Reviews

Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald

bookbabecoffeetalks's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

perpetualfrown's review

0.5

Persephone: ugh i don’t want to get married!! I’m going to run away from home!!
Also Persephone: *marries first man she meets*

sauvageloup's review

adventurous hopeful 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

Writing is definitely aimed at YA, but it's a fun and gripping romp through the myths and I enjoyed it.

pros:
- persephone is fun and fiery, she shoves the story along and doesnt take no for an answer. I like how she comes into her power and acknowledges her own capacity for ruthlessness as a queen.
- the side characters of the nymphs, styx and the other gods were well portrayed and fun/ complicated depending on their role.
- Zeus and demeter felt well represented as well, and I liked how persephone responds to their actions. 
- the plot had some twists I didn't guess

like persephone being the one to cause the famine

, and I enjoyed how the myth was subverted or fitted in alongside the world/ characters Fitzgerald set up.
- I also enjoyed most of the tropes, including marriage of convenience, only one bed, soft boy and ruthless girl, arranged marriage, etc.

cons:
- we got snippets of Hades' past and trauma but I wish there had been a bit more. he mostly felt molded around persephone, which made them a good fit but didnt make him feel 100% his own person .
- sometimes persephone's internal dialogue was a bit dramatic and oblivious or so in denial it felt a bit silly. but I feel that its YA so I'm not the target audience really. 

martinapennetta's review against another edition

adventurous funny reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

sonnetje9's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Ik heb gewoon een zwak voor hertellingen en Griekse mythen, en heb daarom intens genoten van dit boek. Sommige vinden het boek aan de trage kant, maar mij stoorde dat helemaal niet. De trage opbouw van de zelfontdekking van Kore/Persephone  en de bond met Hades vond ik juist prettig. 
Maar toegegeven: geef mij Griekse mythen, beschrijvingen van werelden en kleding, en ik kan eindeloos doorlezen. 
Het geeft een mooi kritisch beeld op de verhalen van de Griekse goden (looking at you Zeus), maar ook een kijkje in de wereld van de Griekse mythen. Het gebruikt veel van de originele Griekse woorden, maar met uitleg, waardoor dit ook goed te lezen is zonder kennis van de Griekse mythen. Misschien inspireert het zelf een nieuwe interesse in de Griekse mythen voor sommigen. 

anpan's review against another edition

2.0

“Mother said my safety was dependent on their dread. So, if I need to give the gods something to fear, then very well.
I’ll give them Hell itself.
(...)
'And, Hades,’ I call, ‘we really need to talk.’
Then I wait, hoping, feeling nothing but the gentle breeze rustling my skin.
I let the ruined flower fall and, as it hits the ground, the earth erupts around it.
I smile, and leap into the darkness.

love a fresh spin on the persephone x hades story, this time with persephone actually having some agency <3 rlly strong start but everything was soooo drawn out it got rlly tedious to read, would have been a solid 3 stars if it were like 200 pages shorter / 1.5 stars

I was good. I was obedient. I was fucking perfect.
So when I finally snapped, I snapped hard.
When I finally said no, I screamed it from the mountaintops.
Or from the Underworld, as the case may be.

Mother might be pressing me into a meek little mould, but I’m still the bloody daughter of Zeus. There is lightning in my blood just as much as there is earth.

It’s the freedom of feeling contempt and showing it, pushing it out into the world instead of somewhere deep inside myself. It’s in not having to think first, in letting myself be true – even when that truth is cruel.

'...There’s nothing wrong with being a little girl, love. Little girls are fearless.'

I take a shaky breath and say, ‘Fuck you,’ like it’s the caress of I love you...

'...despite what you may have been told, you are so very easy to love.’

This is just the beginning.
I have gods to dethrone.
I have chaos to bring.

meredithstales's review against another edition

5.0

Girl goddess queen is by far my favourite version of the love story between hades and Persephone. Hades being such a sweet genuine person is so cute and Persephone was just a true icon.

coincidental's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

nencsa's review

lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

senseioftheinternet's review against another edition

The writing style made me want to kill myself.