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A review by monarchsandmyths
The Song of Us by Kate Fussner
thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
What a treat this was! I’m not a huge reader of books-in-verse, but I never regret picking them up and this book was just further proof of that! I feel like Kate Fussner created a very solid world and characters within it, weaving in elements of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth throughout (though I wouldn’t say that this is a 100% retelling, more so inspired). At times, I had a hard time believing that I was reading about 7th graders and I’m not sure if this would have been better as younger YA, although that could just be my own personal experiences. Overall, I would definitely recommend picking this book up!
As an Orpheus and Eurydice inspired story, I fully expected this book to hurt me, and I think it delivered on that element. Fussner truly creates her own unique story with the feel of the original myth and all the best retellings that have come since (I listened to a lot of Hadestown while reading this). And though I definitely don’t want to spoil the ending, I think that the mixture of tragedy and a slight sense of hope truly created the best possible ending I could’ve hoped for.
For the characters themselves, I truly wanted the best for Olivia and Eden throughout, although they aren’t necessarily developed as much because they’re in a middle grade novel, there’s so much done with what was there. One of the most interesting elements for me was the way in which both had elements of Orpheus and Eurydice throughout, instead of being strict recreations. And although this is a story about romance, there are so many good elements of coming-of-age, of being a young teen and trying to figure out how to navigate life and be a good person despite how easy it can be to mess up. For me, the best thing about these characters is that they’re very human.
This was a pretty quick read, but worth savouring still. I look forward to seeing what else Kate Fussner writes in the future!
What a treat this was! I’m not a huge reader of books-in-verse, but I never regret picking them up and this book was just further proof of that! I feel like Kate Fussner created a very solid world and characters within it, weaving in elements of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth throughout (though I wouldn’t say that this is a 100% retelling, more so inspired). At times, I had a hard time believing that I was reading about 7th graders and I’m not sure if this would have been better as younger YA, although that could just be my own personal experiences. Overall, I would definitely recommend picking this book up!
As an Orpheus and Eurydice inspired story, I fully expected this book to hurt me, and I think it delivered on that element. Fussner truly creates her own unique story with the feel of the original myth and all the best retellings that have come since (I listened to a lot of Hadestown while reading this). And though I definitely don’t want to spoil the ending, I think that the mixture of tragedy and a slight sense of hope truly created the best possible ending I could’ve hoped for.
For the characters themselves, I truly wanted the best for Olivia and Eden throughout, although they aren’t necessarily developed as much because they’re in a middle grade novel, there’s so much done with what was there. One of the most interesting elements for me was the way in which both had elements of Orpheus and Eurydice throughout, instead of being strict recreations. And although this is a story about romance, there are so many good elements of coming-of-age, of being a young teen and trying to figure out how to navigate life and be a good person despite how easy it can be to mess up. For me, the best thing about these characters is that they’re very human.
This was a pretty quick read, but worth savouring still. I look forward to seeing what else Kate Fussner writes in the future!