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A review by katykelly
Oh My Gods by Alexandra Sheppard
4.0
Amusing 'contemporary female relation of Greek Gods' tale.
Maz Evans and Rick Riordan have both brought Greek mythology to the 21st century, placing young contemporary protagonists slap-bang in the middle of the Gods and relationships, keeping the stories alive and interesting. Both of those looked to the KS2-KS3 age range, whereas here, Sheppard looks at a teenage girl heading towards the other end of the teenage years and drops her in the midst of an Olympian drama.
Helen is a pretty normal teenage girl - interested in boys, social media, her appearance. But in one particular way she is FAR from being normal - her father is Zeus, king of the Greek Gods. Aphrodite is her half-sister. After the death of her mother, she is brought to live with her father's family in London, where they live amongst mortals incognito, bored with Mount Olympus. Helen is, of course, daunted and more than a little worried that it will affect how she fits in at her new school.
Writing letters to her dead mother about how she's feeling, we also watch as Helen tries to make friends, catches the eye of a cute boy at a party, tries to obey her family's rules... though it turns out they may not be the best at following their own guidelines - and it could get the entire family in trouble...
While this is breezily chatty and felt quite authentically teenage, I did feel a bit wearied with a typical adolescent girl's lusting after a 'cute boy', and the very typical way this affects relationships with female friends. The way Helen makes friends almost instantly in school felt a bit unrealistic, as did the 'connection' between her and an immensely fanciable boy.
That aside, the bringing of the classical gods into the modern world in nicely done, the current ways in which their talents might be used all worked really well (Aphrodite a beauty influencer on social media). I would have liked to see more from Zeus, his relationship with his mortal daughter is only bought out in a handful on scenes and not in any depth. Helen spends more time with her half-siblings than her father.
It's funny, and for fans of Greek myths, a pleasure to watch their modern incarnations. This would make a light read for ages 13-17, there is nothing unsuitable or worrisome.
Maz Evans and Rick Riordan have both brought Greek mythology to the 21st century, placing young contemporary protagonists slap-bang in the middle of the Gods and relationships, keeping the stories alive and interesting. Both of those looked to the KS2-KS3 age range, whereas here, Sheppard looks at a teenage girl heading towards the other end of the teenage years and drops her in the midst of an Olympian drama.
Helen is a pretty normal teenage girl - interested in boys, social media, her appearance. But in one particular way she is FAR from being normal - her father is Zeus, king of the Greek Gods. Aphrodite is her half-sister. After the death of her mother, she is brought to live with her father's family in London, where they live amongst mortals incognito, bored with Mount Olympus. Helen is, of course, daunted and more than a little worried that it will affect how she fits in at her new school.
Writing letters to her dead mother about how she's feeling, we also watch as Helen tries to make friends, catches the eye of a cute boy at a party, tries to obey her family's rules... though it turns out they may not be the best at following their own guidelines - and it could get the entire family in trouble...
While this is breezily chatty and felt quite authentically teenage, I did feel a bit wearied with a typical adolescent girl's lusting after a 'cute boy', and the very typical way this affects relationships with female friends. The way Helen makes friends almost instantly in school felt a bit unrealistic, as did the 'connection' between her and an immensely fanciable boy.
That aside, the bringing of the classical gods into the modern world in nicely done, the current ways in which their talents might be used all worked really well (Aphrodite a beauty influencer on social media). I would have liked to see more from Zeus, his relationship with his mortal daughter is only bought out in a handful on scenes and not in any depth. Helen spends more time with her half-siblings than her father.
It's funny, and for fans of Greek myths, a pleasure to watch their modern incarnations. This would make a light read for ages 13-17, there is nothing unsuitable or worrisome.