A review by araemoore
Wake, Siren: Ovid Resung by Nina MacLaughlin

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

this book was not written for me the way i hoped it would be. the concept is fantastic - metamorphosis retold in modern language from the perspective of the goddesses and nymphs and girls - and i had been eyeing the cover for ages.

the first chapter detailing apollos pursuit of daphne was an almost immediate turn off for me. i haven’t gotten this close to a dnf in a long time but the dialogue of apollo being jarring and bro-y in an unappealing way had me considering it.

the 3 chapters that i connected with the most were procne & philomela, sirens, and (thankfully) medusa. the brutal violence and revenge of the sisters felt raw and real in a way that truly connected with me. the language of the sirens calling to ovid was lyrical felt reminiscent of the original translations. and the idea of medusa’s story told over time as bridges to new lands that skew the meaning had so much potential.

i feel like some of the issues could have been resolved by grounding the story and having a single character share the stories creating cohesion and a distinct modern voice. even so, much of the book read in a millennial-feminist-trying-to-be- cool way and, as a millennial feminist, you just have to embrace not being cool.