thepeculiarlibrary's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Murder, Death of parent, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
brielorraine's review
5.0
Absolutely adored this story, I’m a huge fan of anything Olympus lore related and this did not disappoint! I’m counting the days until the next one is released!!
emily_journals's review
What do I even say about this.... I read the first chapter and immediately knew this was not it for me. I found the writing to be incredibly plain and juvenile, which is in pretty sharp contrast with the opening subject matter. Also, even from the first chapter and prologue chapter, I would not have known this was supposed to take place in the 1920s without reading the having more outside info, because the characters talk and act like modern people, but have some weird 1920s (misogynistic) thoughts overlaid on top of the modern behaviors.
haileyvera's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
sunrae_booknook's review
2.0
I was provided a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
A few things that immediately turned me off from this book was the sexual assault right off the bat and then followed up with domestic abuse.
**Edit*** I saw the author make a tiktok stating there was trigger warnings. I did NOT find them in the book copy that was provided to me and went back to check to make sure I wasn’t crazy. The only thing I could find that hinted at this was this was a Medusa retelling which if you don’t know that story is not a good warning. They are listed on her website.****
The story is set in the 1920s but all the characters read as modern men and women from the dialogue to their actions. June rolls her eyes a lot and It felt very juvenile to have her reactions to things be downgraded to mild annoyed sighing and eye rolling. I felt like there could have been a bit more research for that time period to make it feel more authentic. Plus there was an over explanation on things like diner maintenance, or creating a receipt for “art”. **Edit** I get that this was set in an alternate universe. I’m not looking for “Gatsby” style writing but if you’re going for a particular vibe and set it in a particular time frame I would expect more to make it feel more like that actual time period.
The pacing was just very off for me. I really wanted to like this story. I love anything to do with mythology, but it was lacking and I’m not exactly sure where to pinpoint it. Plus I hate anything to do with a pregnancy troupe, even more so when the pregnancy happens from rape. I also had a hard time with all the women hating vibes, especially when they were geared at Eris and basically called her a floosy for no reason other than she went on a date with Henry… **Edit** I am responding to the review that happens to be taking on my review point for point now. There was women hating vibes geared towards the mother too for “moving on too fast” after the father disappears. It was small comments like these that felt more like internalized Misogyny than anything else. I’m not disagreeing with the fact that times were hard for women back in the 1920s but you can’t have it both ways. It can’t be oh alternate universe that’s why this feels more modern and then oh it’s just how it was back then. **Edit end*** That was part of the pacing problem too.
The potential is there, it just didn’t deliver for me. That doesn’t mean it won’t be someone’s next favorite read. These are just the issues I had with the book and I’m also going by Goodreads stars meant for books. 2 is I liked it.
A few things that immediately turned me off from this book was the sexual assault right off the bat and then followed up with domestic abuse.
**Edit*** I saw the author make a tiktok stating there was trigger warnings. I did NOT find them in the book copy that was provided to me and went back to check to make sure I wasn’t crazy. The only thing I could find that hinted at this was this was a Medusa retelling which if you don’t know that story is not a good warning. They are listed on her website.****
The story is set in the 1920s but all the characters read as modern men and women from the dialogue to their actions. June rolls her eyes a lot and It felt very juvenile to have her reactions to things be downgraded to mild annoyed sighing and eye rolling. I felt like there could have been a bit more research for that time period to make it feel more authentic. Plus there was an over explanation on things like diner maintenance, or creating a receipt for “art”. **Edit** I get that this was set in an alternate universe. I’m not looking for “Gatsby” style writing but if you’re going for a particular vibe and set it in a particular time frame I would expect more to make it feel more like that actual time period.
The pacing was just very off for me. I really wanted to like this story. I love anything to do with mythology, but it was lacking and I’m not exactly sure where to pinpoint it. Plus I hate anything to do with a pregnancy troupe, even more so when the pregnancy happens from rape. I also had a hard time with all the women hating vibes, especially when they were geared at Eris and basically called her a floosy for no reason other than she went on a date with Henry… **Edit** I am responding to the review that happens to be taking on my review point for point now. There was women hating vibes geared towards the mother too for “moving on too fast” after the father disappears. It was small comments like these that felt more like internalized Misogyny than anything else. I’m not disagreeing with the fact that times were hard for women back in the 1920s but you can’t have it both ways. It can’t be oh alternate universe that’s why this feels more modern and then oh it’s just how it was back then. **Edit end*** That was part of the pacing problem too.
The potential is there, it just didn’t deliver for me. That doesn’t mean it won’t be someone’s next favorite read. These are just the issues I had with the book and I’m also going by Goodreads stars meant for books. 2 is I liked it.
heybethrenee's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
I really liked the concept of this book and the aesthetics of Greek gods in 1920s New York. However I felt the pacing was really strange. It was kinda slow for most of the book and then suddenly we reached the climax and that was it. It didn’t feel like there was a come down at all. It all happened very quickly at the end and left me a little confused
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, and Sexual violence
Minor: Toxic relationship, Misogyny, and Kidnapping
chaoticcaley's review
2.5
While the story has a lot of potential, I found the writing style wasn't for me. There was very little world building and the characters had little to no reaction to major events in the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse and Rape
sheabedoll's review
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
<SPOILER IN THE ENTIRE REVIEW>
To start off this book had a lot of potential. For me, a lover of all Greek books this book felt very flat. I take it was supposed to be a new version of Medusa. Which is great because I wanted a new look at her story but this wasn’t it. June, the main character was too all over the place. She went through a very traumatic and detailed rape to domestic violence all within the same day that she then skipped over and practically moved on from it within a page. Having been through something like that myself I could not grasp how her character could practically stop caring about it for so long right away. It took away the severity of what happened. She often rolled her eyes in annoyance, sighing, and huffing when talking to any other character which made it difficult to view her character as something other then an annoyed teenager who didn’t get her way when she was supposed to be a working adult mixed up with very powerful Greek gods.
This book also was super repetitive which isn’t always bad but quickly got old. From phrases to the whole “I went to work, then I went to my house, to work, back to home” all within the same two pages and Things such as “I felt nauseous and like I was going to vomit”. That type of sentence was repeated in one page alone 8 times. Another thing was how things flowed. It was very frustrating how I couldn’t tell if one hour passed or weeks? How are we supposed to understand the timeframe if it kept changing with the perspective?
Overall it had potential. For me however I will not finish the series. I almost couldn’t finish the book but made myself to know how it ended.
To start off this book had a lot of potential. For me, a lover of all Greek books this book felt very flat. I take it was supposed to be a new version of Medusa. Which is great because I wanted a new look at her story but this wasn’t it. June, the main character was too all over the place. She went through a very traumatic and detailed rape to domestic violence all within the same day that she then skipped over and practically moved on from it within a page. Having been through something like that myself I could not grasp how her character could practically stop caring about it for so long right away. It took away the severity of what happened. She often rolled her eyes in annoyance, sighing, and huffing when talking to any other character which made it difficult to view her character as something other then an annoyed teenager who didn’t get her way when she was supposed to be a working adult mixed up with very powerful Greek gods.
This book also was super repetitive which isn’t always bad but quickly got old. From phrases to the whole “I went to work, then I went to my house, to work, back to home” all within the same two pages and Things such as “I felt nauseous and like I was going to vomit”. That type of sentence was repeated in one page alone 8 times. Another thing was how things flowed. It was very frustrating how I couldn’t tell if one hour passed or weeks? How are we supposed to understand the timeframe if it kept changing with the perspective?
Overall it had potential. For me however I will not finish the series. I almost couldn’t finish the book but made myself to know how it ended.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Vomit, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse
sanktasilver's review
2.0
Thank you to A. B DANIELS-ANNACHI as well as Pacific Publications for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Myth of June is the first book in The Violents series. The book is based on the story of Medusa and follows Juniper Georgian as she is thrown into the world of the Greek gods after her encounter with Poseidon.
First off, please check the CW's for this book before reading.
I really wanted to love this book. It has all of my favorite things: Greek gods, female lead, retelling of a tale we know. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations and that is because the world-building is not strong enough to carry the story. There is supposed to be a war brewing, but nothing in the book gives off the feeling of a war between the gods. There are gods thrown into the story with no back story and how they came to be in the mortal realm and banished from Olympus. There is too much left to the assumption that the reader should know the stories of these gods and their motivations.
June's story and character is also not developed enough for me, even though I knew her motivations I still could not stay with her and feel alongside her. There are hints that June is a woman of colour, but I'm not too sure because there is not much said in that regard.
Myth of June is the first book in The Violents series. The book is based on the story of Medusa and follows Juniper Georgian as she is thrown into the world of the Greek gods after her encounter with Poseidon.
First off, please check the CW's for this book before reading.
I really wanted to love this book. It has all of my favorite things: Greek gods, female lead, retelling of a tale we know. Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations and that is because the world-building is not strong enough to carry the story. There is supposed to be a war brewing, but nothing in the book gives off the feeling of a war between the gods. There are gods thrown into the story with no back story and how they came to be in the mortal realm and banished from Olympus. There is too much left to the assumption that the reader should know the stories of these gods and their motivations.
June's story and character is also not developed enough for me, even though I knew her motivations I still could not stay with her and feel alongside her. There are hints that June is a woman of colour, but I'm not too sure because there is not much said in that regard.
alicia_ann_reads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
4.0
This was a great read! I admit while I have base knowledge of the Greek Gods et al, I don't know every original tale having read other retellings along the way.
I really enjoyed this take on that world, it was fast paced, the characters were good and there were several twisty parts in the story; and it started right from the get-go.
I was able to guess at where most of the story was going but it didn't take away from it.
Trigger warnings: Rape, domestic abuse early on in the book, but not throughout.
I received an ARC of this book, and based on Chapter 1 of book 2, I will definitely be continuing on with the story!
I really enjoyed this take on that world, it was fast paced, the characters were good and there were several twisty parts in the story; and it started right from the get-go.
I was able to guess at where most of the story was going but it didn't take away from it.
Trigger warnings: Rape, domestic abuse early on in the book, but not throughout.
I received an ARC of this book, and based on Chapter 1 of book 2, I will definitely be continuing on with the story!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Rape
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