Reviews - Lore | The StoryGraph

8.91k reviews for:

Lore

Alexandra Bracken

3.74 AVERAGE

tygmartin's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous tense fast-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

chandlarskye's review against another edition

3.0

3.5, really.

I wanted to love this book more than I ended up loving it, and I think that was my main issue. I went in with too high of expectations, and after reading a book that blew my mind.

But, that still doesn’t change that I felt this book was lacking. Especially within the fact that Bracken included so much exterior information at the beginning and ending of the book to help guide the reader. It made the story itself seem like it had holes and developed too slowly to truly capture the reader. It was this grand mystery that I wanted to unfold, but rather just forcing myself to keep reading so I could understand the story she was trying to tell — which I feel like I did so only because Bracken is one of my all time favorite authors.

I do think it had a good message and a good overall story. I like the way it ended, and the answer to the overlying questions and problem. I’m glad I read it all the way through instead of abandoning after the first 100 pages like I’d usually do if a book didn’t immediately capture my mind. Worth the read, but don’t go in with super high expectations like I did. Just expect a story to be told.

“Not free, never free”, but always a choice.

eherrman322's review against another edition

3.0

Let me tell you something I've probably already told you - I freaking LOVE everything Greek. My husband will tell you that's not true because I don't allow him to order Mediterranean food every single night for dinner, but don't listen to him. One of my favorite classes in high school was Epic Tradition even though the teacher was abysmal. My dream vacation is to go to Greece and see the old temples of the gods. Also, perhaps a little less impressive, I've put hundreds of hours into Assassin's Creed Odyssey which takes place almost entirely in ancient Greece and I'm probably going to put hundreds of hours uncovering all the secrets of Supergiant Games own take on Greek mythology, Hades. I am obsessed with Greek mythology. When I saw the cover of this book I was immediately in love.

Ok, so what happens? As a consequence of a long past rebellion, every seven years the Greek gods we know and love are forced into what is called the Agon. This Hunger Games-esque free-for-all is a seven-day hunt where the only main rule is kill or be killed. If you kill a god you become that god and not only gain their powers, but their immortality. After generations of Agons there are only three remaining 'true' gods: Athena, Apollo, and Artemis.

After her family was brutally murdered in the last Agon, Melora "Lore" Perseous (yes, as in the hero who slayed Medusa) turned her back on that world. Her plan for this Agon is to lay low and keep her nose clean until the week is up, but that plan is quickly thrown out the window when she is visited by a man she believed long dead, Castor. Her life is further thrown into disarray when she is later visited by a wounded Athena who offers Lore something too difficult to pass up: justice. Lore is quickly thrown back into the bloody politics of a world she thought she'd never see again and it's anyone's guess if she, Athena, or Castor will be able to make it through this Agon alive.

Ok, so what did I think? To be honest, the blurb I just wrote explaining the plot sounds much more interesting than the actual story. Maybe I just wasn't in the right mindset for this book or something, but the Agon itself was super confusing to me alongside the politics of the different house and the positions within them. There were several chapters where Lore and her friends travelled across New York City to visit some new god for some reason I could never properly follow.

Don't get me wrong I think it's a super interesting concept, but I just couldn't wrap my brain around it other than 'Hunger Games, but for Gods' and that just wasn't enough for me. Lore's exploring the city with her friends felt less because they had a plan and more because Bracken just wanted her readers to meet the other New Gods she had created, which, again, super cool concept, but the motivation didn't really seem to be there for Lore and her friends.

To this book's credit, the characters are super strong and I don't mean that just literally.

-Lore is the last surviving member of her house and she doesn't let that grief consume her. Instead she forces herself to grow. She learns how to kick ass and then she kicks some serious ass!

-Castor is a character I don't feel like I have ever met before. When they meet as kids he's dying of cancer or some other kind of vicious disease, but he doesn't let his illness be a weakness. I say this as someone who doesn't have a voice within that community, but I thought it was pretty cool to see a character with an illness that wasn't just defined as the ill character.

-Iro is Castor's protector and almost brother. In my reading of him, despite being not so great of a fighter he managed to triumph over those who scoffed at him and became a spymaster so dangerous that many refuse to cross him.

-Finally, Miles is probably the best friend in the entire damn world. If my roommate told me one day that she was a descendant of an actual Greek hero and now a bunch of super powerful gods (including the new Ares, God of War) was after me I would probably tell her that she was crazy and then I'd pack up my things and move to Australia or something. Miles is snarky and brave and just cunning enough to make me a little suspicious of him. Oh and also he and Iro are probably the cutest little will-they-won't-they couple in the entire world.

Despite the strong characters, I just couldn't really connect with the story and oftentimes I felt like things happened because Bracken felt like they should happen. For example - obviously some spoilers ahead - in an intense meeting between the Lore gang and Artemis, Castor is struck through the heart by one of Artemis' arrows. He's very obviously dead. However, somehow through the power he inherited when he somehow killed Apollo, he is resurrected and I don't think that power is ever truly explained. I'm not saying Bracken doesn't try to explain how Castor can survive a literal arrow to the chest, but I personally didn't think it was a good enough explanation to let me suspend my disbelief.

Long Story Short:
-I am going to get out of Hades one day - oh wait, this is supposed to be about the book.
-I LOVE A DIVERSE CAST!
-Things don't just happen because you want them to.

My Rating: 3/5

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jeckehecke's review against another edition

3.0

I was kinda hyped for this urban fantasy with Greek mythology, but it suffered from all the terrible YA fantasy pitfalls, which prevented me from really enjoying it:
- female, pretty protagonist on the run with a dark secret, very traumatised, dead parents of course
- sexy, hot, so strong, so big, love interest, who's saving her again and again
- side characters that have no development and are flat and static but fun
- queer rep only as side character
- so much useless fighting
- overly evil evil dude being evil
- naive protagonists
- plottwists that just make no sense
- they all so young, but they all so smart
- self-sacrifice yadda yadda
- heteronormative af, booooring #Moriarty
- communication would've stopped people from getting hurt
- useless violence everywhere
- they all need help, like therapy and whatnot

Anyhow, it was also entertaining so 3 stars, but it's 2021. Books can do better.

electr4_st4r's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

I’m glad this book wasn’t spread into a trilogy, but I spent a lot of the time trying to keep up with everything as they jumped from place to place. This did tickle my Greek myth brain tho; love that

kkotclub's review against another edition

1.0

Ha sido increíblemente decepcionante.

Quería que me gustase pero es que los personajes eran planísimos, la trama era confusa y luego simplemente sin sentido. Era muy difícil encariñarte con los personajes porque o eran poco consistentes como es el caso de Lore o simplemente eran planísimos. Y los pocos personajes que al menos se ven con más sentido y más interesantes tienen un total de cero protagonismo (Van en verdad a ti te quiero).
Also hacer que el malo malísimo trate de violar a una niña, pensé que ya no era necesario este tipo de cosas istg que el libro está situado en la edad moderna por dios bendito.

En mi opinión al libro le sobran la mitad de sus páginas. Y lo que más me jode es que encima de ser innecesariamente largo va y no me cierra del todo las cosas. Ya me jode que en 600 páginas los personajes tengan cero desarrollo (de hecho es que la prota es insufrible durante TODO el libro y tiene la coherencia de una patata), el romance sea para rodar los ojos (LA frase de Cástor de nací para quererte dios santo basta). y el final ??? a mi que destruyan media ciudad de nueva york y luego estén tan tranquilos en una azotea comiendo y durmiendo y ya el final en si que es como tanto libro, tantas páginas para que el final sea un "venga déjanos ser felices" y les dejen, sin más, sin una explicación, sin nada.

En fin que no me ha gustado