This Poison Heart (This Poison Heart #1) by Kalynn Bayron
Published: June 29th 2021 by Bloomsbury YA
Review:
Myth: 4/5
This is a wildly unique retelling of The Secret Garden with a dash of Poison Ivy and a heaping helping of greek mythology. Bris has no idea what’s coming for her as we start off this adventure from Brooklyn all the way to small town Northern NY life. She and her moms are trying to make things work in a unique situation as the world seems to squeeze around them. I loved the way that this story unraveled giving us just a little bit more with each chapter. I’ll say it’s an intriguing but slow start until just over halfway through the book, then you better buckle up for a ride til the end.
While their is a f/f romantic subplot, the chemistry is not the nail-biting tension expected from a YA story. It’s there but barely a subplot, and not to distract from Bris’s overall journey.
Magic: 3.5/5
This was so interesting because Bri’s powers were known and accepted as a part of her from the start. It was more along the lines of us learning about them as she learns more and of course everything flips on it’s head as she learns more about her heritage.
Overall: 4/5
Such a unique retelling. The secret garden is an uncommon retelling that I tend to label this as wholly unique. The greek retelling aspect of this really brings it into its own as a story and in my mind leaves the ‘retelling’ behind by its unique combination of myths. With a strong, black, female lead cast, this story also continues the much needed representation in YA fantasy storytelling.
Other books in the series:
