bubblegirl858's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I really wanted to like this book. I have been on a Greek mythology retelling reading kick and I thought this book would be the perfect fit. It was not. Knowing the myth does not make this book any easier to read, in fact it only makes you want to scream when events play out exactly as you knew they would but now, NOW you can see the actual (imagined) impact they had on women in the story which only made me angrier. Every single character is unlikable. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Not a single redeeming quality to be found in any male character and not a single likeable character trait in any female character. One of the things that irked me the most about this book was that they CONSTANTLY reminded you how plain Phaedra was. Anytime a new character interacted with her: "Oh that is too bad she is so plain." "Well, she isn't a great beauty" and so on and so forth. That was the only way to describe her. I completely understand the constant reminders that she is a child, because she is, but the constant reminder of how ugly she is compared to other women was so off putting. For a proclaimed "feminist novel", I expected a lot better than what was given. Also, can we talk about how every Greek mythology retelling book is compared to Madeline Miller (just like this book was)? This book's writing was scores below Madeline Miller and just plain boring at times. The Night Chorus was interesting, and I might have enjoyed it if I listened to the audiobook. In writing, it looks super disjointed and is confusing a lot of times.
Spoiler
The only redeeming aspect of the book was getting to see Phaedra take revenge on her rapist because let's be honest, any person who has been raped wishes they could deal out justice to the person who harmed them in the same fashion. Knowing that she was like 6-7 months pregnant when she did it makes it that much more of an accomplishment. That was the only high point of the book. Her death at her own hands doesn't even feel like her own choice at the end due to her being backed into that corner.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Rape, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, and Suicide
Moderate: Blood, Death, Vomit, Pregnancy, Sexism, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, and Slavery
elysareadsitall's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
"Phaedra" was a difficult read, but I'm glad to have read it. The Night Chorus of women in the story was heartbreaking and fascinating, and they were my favorite part of the book. This book follows Phaedra as Theseus kills her brother the minotaur, runs off with her sister, returns without her, marries Phaedra, takes her to Athens, and leaves her in the dangerous court alone. Phaedra is then raped by Theseus's son Hippolytus, and his trial follows.
The story dives headfirst into the politics of Athens and women's bodies. It's infuriating and hard to read, but it's realistic and important too. The prose is stark and driving. The book was quick to read and difficult to put down. Because it's a well-known myth, I knew what was going to happen, but I kept reading with hope and a need to know how Shepperson would wrap up the story.
The story is told in several perspectives. The characters Shepperson chose were confusing to me at first, but their parts in the story became clear quickly and made perfect sense. I liked the variety of perspectives because it showed how the ripple effects spread wide. Besides the Night Chorus, I was most drawn to Phaedra's perspective because she changes the most over the story and has a lot of inner turmoil.
The story dives headfirst into the politics of Athens and women's bodies. It's infuriating and hard to read, but it's realistic and important too. The prose is stark and driving. The book was quick to read and difficult to put down. Because it's a well-known myth, I knew what was going to happen, but I kept reading with hope and a need to know how Shepperson would wrap up the story.
The story is told in several perspectives. The characters Shepperson chose were confusing to me at first, but their parts in the story became clear quickly and made perfect sense. I liked the variety of perspectives because it showed how the ripple effects spread wide. Besides the Night Chorus, I was most drawn to Phaedra's perspective because she changes the most over the story and has a lot of inner turmoil.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Rape, Child death, Suicide, and Sexual violence
masoncasper's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A feminist mythological retelling focusing around themes of faith, justice, and identity. Phaedra, the maligned daughter of Crete is a wonderful source for powerful imagery and a story that absolutely breaks hearts. The multiple narrators provide a well rounded perspective of the plot as it develops and the myth plays out. Despite knowing how the story ends, it was an enjoyable read nonetheless (I just didn’t finish it in like a day)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Suicide
that_chick26's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, and Pregnancy
Minor: War
coffeekitaab's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was a pretty heavy read...
I haven't read Greek mythology since school and have always wanted to read more as an adult. This has been the first opportunity I had in a long time and I found I was still as interested and had never come across the story of Theseus, Phaedra and Hippolytus.
Trigger warnings should be checked.
I really enjoyed the story being told from the perspective of the female characters, and the author did well to commit to the different narratives. I do feel it was weak for a novel that is set out as a "feminist retelling". The characters are helpless before the dominating males and, even the goddesses seem subjected to their violence and treachery. I felt uncomfortable at how explicit the description of male harassment, violence etc was so trigger warnings flagged here.
My only other gripe is at times there was an assumption that the reader was well versed on the different myths which left the writing hanging to your the reader's imagination. Of course that does not work unless you know the tales, so I lost myself in these moments and found it a bit frustrating. This was a 3.5* for me.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I haven't read Greek mythology since school and have always wanted to read more as an adult. This has been the first opportunity I had in a long time and I found I was still as interested and had never come across the story of Theseus, Phaedra and Hippolytus.
Trigger warnings should be checked.
I really enjoyed the story being told from the perspective of the female characters, and the author did well to commit to the different narratives. I do feel it was weak for a novel that is set out as a "feminist retelling". The characters are helpless before the dominating males and, even the goddesses seem subjected to their violence and treachery. I felt uncomfortable at how explicit the description of male harassment, violence etc was so trigger warnings flagged here.
My only other gripe is at times there was an assumption that the reader was well versed on the different myths which left the writing hanging to your the reader's imagination. Of course that does not work unless you know the tales, so I lost myself in these moments and found it a bit frustrating. This was a 3.5* for me.
Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Child death, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Animal death, Blood, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent
alexisgarcia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
i did really like the storytelling and overall writing. however, i felt like there were some characters that were never really flushed out, some weird dialogue, and it overall just felt a little unrefined i guess. the ending was really good though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Death, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Violence, War, and Body horror
anapthine's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Thank you Net Galley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of my most anticipated releases of 2023, especially due to my love for Greek Mythology, however it did not live up to my expectations. Whilst the writing, overall, was good, the characters felt very 2-dimensional and it was very difficult to form a connection with them. At times the plot felt rushed and disjointed, and it felt like there were parts missing that could have really added to the storyline. I didn’t really find the characters likeable, they seemed distant in a way. When comparing this with similar fiction that retell this myth, it fell short of the sheer genius that they all seemed to have. I did find this easy to read, and at times it was mildly enjoyable. I am gutted to be writing such a negative review as I really wanted to like this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexism, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
maggiemercutio's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
A dark feminist retelling of not only Thesus and the Minotaur but as well as Pheadra and Hippolytus. I can see what the author was shooting for but it did not quite hit for me and more or less just left me feeling empty. Too many povs, and with them being first person pov they all sounded too similar to the point where I would forget who's pov i was reading because reading wise they felt interchangeable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Slavery, Misogyny, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Rape
wherethewildreadsare's review
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Wow, this is a FANTASTIC audio! I loved all the different perspective, especially The Night Chorus chapters! The multiple voices overlapping one another, PHENOMENAL! Gave the coolest sound when listening to it. I felt all the feels.
As far as the story goes, I don't know too much about all the different people in Greek Mythology so I went into this with a pretty fresh POV. I enjoyed it. There's a lot more challenging content than I would've liked but looking at it objectively, that's understandable for the time period of ancient Greece. Women were not respected....men did do whatever they wanted & didn't have to answer for it (hmm...wonder what has changed?). With that being said, I don't fault the story or the author for the content. But because of the way the women were treated, it did frustrate me to no end & at times, made it challenging for me to listen to.
My recommendation to anyone would be to listen via audio! The narration/cast was fantastic!
As far as the story goes, I don't know too much about all the different people in Greek Mythology so I went into this with a pretty fresh POV. I enjoyed it. There's a lot more challenging content than I would've liked but looking at it objectively, that's understandable for the time period of ancient Greece. Women were not respected....men did do whatever they wanted & didn't have to answer for it (hmm...wonder what has changed?). With that being said, I don't fault the story or the author for the content. But because of the way the women were treated, it did frustrate me to no end & at times, made it challenging for me to listen to.
My recommendation to anyone would be to listen via audio! The narration/cast was fantastic!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Death, and Rape
Moderate: Murder, Violence, and Rape
Minor: Death
inkdrinkeranonymous's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Phaedra by Laura Shepperson was a very good book. It affected me deeply and was well-written.
This book offered a fresh perspective to Phaedra’s story I hadn’t read before. Perhaps I had a different experience because the audiobook had separate people voicing separate perspectives, but I felt each different point of view added to the story. This book also kept my attention and I finished it quickly. After I finished the book, it left me staring at the wall, just reflecting on what I had just read.
If you are looking for a book with a more somber tone than Ariadne by Jennifer Saint, then this is the book for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicide, Blood, Death, Pregnancy, Grief, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Vomit, and Violence