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cass1699's review against another edition
3.0
i’m a bit torn over this book, because there were several aspects that were done very well, but other parts fell a bit flat for me.
the good stuff first: i really fucking love klytemnestra. everything about her was just *chef’s kiss*. her characterization and the struggles that she faced, as well as the anguish she felt over being the perfect woman vs. the woman she actually was. i felt her pain and i was glad that in the end, she got her revenge on her SHITHEAD husband. seriously, fuck that guy.
i also liked how the author portrayed women’s lives as a catch 22. that was the entire point of the book, and miss heywood definitely drove it home. it hurts my heart to think about how helen and nestra literally could not win, no matter which decisions they made.
some bad stuff: aside from nestra, i didn’t really feel connected or sympathetic toward any of the other characters (aside from kassandra. her fate almost made me cry). helen pissed me off, all the men pissed me off, etc etc etc. there were also some parts of the book that just DRAGGED, as is proven by the fact that it took me around two and a half weeks to finish it.
so yeah, some pros and some cons overall! i think the book was written extremely well, but it’s not something that will stick with me for the rest of my days.
the good stuff first: i really fucking love klytemnestra. everything about her was just *chef’s kiss*. her characterization and the struggles that she faced, as well as the anguish she felt over being the perfect woman vs. the woman she actually was. i felt her pain and i was glad that in the end, she got her revenge on her SHITHEAD husband. seriously, fuck that guy.
i also liked how the author portrayed women’s lives as a catch 22. that was the entire point of the book, and miss heywood definitely drove it home. it hurts my heart to think about how helen and nestra literally could not win, no matter which decisions they made.
some bad stuff: aside from nestra, i didn’t really feel connected or sympathetic toward any of the other characters (aside from kassandra. her fate almost made me cry). helen pissed me off, all the men pissed me off, etc etc etc. there were also some parts of the book that just DRAGGED, as is proven by the fact that it took me around two and a half weeks to finish it.
so yeah, some pros and some cons overall! i think the book was written extremely well, but it’s not something that will stick with me for the rest of my days.
kassie_genevieve's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
apostir's review against another edition
4.0
It was fine, I love mythology and read anything about it but the writing was only okay and I like when they go poetic in these kids of retellings.
My biggest issue was that the women were written uninteresting, I don’t know why but I love their stories and usually don’t feel like that when I read about them. Also a big flaw, I felt like key points were left out at times that would have been really interesting to the reader especially for someone not familiar with the story? I don’t know, it just felt awkward and I couldn’t get myself comfortable with the book.
The strong emotions at the end were the most interesting to me, for example:
“Helen knew it was Hektor. Just as she knew it was Achilles who drove the chariot. The city was mourning the death of its prince, the loss of its protector. A sudden sickening sob rose in her throat and she looked away. She could not bear to look upon that body, so disgraced and lightless. It made her feel nauseous. It made her chest feel as if it were being crushed.”
The end of the book was really strong and made me enjoy it.
My biggest issue was that the women were written uninteresting, I don’t know why but I love their stories and usually don’t feel like that when I read about them. Also a big flaw, I felt like key points were left out at times that would have been really interesting to the reader especially for someone not familiar with the story? I don’t know, it just felt awkward and I couldn’t get myself comfortable with the book.
The strong emotions at the end were the most interesting to me, for example:
“Helen knew it was Hektor. Just as she knew it was Achilles who drove the chariot. The city was mourning the death of its prince, the loss of its protector. A sudden sickening sob rose in her throat and she looked away. She could not bear to look upon that body, so disgraced and lightless. It made her feel nauseous. It made her chest feel as if it were being crushed.”
The end of the book was really strong and made me enjoy it.
emzrichy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
poetpenelopee's review against another edition
sad
slow-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
favouritekaren's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
claudiajanette's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I love Greek mythology retellings, and this is one of the best I’ve read! The characters were well developed and I enjoyed the plot. If you are a fan of Madeleine Miller and Natalie Haynes, I highly recommend this book! I look forward to reading more by Claire Heywood.