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A review by azrah786
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
4.5
**I was provided with an ARC through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: death of family members, self-injury, stalking, poisoning, blood, murder, violence
A retelling by Kalynn Bayron? I just knew it was going to be something unique and instantly draw me in.
If you enjoyed Tracy Deonn's Legendborn then you'll love this too! (And vice versa.)
This Poison Heart follows Briseis, a teenage girl who has a magical affinity for plants.
Since a young age plants have been physically drawn to her and she can make pretty much anything grow at will – a brilliant ability to have, though also one that has proven difficult to keep under wraps, when your mums own a flower shop. One day, she receives news that an estate in a rural town has been left in her name by her birth aunt, which provides Bri with the perfect space and opportunity to fully practice her powers and also the chance to get to know more about her biological family. However, the discovery of an old-school apothecary, a secret garden full of dangerous plants and with strangers turning up on the grounds it becomes clear that this inheritance involves more than it first appeared to.
Though it feels like there is a mish mash of different stories coming together in this retelling, at its heart it is very much a reimagination, and a very clever one at that, of the story of Medea from Greek mythology.
Bayron is absolutely masterful at merging fantastical elements into a contemporary setting. The writing itself felt as though it was giving off its own magic which encompasses you in the way of a classic fairytale, and this paired with the air of mystery that slowly creeps into the overall plot meant I was instantly hooked. The pacing is a little on the slower side however, I found I didn’t mind that much.
A big part of Bri’s character in this book is about self-discovery as well as her learning to become more comfortable with and opening up her true self to other people. I’ll admit she was a little too trusting and naïve at times but I really enjoyed following her development, discoveries and relationships with other characters. I particularly loved the family relationships, more YA books with supportive parents who are also present for the entire story please!!!!
The romance that came about felt a little rushed and underdeveloped though I was fascinated by the characters that this part of the plot helped to introduce and can’t wait to find out more about them.
I’m not going to say anything more but that explosive ending and the final reveals have got me pretty excited to see where the rest of the story goes!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
CW: death of family members, self-injury, stalking, poisoning, blood, murder, violence
A retelling by Kalynn Bayron? I just knew it was going to be something unique and instantly draw me in.
If you enjoyed Tracy Deonn's Legendborn then you'll love this too! (And vice versa.)
This Poison Heart follows Briseis, a teenage girl who has a magical affinity for plants.
Since a young age plants have been physically drawn to her and she can make pretty much anything grow at will – a brilliant ability to have, though also one that has proven difficult to keep under wraps, when your mums own a flower shop. One day, she receives news that an estate in a rural town has been left in her name by her birth aunt, which provides Bri with the perfect space and opportunity to fully practice her powers and also the chance to get to know more about her biological family. However, the discovery of an old-school apothecary, a secret garden full of dangerous plants and with strangers turning up on the grounds it becomes clear that this inheritance involves more than it first appeared to.
Though it feels like there is a mish mash of different stories coming together in this retelling, at its heart it is very much a reimagination, and a very clever one at that, of the story of Medea from Greek mythology.
Bayron is absolutely masterful at merging fantastical elements into a contemporary setting. The writing itself felt as though it was giving off its own magic which encompasses you in the way of a classic fairytale, and this paired with the air of mystery that slowly creeps into the overall plot meant I was instantly hooked. The pacing is a little on the slower side however, I found I didn’t mind that much.
A big part of Bri’s character in this book is about self-discovery as well as her learning to become more comfortable with and opening up her true self to other people. I’ll admit she was a little too trusting and naïve at times but I really enjoyed following her development, discoveries and relationships with other characters. I particularly loved the family relationships, more YA books with supportive parents who are also present for the entire story please!!!!
The romance that came about felt a little rushed and underdeveloped though I was fascinated by the characters that this part of the plot helped to introduce and can’t wait to find out more about them.
I’m not going to say anything more but that explosive ending and the final reveals have got me pretty excited to see where the rest of the story goes!
Final Rating – 4.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Kidnapping and Stalking