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nyst's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Murder, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
Minor: Slavery
alyxbeau's review against another edition
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
This book was very much not for me. I put aside all the things I'd heard about the disappointing "retelling" marketing, and read from the perspective of "loose inspiration" but it didn't help.
I am unfamiliar with the story this is a retelling of, so it wouldn't have been hard to do, meaning I really just didn't enjoy this book. I almost returned it to the library many times, but felt obligated to give it a chance after seeing so many bad reviews. They were not wrong.
Some things that bothered me:
The calling of Hades as a place and not a name got on my nerves. Hades in this time period was NOT synonymous with a place like it is now, due to misinformation, assumption, and the stealing of the name into Christianity as a place. This is a horrible oversight.
All the characters excepting the guy, whose name I already forget despite finishing the book less than 5 minutes ago, are completely unlikable. The jealousy and blatant disregard for not hurting the ones you love is abysmal on their parts. Leto said she paid attention to the stories with lessons like Narciccus. Well, she sure didn't learn, by her own admittance. She cares for absolutely nobody but herself, yet calls her actions love to the two others.
I got to the point with two hours left in the audiobook, and couldn't believe that much time was left. There was NO reason to have this book be so long. Lastly, one particular quote. "I didn't give a single damn." Why the word single? It didn't need to be there. Just nitpicking though on this one.
Massive spoiler of ending below, do not open unless you have read the book to the end.
when all but Leto died at the end, I didnt care. I didn't care they died, or how they died. I didn't care Leto was left alone. I didn't care when the gods gave her a vision that they were happy in Elysium. I was mad that is where they ended up. Elysium isn't so easy to get into as that.
I am unfamiliar with the story this is a retelling of, so it wouldn't have been hard to do, meaning I really just didn't enjoy this book. I almost returned it to the library many times, but felt obligated to give it a chance after seeing so many bad reviews. They were not wrong.
Some things that bothered me:
The calling of Hades as a place and not a name got on my nerves. Hades in this time period was NOT synonymous with a place like it is now, due to misinformation, assumption, and the stealing of the name into Christianity as a place. This is a horrible oversight.
All the characters excepting the guy, whose name I already forget despite finishing the book less than 5 minutes ago, are completely unlikable. The jealousy and blatant disregard for not hurting the ones you love is abysmal on their parts. Leto said she paid attention to the stories with lessons like Narciccus. Well, she sure didn't learn, by her own admittance. She cares for absolutely nobody but herself, yet calls her actions love to the two others.
I got to the point with two hours left in the audiobook, and couldn't believe that much time was left. There was NO reason to have this book be so long. Lastly, one particular quote. "I didn't give a single damn." Why the word single? It didn't need to be there. Just nitpicking though on this one.
Massive spoiler of ending below, do not open unless you have read the book to the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Rape and Abandonment
Minor: Rape
girlreading's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
An enjoyable and heart wrenching read that was not at all what I'd expected based on the blub/original marketing.
This isn't a retelling of The Odyssey, it's honestly a push to call it a retelling at all, it's more a story which takes loose inspiration from the idea of Penelope's twelve hanged maids and goes on its own path from there.
Lies We Sing to the Sea is nothing mind-blowing or especially new. It's a classic YA fantasy with a touch of tragedy. I enjoyed my time with this one and am definitely intrigued to read more from Sarah in the future as I liked her comfortable, easily read writing style.
This isn't a retelling of The Odyssey, it's honestly a push to call it a retelling at all, it's more a story which takes loose inspiration from the idea of Penelope's twelve hanged maids and goes on its own path from there.
Lies We Sing to the Sea is nothing mind-blowing or especially new. It's a classic YA fantasy with a touch of tragedy. I enjoyed my time with this one and am definitely intrigued to read more from Sarah in the future as I liked her comfortable, easily read writing style.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault
ntstucky's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder, Kidnapping, Death, Violence, Suicide, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Blood, and Slavery
kassidyreads's review against another edition
dark
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide
Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, and Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment, Slavery, and Panic attacks/disorders
lizy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Slavery, and Grief
woelkchen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault, Violence, and Rape
bookish_hollyx's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Death, Murder, Rape, Violence, and Suicide
fossilreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
As a story, on its own, exciting and thrilling. But as I'm not able to overlook the fact the author has called it a retelling without even reading the original story it is meant to portray, unfortunately I can not rate this better than 2,5 stars.
I'm personally not a fan of time jumps too much and the way flashbacks to memories or stories told were written, I got confused many times when we jumped from an orally told story to a memory instead.
I'm not very knowledgeable in greek mythology, so I'm not able to give an opinion on how accurate those parts of the story are.
I was happy to see Leto gather herself in the end, it frustrated me how flaky she was with going through with things she seemed to be so incredibly set on. But that's also just.. humanity.
Honestly Mathias might have been my favorite character in all this. He truly wanted the best and tried to do all he knew to be able to. I love and hate his ending, I just want him to have everything good in the world!
This is a heavy read for all the grief and especially the pain women go through (of course girls are the ones cursed and at the mercy of men, as it has gone throughout so much of history).
The ending was predictable, but in my opinion it was in a nice way and didn't ruin the book for me. Some things still felt left unanswered in the end, but at least most of it was a somewhat satisfying ending.
So in short: As a story, it's a great one with such grief and also some joy sprinkled in. In context of it supposedly being a retelling, ehhhh... It's a heavy read when you wish so much better for women in general.
I really liked the romances, but there were so many things that frustrated me within them. I understand Melantho's grief over her past lovers, but babygirl, you are allowed to love again. They are gone, taken from you, it's not like you're cheating.
Leto on the other hand... how easily do you forget Melantho as soon as you set your eyes (and lips) on the prince?
I'm personally not a fan of time jumps too much and the way flashbacks to memories or stories told were written, I got confused many times when we jumped from an orally told story to a memory instead.
I'm not very knowledgeable in greek mythology, so I'm not able to give an opinion on how accurate those parts of the story are.
I was happy to see Leto gather herself in the end, it frustrated me how flaky she was with going through with things she seemed to be so incredibly set on. But that's also just.. humanity.
Honestly Mathias might have been my favorite character in all this. He truly wanted the best and tried to do all he knew to be able to. I love and hate his ending, I just want him to have everything good in the world!
This is a heavy read for all the grief and especially the pain women go through (of course girls are the ones cursed and at the mercy of men, as it has gone throughout so much of history).
The ending was predictable, but in my opinion it was in a nice way and didn't ruin the book for me. Some things still felt left unanswered in the end, but at least most of it was a somewhat satisfying ending.
So in short: As a story, it's a great one with such grief and also some joy sprinkled in. In context of it supposedly being a retelling, ehhhh... It's a heavy read when you wish so much better for women in general.
Leto on the other hand... how easily do you forget Melantho as soon as you set your eyes (and lips) on the prince?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual assault, Blood, Rape, and Grief
Moderate: Slavery
kanadrallegria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Confinement, Murder, Sexual content, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Slavery, Violence, Rape, Suicide, Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail