A review by shayna14
Psyche and Eros by Luna McNamara

fast-paced

1.0

the only part with some potential is when eros and psyche interact before the "curse" separates them. it's the only reason i didn't DNF the book because i thought the rest would be better.

copy and paste from my notes app of all my complaints about the book:
  • flat world and character building
  • mixing hekate and baba yaga myths with the chicken feet house
  • talking in circles and repeating the same things in different words
  • cringy start with how the gods were born
    • "what is this place?" i said aloud (πŸ₯΄) - eros
    • "i believe it is called earth", said by GAIA... why would the primordial EARTH goddess herself only "believe" it's called earthπŸ’€
  • cringy, amateur, and predictable dialogue and narrating
  • rushing through storylines to fit as many inaccurate greek myths as possible
  • 6 year old elektra nonchalantly predicting clytemnestra kills agamemnon and that she'll help orestes kill their mom
  • cringy portrayals of the gods
  • odysseus nicknamed "odd"
  • trojan war is in the synopsis to be a reason eros and psyche are pulled apart yet she doesn't even fight in it
  • the "curse" plot has so many holes
  • the whole scene of eros being "sucked away" by the curse
  • eros shapeshifting into animals is awkward
  • plot line of eros and psyche traveling to see prometheus is unfinished and is awkwardly mentioned after
  • narration awkwardly jumping back and forth between talking as if events are actively happening or already happened in the past
  • aphrodite "adopting" eros and doing so against his will
  • psyche constantly switching back and forth referring to atalanta as "my teacher" or just by her name while narrating
  • so many typos and grammar errors
  • demeter saying the nymphs she had watch persephone before she was kidnapped left within days because of persephone's "unspeakable cruelties"πŸ™„πŸ™„
  • contradicting timelines: psyche talks about odysseus' (10 year long) journey home from the trojan war even though the war is still ACTIVELY HAPPENING at the time of her saying itπŸ€¦πŸ»β€β™€οΈ
  • persephone has adonis naked, wearing a collar, and sleeping with his head on her lap and kneeling at her feet while she sits on her throne???!?!πŸ€¦πŸ»β€β™€οΈπŸ˜­
  • says persephone is more fit to rule the underworld than HADES
  • conflicts are too easily resolved so there's never any real suspense
  • the writing tells what's happening, not actually showing or describing as it's unfolding
  • why did psyche become bald after turning into a goddess??
  • zephyrus blaming apollo for hyacinthus's death