Reviews

Winter Harvest by Ioanna Papadopoulou

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a_carot's review

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book offers a fresh and imaginative take on the myth of Demeter, presenting her as a vulnerable yet resilient figure who evolves from a dependent little girl relying on her sister, Hesitia, to a powerful mother figure of Kore. The author skillfully fills in the gaps of Demeter's myth, portraying her in a way never seen before. While some elements of the story may be predictable due to the familiarity of the myth, there are a few unique take on the characters. I love the moment when Demeter calls Zeus ‘Little Brother’and how he hates it. I also like how the relationship developed with Poseidon’s children. Overall, Winter Harvest offers a captivating and enchanting journey through the world of Greek mythology, reimagining familiar tales with depth and emotion.

margo415's review against another edition

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slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

littleflowerly's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

randomperson2222's review

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dark emotional

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

4.0

acatwithabook's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

A dark, complex retelling of Demeter and Persephone. The style was very different to the standard retelling fare, and revelled in the absolute fuckery of Greek mythology.

This book does not shy away from things so TW for SA.

maddiereadswords's review

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3.0

So here's the thing: I see what the author was doing with the very sharp, direct, almost simplistic storytelling style. It makes it feel like you're hearing a myth like it was meant to be told, and I think it was really effective here! Unfortunately that just isn't a writing style I really enjoy. The pacing was also really slow, but at the same time there were parts that I wish had gotten more attention like Kore's early years and her relationship with Demeter and the other Olympians. Don't get me wrong, this was a really cool retelling, and I love shifting the narrative of the Hades/Persephone myth to Demeter because god forbid women do anything!! This just didn't hook me as much as I had hoped, and it left me wanting more.

Content Warnings

platosfire's review

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dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

amyoates's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Winter Harvest is a very different Greek myth retelling, and that’s in its favor.

I went into this expecting a straight forward version of the Hades/Persephone myth from Demeter’s perspective, but there’s so much more folded in here.

Papadopoulou has created a Demeter who is both sympathetic and terrifyingly alien. From the moment she’s thrown in to Kronos’s stomach - and Demeter remembers everything from her birth on! - Demeter’s trauma shapes her.

She’s conscious of how Zeus turns his family against one another, and winds up hurting others trying to escape his control (including Persephone).

There’s so much mythology here, including the start of the Eleusinian mysteries, the creation of the sirens, and Arion and Despoina (whose mythology I knew little of before this novel!). At the center this is about Demeter and how she defines family, and how family hurts and lends strength.

Time can contract and expand in the novel, but it fits Demeter’s perspective and her perception of time. Definitely an excellent addition to the retelling canon

Content Warnings

rlse's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

Content Warnings

claystrange's review

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emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

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