UM... WHY?

The Blood of the Hydra (Elementals #2)
by Michelle Madow
Publishing Info: April 18, 2016 | Dreamscape Publishing
Status: Complete

        A demigod who can kill with a touch. It's an ability that must be kept secret from everyone, even from those trusted most.
        Finding out that her new school had her in a special homeroom for witches was strange enough, but now Nicole must face the realization that she has the rare power to kill with just a touch. It’s a secret she needs to keep not only from the Head Elders, but from the super-sexy witch Blake, who she’s had undeniable chemistry with even before he broke up with his long-term girlfriend, the vengeful witch Danielle.
        Now Nicole and the four others gifted with powers over the elements, including Blake and Danielle, must stop a series of monsters that they previously believed to be dead from rising once again and destroying the mortal world. Three magical items are needed, including the blood of the slain hydra – ingredients that they must journey to the dangerous, mystical islands in Greece to retrieve.
        The monsters they face on this journey will be more threatening than anything they’ve encountered yet. But with the fate of the world on their shoulders, it’s up to the Elementals to return home victorious. Will they find the ingredients they need? Can Nicole and her friends pull off this mission while the tension between her, Blake, and Danielle threatens to ruin everything? And how long will it be until Nicole is forced to use her ability to kill in front of everyone, revealing the true darkness of her powers?

        I am incredibly frustrated, angered, and vexed by this book. Let me show you a quote from the book and you'll understand why.

"You [Blake] have no right to tell me what to do. You lost that privilege when you dumped me [Danielle]."

I'm not even going to rant or talk about it because it's only going to make me angrier.

        There are so many cringe worthy, sickening romance scenes. Each page mentions Blake and how Nicole's heart beats faster when they're in close proximity, how much she loves him or how his presence makes her all gooey and disgusting. There is a lot of staring, a lot of denial and pining. If you feel so strongly for each other, you wouldn't have doubt and all that delay. The book has a lot of petty problems and fluff. It's more of a Contemporary Romance book than a Greek Mythology/Adventure book. The romance is the main plot and the quests are the sub-plots.
        Along with that, Nicole has a superiority complex. She thinks she's so exceptional because she can heal people and can shoot arrows. She also thinks she's limitless/god-like.

        The fact that the people foster her ego makes me ill. She's already a demigod and incredibly special snowflake already. She creates so much unnecessary drama. The other Elementals are the same. They show off their power and never really used their head, except for Kate. They are all rather unfeeling, dull and petty. 
        The writing is incredibly juvenile. Reading the words is like reading an essay I write for English class. There is a lot of speculation in the book and doubt. It feels like the author is still testing the waters and is unsure of her book's mythology/world.