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A review by indyjg
Ithaca by Claire North
challenging
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Howdy, all! I’m not dead; I’ve just been in the deep crevasse of a reading slump, which I think I have now bested (mostly.) Anyway! It may have taken me 2+ months to finish this book, but I am glad I did! Ithaca is a study of the Odyssey through the eyes of Hera, which is such an interesting concept. Hera concerns herself with the people most often forgotten about in these great epic stories: the women. Not just Queens like Clytemnestra and Penelope but servants and slaves. And boy, do they see and have quite an impact on the goings on of Ithaca.
The story dragged a bit for me in the middle, which is only somewhat to blame for me taking 2+ months to finish it (life, ya know?) Also, since it is from the perspective of Hera, as a reader, you're left feeling somewhat removed from Penelope's emotions. But, the ending has me excited to see how Penelope’s story will tie up. We all know how Odysseus returns home and how *that* ends, but I am intrigued to see more of Penelope’s reaction to the homecoming. So while I enjoyed the end, some of the characters were left feeling two-dimensional and not fleshed out.
Overall, Ithaca by Claire North gets 3.5/5 stars from me. Rounded down to 3 stars for Goodreads.
The story dragged a bit for me in the middle, which is only somewhat to blame for me taking 2+ months to finish it (life, ya know?) Also, since it is from the perspective of Hera, as a reader, you're left feeling somewhat removed from Penelope's emotions. But, the ending has me excited to see how Penelope’s story will tie up. We all know how Odysseus returns home and how *that* ends, but I am intrigued to see more of Penelope’s reaction to the homecoming. So while I enjoyed the end, some of the characters were left feeling two-dimensional and not fleshed out.
Overall, Ithaca by Claire North gets 3.5/5 stars from me. Rounded down to 3 stars for Goodreads.