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ineffablebooks's review
3.0
3.5 stars
While I enjoyed the retelling of this story and the overall mythological flair, there were some parts that just felt awkward. Poseidon's POV was by far the best parts of this, and I could have done with more, but you don't have to modernise a text to make it relatable or enjoyable. Words like "gun fight", "whatevs" (SERIOUSLY..?), and dear god, the worst of them all, "LOL" was cringe-worthy as hell.
Take them away and this book was a pretty good light read.
While I enjoyed the retelling of this story and the overall mythological flair, there were some parts that just felt awkward. Poseidon's POV was by far the best parts of this, and I could have done with more, but you don't have to modernise a text to make it relatable or enjoyable. Words like "gun fight", "whatevs" (SERIOUSLY..?), and dear god, the worst of them all, "LOL" was cringe-worthy as hell.
Take them away and this book was a pretty good light read.
shirin_mandi's review
4.0
HELL . . .
. . . is not
the pushing of a boulder
up a mountainside
to watch it roll
back with broken back
and broken shoulder.
HELL is the numbing of the soul.
HELL is not an unfulfilled desire.
It’s colder.
Nor the thirst
that takes its victims whole.
HELL is the freezing
scorn for who you are
that transforms a faultless boy
What a beautiful tale from Minotaur's point of view!
Minos says I’m nothing more than Nothing.
Can Nothing take a form and call it me?
But Nothing is ever what it seems.
Watch Nothing laugh.
See Nothing cry.
Hear Nothing scream.
And to my great surprise, we have Poseidon as a narrator too!
It’s interesting:
As a god I almost always find,
The more repressed the mortal,
The dirtier the mind.
*****
But why hasn’t the boy learned
That life isn’t fair?
Word!
It’s true everywhere:
Fathers often destroy their sons.
Who do you think invented guns?
. . . is not
the pushing of a boulder
up a mountainside
to watch it roll
back with broken back
and broken shoulder.
HELL is the numbing of the soul.
HELL is not an unfulfilled desire.
It’s colder.
Nor the thirst
that takes its victims whole.
HELL is the freezing
scorn for who you are
that transforms a faultless boy
What a beautiful tale from Minotaur's point of view!
Minos says I’m nothing more than Nothing.
Can Nothing take a form and call it me?
But Nothing is ever what it seems.
Watch Nothing laugh.
See Nothing cry.
Hear Nothing scream.
And to my great surprise, we have Poseidon as a narrator too!
It’s interesting:
As a god I almost always find,
The more repressed the mortal,
The dirtier the mind.
*****
But why hasn’t the boy learned
That life isn’t fair?
Word!
It’s true everywhere:
Fathers often destroy their sons.
Who do you think invented guns?
kawarwick's review
4.0
I actually laughed several times while reading this. I think mythology fans will like this one. I certainly won’t be sharing it with my junior high students but I will share it with my mortal friends who have dirty minds!
rdyourbookcase's review
3.0
Well, I was happy to see a reference to Hamilton in the description because Bull definitely reminded me of the play. Not that I’ve seen it, but I’ve listened to the soundtrack and I know about it. (Who doesn’t, though?) The poetry had great rhythm and I loved that the author used different forms for different voices. It definitely made the book a work of art, and I hope to do a library program with it! While it wasn’t my personal favorite book in verse, it was well done.
emilymorgan02's review
3.0
This was interesting. The poetry was well done and I loved how each character had a slightly different form. I was torn as to whether or not I like Poseidon being cast as a childish character who used modern slang...
markimus's review
4.0
A solid read overall. My local library had this on a 'books written in verse' featured shelf, and reading the description along with the first page had me hooked. I'm very into mythology, and this seemed like quite a fun play on the tale of Theseus and the Minotaur. I'm currently in a lapse in my other book, so this was a very welcomed change in writing. I love how this was written, and typically I'm not a fan of poems. However, the author did a solid job of conveying his interpretation of how Asterion felt and progressed through his ordeal. I love that the pages got darker the further and further we got into this tale. You could feel the sadness in Asterion the further you went. Solid job all around! I love how witty Poseidon was portrayed to be. If you need a quick read, with a retelling of a classic, and a dash of some humor, well then this is your book!
maths_the_reader's review
4.0
Well-done, well-written, and thoroughly compelling. I'll always applaud imaginative re-tellings like this!
sqeeker's review
4.0
- This was the classic tale of Theseus and the Minotaur, but it was SO hilarious! I laughed out loud several times.
- The characters, especially Poseidon, speak a little more modernly than you would expect, which just adds to the humor.
- Poseidon was my favorite! He is hilarious in this book!
- I really liked how the words turned into art.
- I didn't feel jipped from this book in verse. It has everything.
- The characters, especially Poseidon, speak a little more modernly than you would expect, which just adds to the humor.
- Poseidon was my favorite! He is hilarious in this book!
- I really liked how the words turned into art.
- I didn't feel jipped from this book in verse. It has everything.
shinesalot's review
3.0
I really did enjoy this rhyming, hip-hop version of Theseus vs. the Minotaur. It was clever, witty and Poseidon, who is running the show is a riotous narrator. My only problem with the narrative, and maybe this is a personal problem or a sign of my age, is with the cursing. There isn't a ton, but the opening line is "Whaddup bitches." So right off the bat I don't think I can hand this to middle schoolers. And while mythology is riddled with incest and rape, when the f-bomb is thrown in there and used in context I am even less likely to hand this to a 9th or 10th grader...since it's in verse it's all so pronounced....
I always tell my students there is a time and place for cursing...I just felt this wasn't the time or place. Even with the hip-hop rhythm the story could have done without it just fine. I feel like an old, old lady with this opinion...
Over all, a quick enjoyable read...interesting retelling...but not sure who to hand it to...
I always tell my students there is a time and place for cursing...I just felt this wasn't the time or place. Even with the hip-hop rhythm the story could have done without it just fine. I feel like an old, old lady with this opinion...
Over all, a quick enjoyable read...interesting retelling...but not sure who to hand it to...
izumisano's review
4.0
I liked this book more than others I've read in poetry/free verse. You could really hear the beat behind the words and rhymes. I love how Elliott broke down his choices for poetic styles at the end and why he chose them for different characters.