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A review by amandasbookreview
Elektra by Jennifer Saint
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you, Jennifer Saint, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book. This book hits shelves everywhere, tomorrow, May 3rd, 2022.
“I remembered what my father had told me about my name, that I was the light of our family, and so I tried to shine as brightly as I could for him. I hoped that my face would be the memory he would take with him to war, and that it would draw him home as soon as possible.”
ELEKTRA
Elektra written by Jennifer Saint is a mythological retelling about the generations of women during the time of the Trojan War. First, there is Cassandra. She is the daughter of King Priam and Queen Hecuba. She becomes the priestess to Apollo and ends up with the gift of prophecy, but it is not a gift at all. Then there is Clytemnestra, the sister of Helen of Troy, the wife of Agamemnon, and the mother of Iphigenia. There is a curse on the House of Atreus and Clytemnestra will stop at nothing to make sure her children are protected, but the curse is much bigger than she ever thought possible. And finally, Elektra. She is the daughter of Agamemnon. While the world sees him as a cruel warrior and leader, she sees him as her father. Her determination will aid in the break of the Curse of the House of Atreus.
Trigger Warnings: Rape, abuse, child death, sacrifice, war. parent death
Once again, I was completely enraptured by this story. I do have a weakness for mythology retellings. This book gives us the point of view of 3 very important female characters. Now, some may confuse this as a feminist retelling. I don’t think it is because the story is the same story we all know. The characters and the story haven’t changed, we just get to see their hardships, trauma, and grief. I do think this is a missed opportunity. I think some changes would be good to give a new voice to the characters we already know, instead of just rehashing the same story. While the story did come together perfectly in the end, there could have been more depth drawn out from the main three characters. The three points of view merge and make for a complete plot. While I am glad that all loose ends were tied up and each character complemented the story perfectly, maybe if there was one less character, we could have had more development or a unique voice.
However, I loved the detail. There is no doubt that Jennifer Saint knows her mythology and I do love that she made the Gods an important part of the story. A lot of retellings have them on the sidelines but this book makes them hold more responsibility for the events of the Trojan War. However, that does not take away the responsibility for the evil hearts of men. The men in this story are cruel and think of their own power which ultimately leads to their downfall. The women are just trying to survive. I can’t wait to see what Jennifer Saint will write next. I do hope for more powerful female voices overcoming the trauma inflicted upon them by men. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.
Trigger Warnings: Rape, abuse, child death, sacrifice, war. parent death
Once again, I was completely enraptured by this story. I do have a weakness for mythology retellings. This book gives us the point of view of 3 very important female characters. Now, some may confuse this as a feminist retelling. I don’t think it is because the story is the same story we all know. The characters and the story haven’t changed, we just get to see their hardships, trauma, and grief. I do think this is a missed opportunity. I think some changes would be good to give a new voice to the characters we already know, instead of just rehashing the same story. While the story did come together perfectly in the end, there could have been more depth drawn out from the main three characters. The three points of view merge and make for a complete plot. While I am glad that all loose ends were tied up and each character complemented the story perfectly, maybe if there was one less character, we could have had more development or a unique voice.
However, I loved the detail. There is no doubt that Jennifer Saint knows her mythology and I do love that she made the Gods an important part of the story. A lot of retellings have them on the sidelines but this book makes them hold more responsibility for the events of the Trojan War. However, that does not take away the responsibility for the evil hearts of men. The men in this story are cruel and think of their own power which ultimately leads to their downfall. The women are just trying to survive. I can’t wait to see what Jennifer Saint will write next. I do hope for more powerful female voices overcoming the trauma inflicted upon them by men. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.