I have words to say about this book, but I will need to sleep on it.
What I can say is that, I equally hate and love this book in equal parts... So.... That's something I will need to think about if I were to write my thoughts on it.

RTC

Edited on 1/9/2023

There's so many things wright and wrong about this book. I didn't have the heart to hate it as I had loved some aspects of the story, but I also can't say that I fully loved it either. I'm maybe the minority in this one, but the one thing that I could say is that, this book can be half of its volume, and it will still be good. However, since its a debut novel, I do feel that the author has loads more potential for her next work so, I'm definitely going to be a look out for it. I think that's why it took me a while to actually put my thoughts into writing, as I had mixed feelings for this book. Hence, for those who really loved it, you can definitely skip my review.

Anyone who knows me would know that I love any retellings of Hades and Persephone. And for this one, its a retelling with a bit of a mix where Persephone is the one who is smart and cunning whilst Hades is the soft one in this relationship. In this rendition, its an coming-of-age story of Persephone and of her finding her ways into her girlhood and adulthood, by running to Hell and making Hades protect her under his oath. A story of love, girlhood, womenhood and mostly of self-discovery.

Since I don't want to sound too ranty, I would divide my thoughts into two parts to make it not as long.

Part 1 : What I liked About The Book

1. The Theme
The theme of girlhood and womenhood for me was one of the strongest points of the book. I loved that the author had made it a centre of the story with the mix of so many strong female characters that makes the book very female-centric and empowering. I liked how Persephone was shown as a young girl who was trying to find her way into the world and mostly to discover herself as a person. Rather than going head over heels in love first, she had prioritized what she needed to do hence it was quite refreshing to read.

2. Breaking The Streotype
I liked how both Persephone and Hades had broken the streotype in this book. Its somewhat the fluidity in accepting that toxic masculinity and female oppression has made society had not be able to express what they like in the first place. I love how Hades was portrayed in here (soft Hades made me swoon) and Persephone was potrayed to be a stronger but is still feminine. I liked that the author had shown that it doesn't make you less of a man or less of a woman for liking something that didn't approve to the society's standards.

Part 2 : What I Didn't Like About The Book

1. The Romance
Funny how this story has a main romance sub-plot, but good lord was it so DRAGGY AND BORING. I was bored to death. Literally. There were parts where Persephone and Hades was just sweet but the slow-burn that I feel the author was aiming for... didn't work well in this story. It felt anticlimatic, and when they finally got together... I somehow ended up being super annoyed with Persephone when she was with Hades. Like I get it ... but I do want to slap you so there's that. I feel that whilst their friendship was explored well, the pining didn't really work out for me, which really made me dissapointed as I wanted to love it so much but I just couldn't.

2. The Fillers
I think that if the book didn't have too many fillers, I would actually bump the ratings to 4 stars. There were so many scenes that was way too long, and some scenes that was wayy too short. There were inconsistencies in some of the plot and that's what I felt most lacking for the book. One moment you're enjoying the story, and next you're just bored to death. It gave me a bit of whiplash.

Overall, was it a bad book?
No.
Do I hate it?
No.
But Do I love it?
Also a no.

However, I would also think that the author has more potential for her books to come. Her writing had definitely caught my heart at certain scenes. I would def read her next book. Overall, it was an okay read for me. I think I was just sad that I didn't like it as much because I had high hopes for it. But for those who is a first timer to read a Hades and Persephone retelling, this book might work out for you.

Personal Ratings: 3.5🌟

Biggest thanks to Times Reads and the publisher for this gorgeous copy!