyfriend from Hell is a solid start to Jamie Quaid’s Saturn’s Daughter series and a series to keep on the radar. I can’t wait to read more about this world.Thank you to Edelweiss and Pocketbooks for a review copy of this book.Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
