Reviews

Persephone's Choice by Yihan Sim

Only show reviews with written explanations

zatulasma's review against another edition

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4.0

the CUTEST hades & persephone retelling i've ever read!

gloreishun's review

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hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Super cute and wholesome retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth 🥰

booksbyanneleen's review against another edition

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1.0

I'm sorry to say this, but this book had no substance whatsoever? I appreciated the setting being Singapore, but other than that, I got nothing out of this. Persephone and Hades had no chemistry at all, Persephone's reaction to finding out she was a goddess was literally non-existent and the fact that her mother just pretended to have dementia was just brushed under the rug? Hades' amnesia was never explained either? Also the inclusion of the pandemic threw me out of the story entirely. I read books to escape from reality, not to relive it. Either I had amesia myself reading this and just didn't register important chunks of the story or this just wasn't that good. P.S.: I read this book as an audiobook and didn't like the narration that much, so maybe that's skewing my judgement here too.

⭐,5 stars

celina_666's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I really liked this. I think this modern retelling was really amazing!

linblythe_pub22's review against another edition

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

this book was adorable and sweet and I loved the magic around how she interacted with flowers and philosophy of free choice Vs fate. Hades was also a great character and I like how he really tried to fit into her and her mother's life. However the book is called Persephone's Choice and she really doesn't get one. I understand the author is recreating the myth but the story acknowledges through the philosophical debate that free will, destiny, yuanfen and parallel universes are all up for debate, and acknowledges that the myth of Persephone, Hades and Demeter has existed for centuries. All of this suggested to me there might be more of a twist or variation. In the very least, letting Persephone set the boundaries of the relationships she wants with Hades and Demeter. While her sense of forgiveness for her mother's wrongs is lovely, the total omission of the agreed next sixty years of living with her mother leaves me wondering how their relationship changed at all. It had to change when it was revealed to Persephone that her mother had been deceiving her; would Persephone not want to go do the studies and things that so interested her, perhaps taking her mother along or in the least always coming home? It felt incomplete that nothing changed there. In the case of Hades, while she clearly loved him, again she only really agreed to the terms set by the authority of Zeus. Must she take all the responsibilities of queen when Hades has clearly managed without her? There have been jokes about automation and outsourcing, so surely that would have built nicely to her being able to set the parameters of her role? Overall can't Persephone for once choose how she comes and goes between underworld and life?

These are just a few thoughts for how the book could have gone. I think the writer is great and loved the humour around the Greek gods and how they interacted with the Singapore setting and culture. I have so many comments and questions to share precisely because the book made me think of them. Thank you.

why913's review against another edition

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funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

leontyna's review

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reflective slow-paced

2.0

It was quite boring. The premise was interesting but the story in my opinion didn't bring anything new or exciting to the original myth. The characters behaviour was inconsistent with the myth and the characterization of the heroes didn't really allow the reader to understand why everyone is so mellow and uninteresting and making weird choices.

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