A review by nataliii
Ithaca by Claire North

reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

This book had glimmers of success in style/tone and touching emotional or reflective moments, but overall fell short of an engaging story and narrative style for me. I found it inconsistent throughout, starting out highly, nearly annoyingly, lyrical (said as one who enjoys lyrical prose) alongside strange dry snark that felt out of place coupled with the lyrical surroundings of the first 1/4. I did enjoy Hera as the narrator, though agree that it did create a lot of distance between the reader and main characters - I wanted to be closer to Penelope’s and Telemachus’s thoughts and emotions. 
Appreciated the potential and ambition, but this didn’t really pan out for me and I likely won’t read the next installment. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for an eARC of this book.
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