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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Retellings are always my favorite. I knew vaguely of Atalanta, but not well enough to know exactly what was coming from page to page. We do love a badass woman who can handle herself. And she does throughout the entire book.
Another beautiful retelling from Jennifer Saint
I really liked that this story centered a less-often heroine from Greek Myth and that we got to see glimpses of other misunderstood women, like Medea, along the way; though I wish that the treatment of Medea would have gotten a more feminist lens as well.
I think that Saint did an exceptional job showing Artemis as a multi-faceted goddess and did a good job navigating the motivations of Artemis and the implications of her protection over her nymphs. I appreciated that Artemis' actions were not unquestioned by Atalanta and that Saint's representation highlighted the inherent human qualities of the Greek Gods.
The narrative of Atalanta's journey as part of the Argonauts was the most masterful portion of the narrative; Saint constructed each character with care to ensure that each one had their own unique personalities and motivations that served to further the development of both relationships and the plot as a whole. Experiencing Atalanta's changes in real-time as she experienced more of the world beyond her forest was a really beautiful journey of discovery.
The period of time after Atalanta's departure from the Argonauts lost some of the steam of her journey on the famous ship - this portion of the book also featured less character development, growth, and change and saw Atalanta becoming increasingly jaded in ways that didn't always fit with the character growth that she had experienced on her journey.
The conclusion of the story was weakened by two pieces
1. The lack of backstory/explanation surrounding the golden apples - knowing that these were a gift from Aphrodite and that rejecting this gift would go on to have consequences would have added more gravitas to the moment in which Atalanta and Hippomenes turn their back on the gift.
2. Atalanta's freedom as a lion - for someone who resented the loss of freedom imposed by motherhood and who rejected the idea of having a suitor for similar reasons, Atalanta's easy and quick acceptance of her new life as a lion didn't feel congruent with the rest of her character. Additionally, this curse was designed to keep Atalanta and Hippomenes apart, not to give them the opportunity to have lion cuddles. I also think that there was an opportunity for Atalanta to have more of a meaningful, full-circle moment with Artemis regarding her transformation given her earlier feelings about the transformation of two of the forest nymphs, however, the final interaction between Atalanta and Artemis was quick and surface-level.
I really liked that this story centered a less-often heroine from Greek Myth and that we got to see glimpses of other misunderstood women, like Medea, along the way; though I wish that the treatment of Medea would have gotten a more feminist lens as well.
I think that Saint did an exceptional job showing Artemis as a multi-faceted goddess and did a good job navigating the motivations of Artemis and the implications of her protection over her nymphs. I appreciated that Artemis' actions were not unquestioned by Atalanta and that Saint's representation highlighted the inherent human qualities of the Greek Gods.
The narrative of Atalanta's journey as part of the Argonauts was the most masterful portion of the narrative; Saint constructed each character with care to ensure that each one had their own unique personalities and motivations that served to further the development of both relationships and the plot as a whole. Experiencing Atalanta's changes in real-time as she experienced more of the world beyond her forest was a really beautiful journey of discovery.
The period of time after Atalanta's departure from the Argonauts lost some of the steam of her journey on the famous ship - this portion of the book also featured less character development, growth, and change and saw Atalanta becoming increasingly jaded in ways that didn't always fit with the character growth that she had experienced on her journey
Spoiler
in particular, I felt like her journey as a mother was at odds with what I would have anticipated. Although I understood her resentment towards motherhood as being the thing that prevented her from resuming her life in the forest, the coldness and complete refusal of her to engage with her child felt at odds with the care and humanity that she had shared with others throughout her journey, even in the time before she left the forestThe conclusion of the story was weakened by two pieces
Spoiler
1. The lack of backstory/explanation surrounding the golden apples - knowing that these were a gift from Aphrodite and that rejecting this gift would go on to have consequences would have added more gravitas to the moment in which Atalanta and Hippomenes turn their back on the gift.
2. Atalanta's freedom as a lion - for someone who resented the loss of freedom imposed by motherhood and who rejected the idea of having a suitor for similar reasons, Atalanta's easy and quick acceptance of her new life as a lion didn't feel congruent with the rest of her character. Additionally, this curse was designed to keep Atalanta and Hippomenes apart, not to give them the opportunity to have lion cuddles. I also think that there was an opportunity for Atalanta to have more of a meaningful, full-circle moment with Artemis regarding her transformation given her earlier feelings about the transformation of two of the forest nymphs, however, the final interaction between Atalanta and Artemis was quick and surface-level.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I've always enjoyed Greek lore retellings. This was a good one, too.
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I didn't know about the story of Atalanta but really loved it!
Though, I've found that this retelling was too quick, not leaving enough time to dive into the characters and their actions, which I think is a shame since it's a story about finding oneself.
I wouldn't re-read it, but If you don't know about this myth, you should try it.
Though, I've found that this retelling was too quick, not leaving enough time to dive into the characters and their actions, which I think is a shame since it's a story about finding oneself.
I wouldn't re-read it, but If you don't know about this myth, you should try it.
Huh. Atalanta, while enjoyable on some parts, has a flat storytelling up until the end. This story chronicles the life of Atalanta but she lacks personality especially in the first half. She's pretty much just narrating what happened with very minimal impact or emotions.
She's such a stoic heroine that I found it hard to be invested in her as a character. There are some moments when her voice improves but it wasn't until the second half.
Those who are a fan of Greek myths will find this story enjoyable, which I am and did. I just wish the author gave Atalanta more dimensions as a character and spend more time building a more vivid and atmospheric world.
She's such a stoic heroine that I found it hard to be invested in her as a character. There are some moments when her voice improves but it wasn't until the second half.
Those who are a fan of Greek myths will find this story enjoyable, which I am and did. I just wish the author gave Atalanta more dimensions as a character and spend more time building a more vivid and atmospheric world.