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nicolewhopickedthisbook's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
I honestly don’t know how to rate this book. Was this book good? Well… yes. The writing was great. Was anything that happened in this book a surprise? No, not at all. I didn’t think this book would have a happy ending. Did I want a “retelling” that was exactly the same as Greek mythology? No. Like the Greek tragedies that inspired it, countless women fall victim to the whims of men, human and god alike, and they are helpless to break the generational cycle. I feel that retellings are a chance to give these women a different, better ending and this did not deliver.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Suicide, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Misogyny, Murder, Death, Child death, Blood, and Animal death
saskiajva's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Definitely read content warnings for this! This book was odd. I felt like it spent a lot of time detailing unimportant things and then sailed through important bits i wish had been more detailed, so it’s hard to say if not much happens or if a lot happened. Ariadne is a timid, fretful character which was frustrating and hard to like or relate to at times. The ending is one of the darkest things I’ve ever read, but isn’t given too much detail so it loses some punch there which is not a bad thing. I wanted to love this book, but it isn’t my thing. But I can see why others like it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Child death, Murder, Sexism, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Grief
Moderate: Rape, Infidelity, War, and Suicidal thoughts
author2223's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Animal death, Child death, Suicide, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Rape
mirandahems's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
most of the book is people telling stories to ariadne, you don’t see much of the action. i feel like i personally went through a terrible break up by the end of this. overall a good story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Sexism, Pregnancy, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Rape, Grief, and Misogyny
leweylibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The number one thing to learn from this book: Never trust a god, and DEFINITELY never trust a man. Jeeeeeez.
But seriously, I really enjoyed this one, especially the relationship between Ariadne and her sister. I do kind of wish it would've slowed down a bit once they were separated and given some more detail on what their lives were like, especially the sister. And my goodness what a depressing ending lol.
Quotes:
But seriously, I really enjoyed this one, especially the relationship between Ariadne and her sister. I do kind of wish it would've slowed down a bit once they were separated and given some more detail on what their lives were like, especially the sister. And my goodness what a depressing ending lol.
Quotes:
- What I did not know was that I had hit upon a truth of womanhood: however blameless a life we led, the passions and the greed of men could bring us to ruin, and there was nothing we could do. (12)
- No longer was my world one of brave heroes; I was learning all too swiftly the women's pain that throbbed unspoken through the tales of their feats. (13)
- I only knew Medusa as a monster. I had not thought she had ever been anything else. The stories of Perseus did not allow for a Medusa with a story of her own. (13)
- I would be Medusa, if it came to it, I resolved. If the gods held me accountable one day for the sins of someone else, if they came for me to punish a man's actions, I would not hide away like Pasiphae. I would wear that coronet of snakes, and the world would shrink from me instead. (14)
- What the gods liked was ferocity, savagery, the snarl and the bite and the fear. Always, always the fear, the naked edge of it behind the smoke, rising from the altars, the high note of it in the muttered prayers and praise we sent heavenward, the deep, primal taste of it when we raised the knife above the sacrificial offering.
Our fear. That was how the gods grew great. (17) - Theseus had not left me because I was at fault or because I did not matter. He had left because, to him, nothing mattered at all. Beyond the cold pursuit of his own fame. I would not let a man who knew the value of nothing. Make me doubt the value of myself. (179)
- "I want no gift that I give you to be so transient. And so I took it from your head, where it can only look a doll in comparison to your radiance, and I put it somewhere it will shine forever."
... In the eternity of night, I saw the brand new pinpricks of light that shone in a sweeping arc. The luster of my crown was now a fiery illumination against the darkness.
"Just as you will never lose me, you will never lose your crown," his arms wrapped tightly around me. "Your coronet will guide sailors to safety through the labyrinth of the treacherous seas. Women will look to it for a sign of comfort, a light in the darkness. Children will whisper their wishes to it before they close their eyes to dream. It will stay there, fast and true, for all of time." (187) - As If we hadn't learned from living with our shattered mother and her monstrous spawn that all the women can do in this world is take what she wants from it and crush those who would stand in her way before they break her into fragments like Pasiphae. (233)
- The price we paid for the resentment, the lust, and the greed of arrogant men was our pain, shining and bright like the blade of a newly honed knife. Dionysus had once seemed to me the best of them all, but I saw him now for what he was, no different from the mightiest of the gods. Or the basest of men. (299)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, Abandonment, Grief, Alcohol, Animal death, Death, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Murder, and War
Moderate: Pregnancy
kelkelkelkelly's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
While clearly inspired by Madeline Miller, this book lacks the storytelling method and narrative voice, instead focusing on poetic lines. It gets points for elaborating on an interesting myth, but at every turn the author chooses the least interesting version of Ariadne’s myth to follow. This Ariadne is flat and dull, lacks any agency or desire of her own. The end of the book picks up with some momentum, but the entire thing reads closer to a translation of an original text than a myth brought to life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore and Misogyny
pkc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I’ve had this book a while and it didn’t disappoint in any way. The story was engaging, the prose was exquisite and the characters were so brilliantly realised. I thought the ending was mind blowing and when I initially finished, I couldn’t quite process what I’d just read. But a bit of reflection and I absolutely got it. Jennifer Saint needs all the pats on the back and accolades for this book! Can’t wait to read more of her work.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Death, Misogyny, Cursing, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Suicide
colorcrystals's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment
Moderate: Suicide, Misogyny, Animal death, Death, and Infidelity
Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Child death, Rape, and Death of parent
patsypoo's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this very much. It gripped me from the start and kept me interested until the end. I didn't know anything about Ariadne and her story so I learned a lot.
The split narrative between hers and her sister's POVs gave the book more dimension.
I felt the end was a bit rushed however, given how much time was spent on other parts.
I had a great time reading Ariadne though and I will pick up the rest of her books soon.
The split narrative between hers and her sister's POVs gave the book more dimension.
I felt the end was a bit rushed however, given how much time was spent on other parts.
I had a great time reading Ariadne though and I will pick up the rest of her books soon.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, and Misogyny
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcohol
mrsjburgin's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Misogyny, Abandonment, Child death, Murder, War, and Rape