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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Once a priestess of Athena, Medusa is cursed into her monstrous form after being defiled in the temple by Poseidon. She runs home to find shelter only to unknowingly curse her own family. After her two sisters are also transformed, they seek isolation on a deserted island. Meanwhile, Perseus wants to keep his mother from marrying a lecherous king and is backed into a near-impossible quest: delivering the head of Medusa as a wedding gift.
For myself, as someone who’s jumped on the recent feminist-retellings-of-Greek-tales train, I can’t say that this book offers new insights that I haven’t already read. It handles the tragedy of Medusa’s tale with sensitivity. The time and places are well researched. The second half revolves more around Perseus and his challenge. The amount of time with Perseus does take a bit away from Medusa’s tale. Besides the gods, no character is particularly unlikeable, and they all have choices to make which will define their future. Some are blessed by gods while others are cursed; some characters change drastically while others try to hold on to their humanity as long as possible. Athena’s Child is a quick read that explores the concepts of monsters born and made. There are some light feminist vibes and a message about the stories we tell.
Recommended as a light read for those unfamiliar with or who may have forgotten Greek myths. Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/athenas-child/
For myself, as someone who’s jumped on the recent feminist-retellings-of-Greek-tales train, I can’t say that this book offers new insights that I haven’t already read. It handles the tragedy of Medusa’s tale with sensitivity. The time and places are well researched. The second half revolves more around Perseus and his challenge. The amount of time with Perseus does take a bit away from Medusa’s tale. Besides the gods, no character is particularly unlikeable, and they all have choices to make which will define their future. Some are blessed by gods while others are cursed; some characters change drastically while others try to hold on to their humanity as long as possible. Athena’s Child is a quick read that explores the concepts of monsters born and made. There are some light feminist vibes and a message about the stories we tell.
Recommended as a light read for those unfamiliar with or who may have forgotten Greek myths. Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at: https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/athenas-child/
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Honestly wow. Very very very well written. And not overly explicative. The story is short and sweet but still captures all the little nuisances of greek mythology and women’s roles in society. definitely recommend for lovers of greek mythology and pursuers of feminist greek literature more specifically.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
La storia è veramente scorrevole e, allo stesso tempo, ricca di tematiche profonde e drammatiche. Ho apprezzato i diversi punti di vista (seppur narrati in terza persona) dei vari personaggi principali, cosa che aiuta a delineare le impressioni e i pensieri, non sempre veritieri, dei protagonisti.
Non conosco bene il mito originale, perciò non so dire con certezza quanto questo retelling abbia modificato la storia di Medusa o quella di Perseo. Tuttavia, il romanzo mi è piaciuto molto.
L’autrice ha saputo mescolare credenze e valori dell’epoca descritta a idee femministe e decisamente attuali quasi alla perfezione, senza che il lettore si stranisse.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Quattro stelle meritate: ho letto il libro in pochissimi giorni — una lettura leggera che ha piacevolmente riempito il mio tempo.
Non conosco bene il mito originale, perciò non so dire con certezza quanto questo retelling abbia modificato la storia di Medusa o quella di Perseo. Tuttavia, il romanzo mi è piaciuto molto.
L’autrice ha saputo mescolare credenze e valori dell’epoca descritta a idee femministe e decisamente attuali quasi alla perfezione, senza che il lettore si stranisse.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Quattro stelle meritate: ho letto il libro in pochissimi giorni — una lettura leggera che ha piacevolmente riempito il mio tempo.
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes