A review by savvylit
Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon

dark emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Fruit of the Dead is an excellent retelling. By making the Hades character a titan of industry, a lord of addictive pills, Lyon has created a fresh and vivid take on a classic story of Greek mythology. Cory is a perfect Persephone; beautiful, rebellious, and gullible. Emer is also a perfect Demeter; ferociously protective, a little bit wild, man-hating. Essentially, Lyon's vision of the modern underworld is as intoxicating as the fictional pharmaceutical at the center of this novel, Granadone.

Beyond the compelling interpretation of mythology, Fruit of the Dead is loaded with memorable and evocative environs. In particular, Rolo's compound as a setting is so meticulously described that every scene there has a cinematic quality. Perhaps it's because I recently watched Priscilla, but I think this book would translate so well as a Sofia Coppola film. Like in Coppola's films, the focus on girlhood and luxury is a nearly tangible aesthetic.

Thank you @netgalley, @scribnerbooks, and @regality_bites for the advance reader copy of Fruit of the Dead in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own. 
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