Scan barcode
vistacanas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"I would not let a man who knew the value of nothing make me doubt the value of myself."
In general, I'm not a huge fan of Greek mythology...mostly because of the rampant misogyny and bad behavior of men and their Gods—which is why Ariadne sat on my shelf unread until several days ago. I really, really liked it!
Written from the perspective of two strong, but very different, sisters—Ariadne and Phaedra, daughters of King Minos of Crete and sisters of the half-man/half-bull Minotaur whose diet was comprised of human sacrifices—this book kept me turning the pages quickly from start to finish. Although it was still filled with the tragic behavior of men and gods, the women were the focal point.
Although I admired and loved both of them, I related more to fiery Phaedra who went after what she wanted with passion...often without the benefit of adequate life experience or deep thought...and was justifiably pissed off at the men. Been there.
I love learning history through books like this. Whether you're a fan of Greek mythology or not, it's a worthy read.
Graphic: Death of parent, Genocide, Grief, Violence, Sexism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Classism, Death, Gore, and Cannibalism
Moderate: War, Abandonment, Blood, and Slavery
Minor: Incest
hannahbailey's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death of parent, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Self harm, Abandonment, Animal death, Suicide, Slavery, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcoholism
nick13's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide, Gore, Death, Domestic abuse, War, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Genocide, Gaslighting, and Adult/minor relationship
Moderate: Rape and Pregnancy
Minor: Child death
kelburke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Animal death, and Child death
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, War, Sexual violence, and Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Death, Slavery, and Genocide
nialalovesbooksssxo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Death, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, Incest, Blood, Murder, Suicide, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Genocide
Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Rape
Minor: Xenophobia
bimbo_andthe_bookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It was pretty slow at times but I did really enjoy it. Lots of self-reflection and story-telling but thats what you get with greek mythology.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, Animal death, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Violence, Animal cruelty, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Death, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Grief, and Colonisation
Minor: Alcoholism
theequestrianslibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
To start, as I'm rewriting this review a second time because I accidentally deleted the first one, I was very happy to see a retelling of a Greek Myth that wasn't Persephone & Hades (though I do love that pairing immensely.) For about the first 1/3 of the book, I was unaware this WAS a retelling, but that may have simply been my own oversight, considering the names Theseus and the Minotaur were also mentioned. I digress.
After about 1/3 of the book, I did do a search to see if the main characters, Ariadne and Phaedra, were in fact real characters in these Greek myths. Because of this, I discovered they were and carried on with reading, though now I had some additional information such as pertaining to who ended up with who based on the legend.
The book's writing retains a "formal, prose-y" type of speech, especially when characters are talking. There weren't very many instances that I was confused by a word or a phrase, but did take note of how the characters spoke. The descriptions of scenes and setting was flowery, and as a more flowery writer myself, I tend to appreciate this type of description. However, there were instances in the book, mostly in the first 1/2 that involved numerous references back to past events in the characters' lives. While this is usually fine, it did get a point where it felt very repetitive and almost annoying. By annoying, I mean, "Yes, yes, we know this happened to them, we've been over this, [...]" etc. Etc.
The book also utilizes timeskips. For most of the book, you have no idea how long has actually passed between the very first chapter, to the very end of the book. You actually do not find out how much time has passed until the very last 5 or so chapters. Which, some of the ending chapters were extremely short, some having only two pages, while others earlier on were bordering having ten. While short chapters can be useful in short, choppy scenes, it felt rushed and like larger plot points were simply ran past, in a way that was very reminiscent of, "Oh, okay, we're already past that then." Admittedly, this may have affected my reaction to the end, as well as my brief research into the character' original identities.
When the book ended, I did not feel any overwhelming emotions. I was simply ready for the next one, unlike other books that can leave you in emotional disarray for days on end. I didn't dislike the book, but I would border it more to a 3.5 rather than a 3. The book, to me personally, feels like a one-off. You read it, mark it off your list, and then keep it on the shelf for its pretty cover. I would recommend it simply because it is a retelling of a myth not often touched upon, as it's a good one to simply sit down, read, and enjoy for what it is.
Graphic: Incest
Moderate: Genocide, Kidnapping, Violence, War, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Abandonment
Abandonment, Abuse/Neglect, Alcohol Consumption, Animal Cruelty/Abuse/Tortue, Animal Death, Arranged Marriage, Asphyxia/Strangulation/Hanging, Pseudo-Banishment/Exile, Bestiality, Blood/Gore Descriptions, Childbirth, Dead Bodies/Body Parts, Death of a Parent, Death of a Sibling, Grief/Loss Depictions, Genocide, Psuedo-Incest (Stepmom/Stepson), Pregnancy (Wanted/Unwanted), Rape/Sexual Assault, Suicide (via Hanging), Suicidal Ideation, Starvation/Dehydration Depictionstramonta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Graphic: Abandonment and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol, Pedophilia, Murder, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Sexism, Animal death, War, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Minor: Rape
hollandvk's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The writing is just right for highlighting the cruelty and injustice inherent to the myths that continue to be prevalent in Western society. Absolutely recommend this book to everyone.
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide
Moderate: Genocide and Rape