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A review by rachrreads
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
2.5 stars
In This Poison Heart, Briseis has a secret that separates her from everyone she knows. Plants react to her as she passes; she can help them to thrive and grow. It takes a lot of energy out of her to constantly be holding back and any time she uses her power she feels weak afterwards. Her friends are starting to distance themselves from her, so Briseis feels even more alone than normal.
Her two moms- who she refers to as Mom and Mo- own a flower shop in New York, but are struggling to stay afloat with the increasing rental costs. One day, a lawyer contacts Briseis and tells her she's been left an estate hours away. Her blood mother's sister has been declared dead and left it to her in her will. As Briseis learns more and more about the house, she uncovers more secrets about her birth family. Secrets that help her learn more about her own abilities. But, things are never as good as they seem. A group of people begin attacking Briseis in public, trying to get information from her. Is it worth the risk of her life to stay somewhere she feels at home?
I was so excited to pick up this book. The premise was so intriguing, but the story fell flat for me. The first 65% of the book was pretty dull- she moved to the estate, talked a lot about plants, met some friends, and learned more about her powers and family history. Things began picking up around this point, but they didn't make a whole lot of sense. It felt like the author was rushing with an under-developed plan, unsure of where they were going to bring the story. The villain was predictable and their motives lacked any logic.
The ending left room for an "epic quest" and set up for another book, but it felt like a 2014 Wattpad fantasy to me. I really think this book could have gone to great places, but the execution just wasn't there for me. The characters also were pretty basic and Briseis trusted people way too easily.
Likes-
1. The overall premise of the book was great. I loved how Greek Mythology (Circe, Jason, The Golden Fleece, etc.) was brought into the story, it was interwoven beautifully.
2. Briseis' moms- Mom and Mo- were icons. To be honest, I enjoyed them more than all of the other characters combined. They were the only ones with personalities.
3. Briseis being bisexual. It wasn't the main focus of the story, just a known fact about her. She even has an instant crush on a woman she meets.
Briseis literally told these people she met days ago everything about her powers, but hid things from her parents who loved her. Girly literally spent her whole life hiding her powers, but immediately connects with a boy (Karter--who is just a friend) and shows HIM HER POWERS? Then, there's a mysterious girl who she is immediately infatuated with and she trusts her and Karter enough to SHOW THEM THE ABSYRTUS HEART- AKA THE VERY THING HER ANCESTORS WERE PROTECTING? Girl what are you doing??? This seems so out of character with how secretive you were with your former friends, I am so confused with this.
2.5 stars
In This Poison Heart, Briseis has a secret that separates her from everyone she knows. Plants react to her as she passes; she can help them to thrive and grow. It takes a lot of energy out of her to constantly be holding back and any time she uses her power she feels weak afterwards. Her friends are starting to distance themselves from her, so Briseis feels even more alone than normal.
Her two moms- who she refers to as Mom and Mo- own a flower shop in New York, but are struggling to stay afloat with the increasing rental costs. One day, a lawyer contacts Briseis and tells her she's been left an estate hours away. Her blood mother's sister has been declared dead and left it to her in her will. As Briseis learns more and more about the house, she uncovers more secrets about her birth family. Secrets that help her learn more about her own abilities. But, things are never as good as they seem. A group of people begin attacking Briseis in public, trying to get information from her. Is it worth the risk of her life to stay somewhere she feels at home?
I was so excited to pick up this book. The premise was so intriguing, but the story fell flat for me. The first 65% of the book was pretty dull- she moved to the estate, talked a lot about plants, met some friends, and learned more about her powers and family history. Things began picking up around this point, but they didn't make a whole lot of sense. It felt like the author was rushing with an under-developed plan, unsure of where they were going to bring the story. The villain was predictable and their motives lacked any logic.
The ending left room for an "epic quest" and set up for another book, but it felt like a 2014 Wattpad fantasy to me. I really think this book could have gone to great places, but the execution just wasn't there for me. The characters also were pretty basic and Briseis trusted people way too easily.
Likes-
1. The overall premise of the book was great. I loved how Greek Mythology (Circe, Jason, The Golden Fleece, etc.) was brought into the story, it was interwoven beautifully.
2. Briseis' moms- Mom and Mo- were icons. To be honest, I enjoyed them more than all of the other characters combined. They were the only ones with personalities.
3. Briseis being bisexual. It wasn't the main focus of the story, just a known fact about her. She even has an instant crush on a woman she meets.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood and Gore