An interesting premise, and one that definitely caught my attention. This isn't an easy read - nor is it meant to be - and MacLaughlin thoroughly references many myths, some of which I had not encountered before. Ultimately, however, all the stories followed a similar pattern and began to feel a bit repetitive after awhile (those Greek Gods truly sucked) so I found myself flipping through the final half of the book. I just wish there had been some more reworkings or unique changes to the stories that would have added some new insights or angles.

An interesting collection of Greek/Roman retellings. This one should come with ALL the trigger warnings. Traditionally mythology and folklore tend to focus on the hero's tale and journey. Instead MacLaughlin highlights the victims story and the rape culture ingrained in these hero's origins. While the modern tone of some of the stories didn't work for me, you'll be left with an overwhelming feeling of hollowness after finishing. These stories are harrowing. I absolutely adored the Pygmalion story though. Such a bright gem in an otherwise very dark book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This past Spring, I taught a unit on contemporary feminist re-imaginings of the Classics and I sincerely wish I could have included Wake, Siren in my syllabus, as Nina MacLaughlin's retellings of tales from The Metamorphoses were as unflinching, cathartic, and ferociously feminist as I'd hoped they would be.

Fair warning: this is often a difficult read due to its explicit handling of sexual violence (given the source material, however, and the project undertaken by Wake, Siren, that should hardly be a surprise) and MacLaughlin's prose is experimental, so if that isn't your bag, you may not enjoy this. That said, I appreciated MacLaughlin's style choices, as her beautiful, haunting prose, for me, comes the closest of any classics reimagining that I have read to truly capturing the primal, dreamlike experience of reading the ancients and Ovid in particular.

Some of the tales are stronger than others, but, on the whole, I found Wake, Siren a powerful collection performing interesting and important cultural work by reorienting the perspectives of many of the ravishings of The Metamorphoses (which several of Wake, Siren's heroines point out have been troublingly romanticized by Western culture for centuries) from the perspective of those brutalized by husbands, fathers, and the ever-capricious gods.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ovid's Metamorphses is one of my all time favorites and it was really interesting to hear from the women's perspectives. If you are into Greek Mythology and you are into feminism, definitely check out "Wake, Siren"

Do you know the source material? That may not matter, but having some understanding of who the gods are and what they have done to humans does matter. They're cruel, capricious, misogynistic: we're pawns and objects to them. There isn't one story here, it's a series of short stories, so easy to dip into or skip a story if it is too disturbing.

eARC provided by publisher.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for an electronic copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review
I have deliberated quite a bit on how to review and score this book. First of all I will say that it was not what I was expecting and it was at times very uncomfortable to read. Occasionally I felt that some of the language and descriptions were there for shock value only. I also felt that there were many occasions where something was placed in the writing that caused a disconnect from the story. A random phrase or an out of place word. It would cause the voice to be lost - however in these instances I was reminded of poetry and wondered if these were deliberately placed breaks for emphasis. Some of the stories read very much like poetry so I would not be surprised if this was the case.
So my confusion in how to score this comes from am I scoring it from a story point of view, or am I scoring it from a poetry point of view. I can't really make it black and white it that way, some of it was story, some was poetry.

I have ended up with my decided score due to impact, although in places I felt impact was lost due to the writing there were other areas where the impact was intensified and it was very intense in those places.

Wake, Siren is very good, but it can be very difficult to read at times.

We get so many distinct voices and so many transformations in this collection. We get to reimagine these myths we know, but this time with women's voices at the center. We also get very graphic, brutal detail at times as we revisit these tales of rape, incest, abusive relationships, and loss. Overall, I would recommend this book, with a clear warning to the reader.

Some stories feel modern and conversational; some are more stream-of-consciousness. Mostly, these work, but at times it can be distracting. Even when it does become distracting, it's a good reminder of the connection between these old stories and our own modern lives. We still deal with these issues, even if we don't turn into trees and streams and animals. We find our own ways to change and grow and adapt.

I cannot wait to buy a physical copy of this book for my shelf at home!

I went into this book thinking I would like it because of the mythology and I absolutely loved it. MacLaughlin is amazing at having a different voice for everyone in each chapter which is a task in itself because there are so many different characters. This isn’t like the old mythology you’re used to, this is updated to be easier to read and relate to and show just how terrible the Gods were to mortals (women in particular). I loved how even with the horrible punishments that women went through because of acts done to them that they still were strong and had decent outlooks on things after the fact. I will definitely be buying a physical copy of the book when it comes out to add to my bookshelf and read again.

Wake, Siren is exactly as it says it is; Ovid Resung. It’s the stories of Metamorphoses, metamorphised into their feminist, modern versions. The focus shifts from Ovid’s version so that women are center stage, the time period alters and the stories become much more readable (and relatable) for today’s audiences; here we get to see the figures of classic myths go to 7-11, eat Skittles, and sing in rock bands. 

Some of the characters in Wake, Siren will be more than familiar to you (Daphne, Medusa, Hecuba) while others have only been side characters (Arethusa, Leucothoe, Procne). Partly because of this, Greek mythology buffs or fans of Ovid will get the most out of these stories, since there is no wasted time making sure you’re up to snuff. But even without the knowledge you’ll still stand to enjoy and earn something from these narratives.

The real strength of this collection stems from Maclaughlin’s ability to create voices. Emphasis on the plural here, because there are a lot (more than you might expect) of women featured in this book and each gets their own narration and time to shine. With the entirety of the pieces written in first person, this helped to differentiate between one and the next but also made the characters each feel more real and complete, connecting you to them more quickly, even though some only had a few pages to be made known. 

Many of the stories were purely...well, resung. The stories of old brought into a more modern version, the original story translated into modern-english. But there were also quite a few which dive into more experimental territory when it comes to their narrative structure. And these were my favorites.

Maclaughlin is a master at creating one-sided conversations which not only sound two-sided, but which are well-rounded enough to feel like a full story while still maintaining a sense of realistic dialogue. The voice was strongest, in my opinion, in these stories, which may be why I enjoyed them so much. 

Myrrha, Procne and Philomela, Iphis, and Scylla were my favored chapters although I found something to love in almost all of them. 

In any collection, there will be some stories that stand out above others. But unlike most collections, there were really no stories in this book that I hated, or even disliked. 

If there was one thing I could critique about this collection it’s that it could have gone further, I could have had more ...but I won’t say that it’s needed or would have even been wholly beneficial.

 Could there have been even stronger differentiation between voices? Sure. Some, over the course of the entire book, were similar. But voice is a tricky thing to nail, especially when trying to do it 33 times. And each certainly has more personality than Ovid gave them.

Could some of these stories have been longer? Perhaps. Maclaughlin’s writing can be beautiful enough to be intoxicating and makes you want to continue on even after it is over.

Could there have been more experimentation? I say yes. But the more experimentation, I realize, the more you might sacrifice going over your reader’s heads or making them confused. And as it is, it toes the line between too abstract and completely readable, so that it can be a bit of both and cater to each audience.

Could it have been darker? Sometimes, perhaps. But it gets pretty dark as it is. 

These stories strike a very good balance and are organized in a very smart way. The effect is not only that the stories bring the old myths to life for a new audience, and elaborate on skimmed-over characters, but that together, these stories show how women are still (unfortunately) struggling with many things that ancient Greek women were. Some things have changed, sure, but at their core, the stories remain true to the originals and yet still feel relevant and realistic. And that’s pretty dark.

I ended up rating Wake, Siren 4.5 out of 5 stars, which is quite a high rating for a collection. This book is artistic, and thoughtful, and successful in portraying its purposes and themes. I think those who enjoy the tone and themes of Amanda Lovelace’s poetry will appreciate Maclaughlin’s work as well, and fans of Circe may also, I admit, enjoy this...but don’t be expecting it to be the same thing!

Wake, Siren will be released November 19th, 2019.

Thank you to Netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the opporutnity to read a digital advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

Well written but should probably come with a trigger warning stamped across the cover. It was difficult to get through some of the stories, including the first one. You'll never see the myths that inspired this book the same way again. Of course, the original tales were always filled with sexual assault, rage, and the.degradation of most women. Seeing them in this context made it so much worse, though.

The voices within the book change from story to story, ranging from those that are rooted in the speech of their time period to some filled with modern-day slang. This is an interesting juxtaposition that doesn't always work but still provides an entertaining mixture of styles.

Overall, Wake, Siren is an interesting addition to feminist fiction, but don't expect it to be a fun read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

Tiresias: Was it punishment, being turned into a woman? I don’t know. Is it punishing to be a woman? It is. It will continue to be.
This collection is a slap in the face… followed by a gut-punch. Rinse. Repeat. Seriously. The hits just keep on coming. It isn’t news that Greco-Roman myths are filled with violence, vengeance and misery. But, reading them in this collection crystallizes this in a way that is brutal and heavy and horrible... But, also really awesome.
I know, make up your mind, right? But, I can’t think of a better way to say it. Of the three dozen stories in the collection there are nearly as many rapes, quite a few murders, and only a very rare happy ending (maybe a few more I’d credit as bittersweet). It isn’t a fun read. Instead it is a confrontational read, full of justifiable fury and only occasional moments of anything near hopefulness. That being said, I found much of it beautiful, even when the stories were dark or disgusting and crass, the writing was great. Diverse and compelling. And these stories – be they real or fictional should be read, confronted, honored… They might be about Scylla, Io and a bunch of mythical others, but I’d be surprised if they didn’t ring true for most contemporary readers.
The narrative voices are not interchangeable – which is a real feat considering how briefly we meet and interact with each character and how many of them tell a variation on the same ‘I-tried-to-run-from-my-rapist-but-I-did-not-escape’ story. The stories are set historically, as well as in the present day and the writing style varies by story, as such some are more effective than others – and I’m sure that hugely varies by reader. Personally, I wanted to gouge my own eyes out during the stream of consciousness one (though it might have been the only funny on in the book. Bummer).
The women in these stories, some are only B-characters in mythology and most of us will know little about them beyond maybe their names – so I’m not sure what new ground, if any, is being tread here in that sense. And, I’m sure if I were a student of mythology I’d have been a better educated reader and that would have added depth to the experience – that’s my loss, I suppose. I assume that reading these stories from the viewpoints of these women is the new ground here and this book does that much stunningly… 3 dozen times.

My faves: Daphne, Arachne, Atalanta, Myrrha, Baucis, Medusa, Leucothoe, Eurydice (and After Ovid is an amazing epilogue. A gorgeous ending to the collection).

My thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the arc to review.

Nina MacLaughlin’s work is powerful, smart, and stirring. This use of a classical story for modern consideration is well-developed, fully conceived, and masterfully written. Though I read a digital copy, I’ll be seeking a hard copy to share with students in the future. Brilliant.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I actually didn't enjoy the writing in this book. Was looking forward to it so much, but ended up being disappointed.

I hate when stories have GREAT POTENTIAL and fall completely flat so early on. It was a spiral downhill almost from the very beginning.

I liked the concept, but with some stories I couldn't get into the writing style at all. Sometimes it reads like poetry and other times modern day slang, which was the one which threw me off the most.
I like the variety and the darkness. There's lots to discuss and this would be ideal for a book club.
Again realizing how gruesome and sexist most of the Greek mythology is.
I always wonder why I'm still fascinated by it?

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC.

3.5 stars.

When I first started <i>Wake, Siren</i>, I honestly thought I'd be adding it to my favorite books of the year. That didn't change for a while, but the stories unfortunately lost motivation and drive in the second half, and finishing felt more like a chore. There were so many great lines and female narrators during that first section, and I loved MacLaughlin's decision to include modern-day language in some, while keeping others grounded in myth; this made the stories more diverse and entertaining, especially when the characters had such distinct voices. By the time I was roughly halfway in, though, the retellings and voices became somewhat monotonous.

The subversion and modernization of Ovid's myths follows the same pattern; the anger, the betrayal, the loss are palpable in every chapter, in every story, in every account of women's experiences, and make for a grim yet puzzling -as far as the mythological mold is concerned- short story collection.

If the folks in Ovid’s Metamorphoses were from New York and somewhat uncouth, they might sound like these retelling of their stories from MacLaughlin. Some of the reworking are fun in terms of humor and eroticism, but I didn’t really feel like these offered new insights or changed the relevance of the stories. There’s a lot of justifiable anger in the stories, but little in the way of new reckonings or new angles, Still, thiis collection might find a home in literature classes on adaptation or revisiting classical works.