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kanadrallegria's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Confinement, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
simplyammee's review against another edition
The insta-love and time jumps are throwing me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Violence
Moderate: Rape
klbreyfogle's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It’s pretty good, I do enjoy queer Greek mythology stories. That said I also like a happy ending and this one was bittersweet enough that if I’d known the end I probably wouldn’t have picked it up. It’s probably better than a 3.75 but I docked it points for making me sad. Plus, I prefer stories that have a more creative answer than making the boy commit suicide because it’s his duty.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Sexual assault and Slavery
lsaucedo5's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Started off really slow, wasn’t until halfway through the book that it got interesting for me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, and Violence
sephiefoxx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
So first things first. This book is woefully falsely advertised. Lies We Sing to the Sea is not the Greek Mythology retelling it is marketed as, it is an original story set in the backdrop of Ancient Greece. Which of course brings up the discussions of the author not having read the source material that this ‘retelling’ was based off. As someone who also hasn’t read the Odyssey in it’s entirety or analytically, I am not in a position to add anything to the conversation that hasn’t already been perfectly detailed by other reviews.
All that aside, this story was enjoyable and at time I had fun reading parts. But it wasn’t great. While I enjoyed the writing, I found the characters to be frustrating. The ‘love triangle’ is one of my biggest qualms. The romance in this story had so much potential, especially in a setting historically known for queer relationship. Instead it found itself tearing down the bumpy road of the cheating bisexual trope. A missed opportunity turned dropped ball.
But there was a part of this story I loved. The highlight of it all was the ending. That’s where this story not only shines, but also the moment I found it feeling the most like a story about Greek Mythology. A Greek tragedy. And while it ripped my overly emotional heart out, that was the moment where I saw everything this novel could have been.
This novel has potential. It really did. It was an enjoyable and quick read but I really think it could have been so much more. Yes, maybe that could have started with reading the source material. Or perhaps this was a story that should have existed on its own, outside the world of Greek Mythology. Either way. The beauty of this tale is in the end you just have to get there.
All that aside, this story was enjoyable and at time I had fun reading parts. But it wasn’t great. While I enjoyed the writing, I found the characters to be frustrating. The ‘love triangle’ is one of my biggest qualms. The romance in this story had so much potential, especially in a setting historically known for queer relationship. Instead it found itself tearing down the bumpy road of the cheating bisexual trope. A missed opportunity turned dropped ball.
But there was a part of this story I loved. The highlight of it all was the ending. That’s where this story not only shines, but also the moment I found it feeling the most like a story about Greek Mythology. A Greek tragedy. And while it ripped my overly emotional heart out, that was the moment where I saw everything this novel could have been.
This novel has potential. It really did. It was an enjoyable and quick read but I really think it could have been so much more. Yes, maybe that could have started with reading the source material. Or perhaps this was a story that should have existed on its own, outside the world of Greek Mythology. Either way. The beauty of this tale is in the end you just have to get there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Child death and Death of parent
lil_saddie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I have a problem with YA where it feels like the author doesn’t trust the audience to grasp the plot or character motivations so things are constantly repeated or said so blatantly it takes me out of the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual content
bookishwondergoth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Listen, I hate to be dragging down this author’s Goodreads rating any further than it already is. It seems like the majority of 1 star reviews on here are review bombs without having read the book. I, on the other hand, have read the book, and there was so much wrong with it I don’t really know where to start.
1) Suspension of disbelief. There were so many instances where I was required, as a reader, to simply accept that something ridiculous had happened. Protagonist Leto makes a series of increasingly nonsensical decisions and then is never questioned or suspected by anyone around her. How did 2 women with no sailing experience crew a Grecian boat to Ithaca without raising eyebrows? How can a small city manage to sacrifice 12 girls every year for centuries without having significant impact on that town’s population?
2) Poorly researched. Apparently this book is set in Ancient Greece, but only the occasional name of an item of clothing or references to the Greek Gods and Odysseus tells you this.
3) Poorly executed. Why does one of the characters fall in love with the person who killed them? Why does everyone fall in love so quickly? All these things needed far more nuance and greater explanation.
4) Pacing. All over the place. The opening and ending are the best parts of this book. Everything else is a meandering, boring mess.
5) Cheating bisexual trope. This book is marketed as a sapphic book, but one of the characters is bi and in a love triangle with a man who she doesn’t tell her girlfriend about. I hate it here. I gave her the benefit of the doubt when it was all just still flirting, but nope, things didn’t stop there. This trope needs to die or at the very least directly addressed if you’re going to keep it in.
The beginning of the book was brutal and I really liked how things were resolved at the end of the book. I will at least give the book credit there where it’s due.
Overall, not the book for me. I read it as part of the Illumicrate March readalong and finished it only because I was enjoying the lively discussion so much. If you like juvenilely-written stories loosely inspired by Greek myths and packed full of YA tropes like love triangles, angry girls and rash choices, this is the book for you.
1) Suspension of disbelief. There were so many instances where I was required, as a reader, to simply accept that something ridiculous had happened. Protagonist Leto makes a series of increasingly nonsensical decisions and then is never questioned or suspected by anyone around her. How did 2 women with no sailing experience crew a Grecian boat to Ithaca without raising eyebrows? How can a small city manage to sacrifice 12 girls every year for centuries without having significant impact on that town’s population?
2) Poorly researched. Apparently this book is set in Ancient Greece, but only the occasional name of an item of clothing or references to the Greek Gods and Odysseus tells you this.
3) Poorly executed. Why does one of the characters fall in love with the person who killed them? Why does everyone fall in love so quickly? All these things needed far more nuance and greater explanation.
4) Pacing. All over the place. The opening and ending are the best parts of this book. Everything else is a meandering, boring mess.
5) Cheating bisexual trope. This book is marketed as a sapphic book, but one of the characters is bi and in a love triangle with a man who she doesn’t tell her girlfriend about. I hate it here. I gave her the benefit of the doubt when it was all just still flirting, but nope, things didn’t stop there. This trope needs to die or at the very least directly addressed if you’re going to keep it in.
The beginning of the book was brutal and I really liked how things were resolved at the end of the book. I will at least give the book credit there where it’s due.
Overall, not the book for me. I read it as part of the Illumicrate March readalong and finished it only because I was enjoying the lively discussion so much. If you like juvenilely-written stories loosely inspired by Greek myths and packed full of YA tropes like love triangles, angry girls and rash choices, this is the book for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Rape, and Sexual assault
hailstorm3812's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I'm sad... It's so beautiful though. It's also my second favorite non poly ending to a love triangle. I just got really attached to the characters and story. It feels like a Greek Tragedy. This story has already happened there is nothing you can do to change it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent
ssmylie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
tense
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? No
3.0
I thought the book was a fun ride, even made me tear up at the end. However, I can't just ignore the comments under the Goodreads section. While I don't think you need an advanced degree in the classics or be an expert in Ancient Greek history, I do think it's very important to read to read the original source material before you write a "retelling". Then, you should familiarize you're self with other retellings to see where people have taken these stories. Finally, you should have consulted with experts in Ancient Greek history and the classics to see if what you were creating lined up with correctly. Authors are researchers as well and many travel, consult with experts and read many texts as they are going from their initial idea to a published work. Research doesn't stop imagination and creativity, it expands what you can do and how realistic you can make the characters.
Now, I'm thinking "what was everyone thinking?" From the idea to the writing process to pitching the story to publishing the book to the marketing? As everyone in the comments said, this didn't have to be called a "retelling", it could have been marketed as a book related to Odyssey's return home to Ithaca.
I hope the author takes this into consideration in her next books. I think she is talented, but she can do much better than this and she has too.
Now, I'm thinking "what was everyone thinking?" From the idea to the writing process to pitching the story to publishing the book to the marketing? As everyone in the comments said, this didn't have to be called a "retelling", it could have been marketed as a book related to Odyssey's return home to Ithaca.
I hope the author takes this into consideration in her next books. I think she is talented, but she can do much better than this and she has too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Misogyny, and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicide, Torture, and Violence
bluebreex's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A solid debut! I am always easily drawn into mythology retellings and inspired stories, and this book was no exception. The characters were lovable and witty - I felt like cheering them on the whole time even when I had a good idea of how this book was going to end.
Would recommend to anyone with a love for mythology and mystery.
Would recommend to anyone with a love for mythology and mystery.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Pedophilia, and Slavery