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wiestli's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
viii_'s review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sophiekindareads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
2nd2lastunicorn's review against another edition
4.0
The writing of this book is beautiful. The poetry angle is refreshing and full of feeling.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the different couples and the dynamics between them and their families and how they intertwine.
I absolutely loved reading it
I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the different couples and the dynamics between them and their families and how they intertwine.
I absolutely loved reading it
rahn_megan's review against another edition
5.0
One of my new favorites!! It’s crazy to me that someone could create detailed stories by just using poetry!
louturnspages's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This novel is absolutely beautiful. It is written in verse which is one of my favorite methods of storytelling, and it far exceeded my expectations which were admittedly quite high. Smith's poetry is masterful, evoking emotions, drawing powerful images and expressive plot onto every page.
Call Me Athena is the story of Mary, a 16 year old girl growing up in Detroit in the early 1930s. The daughter of French and Greek immigrants, Mary faces the struggle of finding her own place and following her heart against the darker realities of the Great Depression, being seen as an outsider, and the cultural expectations for "good Greek girls." The novel is haunting at times and realistically portrays the challenges and loss faced during this time in American history.
In a twist that I did not know to expect, (don't worry, this is not a spoiler), Smith tells the story through multiple POVs, Mary's-in the 1930s, and each of her parents-during the first World War (when they were the age Mary is at present), and eventually in the present as well. Smith also includes letters written between Mary's parents during the war. Mary finds the box of them in storage, and they are artfully used to enrich the story.
There are footnotes throughout the book, and the author included photographs and a detailed note at the end which explain that Call Me Athena is a tribute to her own grandmother, Mary. This story is stunning at every level. The poetry itself is rich, the storyline is powerful, and Smith balances between the haunting realities of growing up during the first World War and the Great Depression with a shining thread of hope. Although the book is considered YA, this is truly a book for everyone who has ever faced growing up, finding themselves, facing cultural expectations, and finding a place and a family who love you as you are.
This novel is absolutely beautiful. It is written in verse which is one of my favorite methods of storytelling, and it far exceeded my expectations which were admittedly quite high. Smith's poetry is masterful, evoking emotions, drawing powerful images and expressive plot onto every page.
Call Me Athena is the story of Mary, a 16 year old girl growing up in Detroit in the early 1930s. The daughter of French and Greek immigrants, Mary faces the struggle of finding her own place and following her heart against the darker realities of the Great Depression, being seen as an outsider, and the cultural expectations for "good Greek girls." The novel is haunting at times and realistically portrays the challenges and loss faced during this time in American history.
In a twist that I did not know to expect, (don't worry, this is not a spoiler), Smith tells the story through multiple POVs, Mary's-in the 1930s, and each of her parents-during the first World War (when they were the age Mary is at present), and eventually in the present as well. Smith also includes letters written between Mary's parents during the war. Mary finds the box of them in storage, and they are artfully used to enrich the story.
There are footnotes throughout the book, and the author included photographs and a detailed note at the end which explain that Call Me Athena is a tribute to her own grandmother, Mary. This story is stunning at every level. The poetry itself is rich, the storyline is powerful, and Smith balances between the haunting realities of growing up during the first World War and the Great Depression with a shining thread of hope. Although the book is considered YA, this is truly a book for everyone who has ever faced growing up, finding themselves, facing cultural expectations, and finding a place and a family who love you as you are.
anyaemilie's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing (via NetGalley) for the ARC!
Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit is a novel in verse that tells the story of two generations of a family trying to chase the American dream. It begins with Mary's POV, a teenager living in Detroit in 1934. Her family is trying to make ends meet in the middle of the Great Depression, and Mary is torn between honoring her immigrant parents' wishes and following her own dreams. One day Mary finds stacks of love letters in the attic of her house, and then we start to flash back to two additional POVs: Jeanne in 1917 France, and Giorgos (Gio) in 1917 Greece. These flashbacks tell the stories of how Mary's parents met and ended up in the US, and their experience going through WWI in Europe, Jeanne as a nurse and Giorgos as a soldier.
Novels in verse are always a favorite format of mine, especially when they're done well. This is one that is done extremely well, in my opinion. The format makes this 500+ page book seem much shorter, and it works well for the story. The three POVs are also distinctly formatted, with Mary's being set to the left side of the page, Gio's chapters centered, and Jeanne's set to the right of the page making it easy to distinguish the three.
The story itself is beautifully written. I love Mary's chapters because, although her parts are set in 1934, she is quintessentially still a teenager. She is struggling with her identity because she's half Greek, half French and fully American but doesn't quite know what to make of those identities. She also has a crush on an American boy--blond hair, blue eyes, last name Smith--but knows that her father expects her to marry a Greek boy. So does she do what her family expects, or does she follow her heart?
Gio and Jeanne's chapters add another layer to Mary's story. They give so much more context to the reader about why Mary's parents are they way the are, and the experiences they went through, much of which Mary knows nothing about. It really humanizes her parents and emphasizes that each person has their own story, even if you don't know anything about it.
Ultimately, this is a (semi-biographical) story about the importance of family and the importance of being able to make your own choices about your life. This is a beautifully written, engaging debut novel and I highly recommend it, especially for fans of historical fiction.
Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit is a novel in verse that tells the story of two generations of a family trying to chase the American dream. It begins with Mary's POV, a teenager living in Detroit in 1934. Her family is trying to make ends meet in the middle of the Great Depression, and Mary is torn between honoring her immigrant parents' wishes and following her own dreams. One day Mary finds stacks of love letters in the attic of her house, and then we start to flash back to two additional POVs: Jeanne in 1917 France, and Giorgos (Gio) in 1917 Greece. These flashbacks tell the stories of how Mary's parents met and ended up in the US, and their experience going through WWI in Europe, Jeanne as a nurse and Giorgos as a soldier.
Novels in verse are always a favorite format of mine, especially when they're done well. This is one that is done extremely well, in my opinion. The format makes this 500+ page book seem much shorter, and it works well for the story. The three POVs are also distinctly formatted, with Mary's being set to the left side of the page, Gio's chapters centered, and Jeanne's set to the right of the page making it easy to distinguish the three.
The story itself is beautifully written. I love Mary's chapters because, although her parts are set in 1934, she is quintessentially still a teenager. She is struggling with her identity because she's half Greek, half French and fully American but doesn't quite know what to make of those identities. She also has a crush on an American boy--blond hair, blue eyes, last name Smith--but knows that her father expects her to marry a Greek boy. So does she do what her family expects, or does she follow her heart?
Gio and Jeanne's chapters add another layer to Mary's story. They give so much more context to the reader about why Mary's parents are they way the are, and the experiences they went through, much of which Mary knows nothing about. It really humanizes her parents and emphasizes that each person has their own story, even if you don't know anything about it.
Ultimately, this is a (semi-biographical) story about the importance of family and the importance of being able to make your own choices about your life. This is a beautifully written, engaging debut novel and I highly recommend it, especially for fans of historical fiction.
thewordwitch's review against another edition
4.0
I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced listener copy of this book. Unbiased review - full speed ahead.
This book is written in verse, which could mean that the audio version would face potential shortcomings as a result. For me, I think the audio version translated the lyrical beauty of her poetry perfectly. I could hear the rhythm and the movement of the patterns, almost as if I could see the poems in my head.
As for the story itself, it's incredibly touching. A moving tale based on the author's family history. Finding that fact out in the end made it all the more powerful, to know that these people were real. I also felt that the dual storyline taken from two different time periods really worked for this book. Usually I find that when a novel has a dual storyline, one suffers greatly and is way less interesting. That is not the case with "Call Me Athena". (Granted, Mary was my favorite character, but I am drawn to girls who don't always follow the rules.) Both the time lines - that of Mary, and that of her parents, were equally interesting to me. I loved hearing how the romance between the parents developed and how Mary's story unfolded.
This book was truly a pleasant surprise all around.
This book is written in verse, which could mean that the audio version would face potential shortcomings as a result. For me, I think the audio version translated the lyrical beauty of her poetry perfectly. I could hear the rhythm and the movement of the patterns, almost as if I could see the poems in my head.
As for the story itself, it's incredibly touching. A moving tale based on the author's family history. Finding that fact out in the end made it all the more powerful, to know that these people were real. I also felt that the dual storyline taken from two different time periods really worked for this book. Usually I find that when a novel has a dual storyline, one suffers greatly and is way less interesting. That is not the case with "Call Me Athena". (Granted, Mary was my favorite character, but I am drawn to girls who don't always follow the rules.) Both the time lines - that of Mary, and that of her parents, were equally interesting to me. I loved hearing how the romance between the parents developed and how Mary's story unfolded.
This book was truly a pleasant surprise all around.
readwithrhys's review against another edition
4.0
*Thank you to Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review*
Call Me Athena, written in verse, follows the story of Mary, a daughter of Greek and French parents in the 1930s Detroit. I have never read a book like this in verse where it follows 3 different perspectives: Mary, Jeanne, and Gio. Mary’s story is woven with flashbacks to her parents lives in Greece and France as they address the issues of arranged marriages, learning about independence, and yearning to grow beyond one’s own culture.
I love how this story is written. Smith takes her families history and writes it into this beautiful poetry telling of it. It reveals how Mary was a strong and independent young woman who never let any man dictate her life. It’s almost as if you feel like you know Mary through these words. (I’m sorry if my wording is a little bit off, but I hope what I’m trying to get at is there)
Call Me Athena, written in verse, follows the story of Mary, a daughter of Greek and French parents in the 1930s Detroit. I have never read a book like this in verse where it follows 3 different perspectives: Mary, Jeanne, and Gio. Mary’s story is woven with flashbacks to her parents lives in Greece and France as they address the issues of arranged marriages, learning about independence, and yearning to grow beyond one’s own culture.
I love how this story is written. Smith takes her families history and writes it into this beautiful poetry telling of it. It reveals how Mary was a strong and independent young woman who never let any man dictate her life. It’s almost as if you feel like you know Mary through these words. (I’m sorry if my wording is a little bit off, but I hope what I’m trying to get at is there)
cassidee_omnilegent's review against another edition
4.0
It’s been almost a month since I’ve posted or reviewed. Life has been crazy with our move. BUT, I have finished 13 books in that time with the help of audio