A review by micaelamariem
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

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

5.0

 
Last summer, I ordered a one time box from OwlCrate and got this gorgeous editiion of This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron, published by Bloomsbury. It only took me six months to start reading it!
This Poison Heart is a wonderful YA fantasy, a Greek mythology retelling involving Medea and Hecate. The main character, Briseis, has always had a unique power with plants. They reach and grow for her. But she suddenly discovers she is also immune to poisonous plants. This discovery comes along with an inheritance of rundown mansion with gardens from her birth family–but everything isn’t as it seems.
I loved this book! I wasn’t sure what to expect, because this author’s book Cinderella is Dead was just okay to me, and I thought perhaps this book would also be average. But it was so much better! Filled with a gothic atmosphere, deadly plants as if it was The Little Shop of Horrors, Black girl culture, family secrets, and Greek mythology, I was here for all the vibes that came together nicely.
The writing itself was beautiful, and you can tell Bayron has a passion herself for plants alongside her main character. It really added to the story. Plus Briseis’s relationships added another dimension–it was refreshing to see loving Queer moms, the beginning of healthy friendships, but also townsfolk who seemed shady in their own interactions.
There wasn’t much in the book that I didn’t like. I will admit that there were a couple of times that the dialogue got cringey when trying to refer to Black popular culture, as if the author were trying to hard to showcase the culture, but the cringe moments were still few and far between. I also am curious to see more about Marie. I don’t think we learned enough about her in the first book, and she seemed to be too conveniently absent in the last big part of the book.
I am looking forward to the sequel, This Wicked Fate. There was a bit of a cliffhanger at the end and I’m ready to find out what happens next.
I’d highly recommend this book to YA fantasy readers, fans of Greek mythology, and those who want to read more diverse books. Five stars! 
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