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A review by kumishona
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
4.0
BLACK GIRL MAGIC, actually! This book put such an elegant twist to mythology in terms of race I LOVED it—set in a mysterious large mansion, with a gardenful of fascinating poisonous plants, and intriguing small town drama. The non-white- and non-male-centric storytelling was so, so powerful. The vibe was a combination of Netflix's The Haunting of Bly Manor and The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge, but written in contemporary YA style. The premise and diversity combined is GOLD and absolutely unlike anything I’ve ever read before.
I think the tone might have actually been my least favourite part—I may just have grown out of YA somewhat, but I feel that having a more complex voice may have increased the depth of the plot and characters for me. I liked it in These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling, but I feel like the classical content in this story would have fit better with a less light-hearted tone. I also kind of wish it were a standalone; I don’t feel a HUGE urge to read a whole other book of this (again, this is different from how I felt with the These Witches duology), but that might be just a mood thing. The romance was basically insta-love which I am generally not a big fan of, but I am curious to know how it develops.
That’s all from me! Would highly recommend!
I think the tone might have actually been my least favourite part—I may just have grown out of YA somewhat, but I feel that having a more complex voice may have increased the depth of the plot and characters for me. I liked it in These Witches Don’t Burn by Isabel Sterling, but I feel like the classical content in this story would have fit better with a less light-hearted tone. I also kind of wish it were a standalone; I don’t feel a HUGE urge to read a whole other book of this (again, this is different from how I felt with the These Witches duology), but that might be just a mood thing. The romance was basically insta-love which I am generally not a big fan of, but I am curious to know how it develops.
That’s all from me! Would highly recommend!