Scan barcode
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
“The oracle warned that I would lose myself, but the opposite is true. I am more myself than I have ever been. I am wild, I am free. I am Atalanta.”
It's been too long since I last read a Greek mythology retelling, so I was looking forward to finally pick up Atalanta. I loved the sound of Atalanta's character and her connection with Artemis as well as the quest itself... And I'm happy to announce that Atalanta ended up being an excellent read for me. There was something about the story that drew me straight in, and not even the slower-than-expected pace could prevent me from enjoying the journey. This story is divided into parts, each part focusing on a different part of Atalanta's life. This division worked really well, as you got to enjoy the different aspects of her life that made her the woman she is. I loved the chapters set in the forest where she grew up, although the part set during the quest itself was probably the most engaging of them all. There is a lot of focus on violence and things can get pretty graphic, so make sure to prepare yourself for a darker read... Then again, it IS Greek mythology we are talking about after all. Atalanta has to fight against prejudices as the only woman on the quest, and I loved her strength and perseverance. The ending was actually perfect for this character, even though it wasn't what I expected. Atalanta turned out to be an excellent retelling and I can definitely recommend it if you enjoy this kind of story.
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
stellahadz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Death, Sexism, Blood, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
manaledi's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Animal death and Abandonment
Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
redheadorganist's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content and Pregnancy
Minor: Rape and Suicide
bookish_hollyx's review against another edition
3.5
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape and Sexual assault
shayna14's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content
gracescanlon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and War
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Abandonment
vixenreader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cursing, Slavery, Blood, and War
Be warned about the loss of a friend, humans turning into animals, parents leaving babies for dead, and victim-blaming.danimacuk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Suicide, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Incest, Rape, Sexual content, Slavery, Alcohol, and Classism
withlivjones's review against another edition
- 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? No
3.75
Atalanta is a strong protagonist, and her desire for both glory and belonging are well articulated. There are plenty of other strong characters too - particularly Medea, and I definitely appreciate that she is not vilified in this book as she can be in other retellings.
I do wish that the book didn’t focus as much on romance as it does - one of Atalanta’s main character traits in the source texts is that she absolutely didn’t want to be in a relationship (at least until Hippomenes comes along), so to have that part of her character erased is a little disappointing. Also I feel like the ending of the book is pretty divisive, it wasn’t really for me and it felt rather abrupt, but I think other people might love it.
Graphic: Death, Sexism, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Period-typical attitudes