If you enjoyed Elizabeth Acevedo's Poet X and Clap When You Land, you will enjoy this story in verse. Based on the author's family history, this captivating story told through letters and the main character's narration gives an interesting perspective on immigration and independence. The tale is beautifully woven and though the author takes the liberty of changing some facts to better fit the story, it is an excellent story.

4 stars!

thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Call Me Athena is a coming of age story and a love story. It is written in verse, and although I'm not the biggest fan of poetry, I enjoyed it. A few of the poems that especially stood out to me were really beautiful. The commentary on being born to immigrant parents was very apt as well. Overall, this was a nice read !

This book was a beautiful journey to discovery and womanhood. I never usually read books written in verse. But, I wanted to try something new with this one and I wasn't disappointed. CALL ME ATHENA was so beautifully written. If a book could be a warm cup of tea during a rainstorm, that cup of tea would be this book. I laughed, cried, and even though it's been many years past where the book takes place, I found myself relating to the female character's experience in coming into strong womanhood.

Anyone who is hesitant to read this book, think again. Step out and pick this book up. You won't be disappointed.

ONE-SENTENCE REVIEW
Call Me Athena is like a sad song that I can’t help but listen to even though it makes me sad because it touches my soul and gives me a sliver of truth.

I had the opportunity to both read and listen to Call Me Athena. The audiobook and e-book are in Read Now and Listen Now and since I rarely listen to audiobooks, I thought it would be better if I have a written version of the book as well. It was a good decision on my part. Because Call Me Athena is written in verse and I wouldn’t have known that if I only listened to it. I love the narration did in the audiobook. Yes, it also sounded poetic and very dramatic. I really liked it. The narrator did a great job. But seeing the words written in verse also gave me a satisfying feeling because I generally love poetry.

Call Me Athena is historical fiction. It is based on the life of Mary, the author’s grandmother. We are told the story of Mary as the daughter of a Greek and French immigrant struggling to make a life in 1930s Detroit. I say it over and over, I’m no fan of history, but there is always a story, a peek in the past, that captures my attention, heart, and soul. Since I’m not so familiar with the history, I can only say that the author painted a very vivid picture of how the immigrants used to live during the Great Depression and war. It was a hard part of history, and the author indeed showed that through Mary’s eyes.

Mary’s personal life is no rainbows. Her struggles and dreams and hopes were so very real, it was hard to read or listen to her sometimes. And indeed, it is fitting that this story is written in verse, because Mary’s life is poetry. Her story will remain in me for a long, long time. Even though she lived in a dark times, I couldn’t help but find hope in her story. She gives me hope. It’s like listening to a very sad song, it makes you cry but it also gives you an unexplainable joy because touches your soul.

But this book has three point of views and I loved that it is this way. It is great to see the world through the eyes of Mary and her two siblings. I didn’t just get to sympathize with Mary, but also with the whole community of immigrants that I will never meet. The other two perspectives are very important to the story and added some elements that really made the whole book rise to the next level. I love it. Also, the three characters with point of views are so distinctive from each other, I never had a problem recognizing whose POV I’m reading or listening to.

Overall, this book is just amazing. I think everyone, no matter what their preferences in reading are will enjoy this book.

"On Sundays
we kiss things.
The golden chalice
of his lips."

My favourite lines from this novel in verse, though there are many more I had to jot down in my little reading journal. I'm always surprised at how efficiently novels-in-verse can tell a whole story with a minimal word count (though I'd still prefer a full-length novel or a novelette because of the enhanced emotional pay-off). In this case, two historical romances are told in one tale. There definitely was some cultural investigation concerning details of Greek family life going on prior to writing this, but I'm not a big fan of first writing out words in Greek script, then transliterating them, then translating them into English. But I'm being picky here, Call Me Athena was a lovely, quick read.

This cover pulled me in. Call Me Athena was my first novel in verse, and I can say it didn't disappoint. Don't let the size of this book scare you, it's a quick read.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC of Call Me Athena.

A young adult, historical fiction, coming-of-age, novel-in-verse--what a unique combination
Beautiful writing, immigration, war, sickness, loss, and young love

Mary is the daughter of a French mother and Greek father living in Detroit during The Great Depression where she is expected to act as a “Good Greek Girl” as she comes of age. Mary’s opinions collide with her parents’ as she longs to work and choose her partner, and her father arranges a marriage with an older man and expects her to be a young housewife. In the midst of this turmoil at home, Detroit sees racial and class conflict around her, including factory worker protests.

The novel-in-verse moves between Mary’s point-of-view in 30s US and WWI times in France and Greece when her parents are younger. Both timelines include poverty and sacrifice due to economic depression and war.

Overall, I highly recommend Call Me Athena to both teens and adults if you enjoy historical fiction and novels-in-verse.

A beautifully told story across generations that highlights the hardship of immigration and the roles of women in the first decades of the 20th century. We might Mary, the American-born daughter of Greek/French immigrants in the first years of the 1930s as the Great Depression is taking its heavy toll on people. She wants to experience the freedom America offers and break away from the strict roles being a 'good Greek daughter' dictates. We also hear the stories of Gio and Jean, her Greek and French father and mother, and how it was that they met and ended up in Detroit. It's a story told in three very different voices that beautifully connects the dots through hardship, loss, bravery, and love. The cultural elements are strong because they play an important element in the story, but the encouraging and inspiring story is universal.
I'd never heard of a novel in verse, but I'm delighted to have discovered it thanks to this beautiful book by Colby Cedar Smith and I'll happily sing its praises to anyone who will listen.

Extremely happy thanks to Andrews McMeel Audio, Andrews McMeel Publishing for the extremely enjoyable read/listen!

CALL ME ATHENA was a beautifully written novel in verse telling three intertwined stories of 16-year-old Mary and of her immigrant parents when they were her age. Smith's poetry is full of emotion -- heartbreak, love, hope -- that is delivered with incredible imagery. This book would pair well with other books about immigration, and would fit well into classroom libraries or added to classroom curriculum.

I quite enjoyed this book. Colby Cedar Smith is quite a talent. I'm not the biggest fan of books in verse but I really enjoyed its usage in CALL ME ATHENA, a testament to the author's talent. The tale woven about WWII and life in Detroit was stunning and filled with detail and all of the characters were so very realistic. I really enjoyed CALL ME ATHENA and I can't wait to read more books from Colby Cedar Smith in the future.

This was such a nice and strong story. I like that it was written in verse, because it made the story very straight to the point. In general I found it interesting to read about WWI, I usually come across ones written about WWII. It was even more interesting to read it from two entirely different POVs.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this e-ARC. All opinions are my own.

Written in verse, this story is loosely based off of her grandmother Mary, of whom she includes pictures at the end. This is a story about family, grift, loss, and strength.

Set firstly 1930’s Detroit, Michigan, the reader follows Mary who is a Greek-American teenager describing what she sees and experiences at the tail-end of the Great Depression. She is supposed to be a “good Greek girl” but starts to try to voice what she wants for her life. One day she finds a box of letters and doesn’t know who the people who wrote them are. This then brings in two other characters, Gio and Jeanne, who wrote the letters back in WWI.

Gio is in Greece when WWI breaks out. When an unfortunate event takes place, Gio must flee. He ends up in the United States and when he is caught as a stowaway on a ship, he is entered into the Army and shipped to France to fight in the war. At the same time we are following Jeanne, who is in France when her father, a doctor, leaves to help in WWI. She starts volunteering at a hospital to help wounded soldiers. She then encounters Gio at the hospital when he is wounded. They start to develop feelings for each other right as they are separated—Gio is sent back to fight, Jeanne sent to a convent. They are reunited again when Gio is discharged at the end of the war. This is a love story where love prevails. A family story about staying together during hard times. This is a beautiful story that I recommend to everyone.

Let me start off by saying this book made me weep. On multiple occasions. Thanks for that.

I was initially drawn to this book because Detroit. I grew up in metro-Detroit and spent time going downtown at different point in my life. I love to see a city that I love reflected in a story that appreciates the magic of what makes it unique. And this book really gives us a glimpse of what it was like in the 1930s. I wasn’t quite in the mood for a historical read at the time, but I was so glad I picked it up. This story blew me away.

Call Me Athena is a novel in verse that tells the story of sixteen-year-old Mary, the daughter of immigrants, who was brought up to be a good Greek girl in an America that is suffering at the hands of the Great Depression, sexism, racism, and xenophobia. But Mary doesn’t want to be what her parents expect; she wants to be a modern American woman. She struggles to be docile and is brash and bold compared to her twin sister. Mary’s parents want her to marry an older man because his money will help the family, but she is already in love with a boy who drives a shiny Ford Cabriolet.

When Mary finds letters from the war hidden away in her family’s cellar, Gio and Jeanne enter the story in periodical flashbacks to the Great War. Gio lives in Greece, until an accident forces him to flee to America. Jeanne works as a Red Cross nurse in France. While Mary’s story is the most prominent, Gio and Jeanne are interwoven at the perfect times to highlight the duality of their lives and Mary’s experiences. All three experience familial loss, first love, and grappling with the expectations of what they need to do versus what they want to do.

One of the things that I liked most about Call Me Athena was the authenticity, mostly because the story is loosely based on the author’s grandmother’s life. 1930s Detroit felt real, especially when I could picture places that I’ve been– like the Fox Theater and Belle Isle.

This is the type of book I would have devoured in junior high school, so it’s particularly great for middle grades but great for anyone with a Michigan and/or historical interest. Since it’s in verse, the narrative moves quickly, but you may want to slow down at some points to feel how beautiful some of the words actually are. The audiobook is also a great option because Mary, Gio, and Jeanne are all voiced by different actors, which really helps establish them as different characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange of an honest review! All opinions are my own.

At first I was afraid to try this book. I don’t like verse even in my native language, so I was sceptical about trying it in English (I even got both the digital e-book and audiobook!). Nevertheless as a history lover, I couldn’t miss this chance to read the story. The book has 2 time periods and 3 POVs. The first one is Mary, who lives in Detroit during the Great Depression. Mary is conflicted – her environment wants her to be a ‘good Greek daughter’, but she wants to be a modern American women – date whoever she wants and even help with business! The other storylines focus on Marys parents: Gio a Greek and Jeanne from France. Their story starts together with World War 1 and shows how they both grow up and meat each other.

This book was a very quick read (I switched between audio and e-book) written in beautiful verse. I especially liked the fact that it was based on the authors grandmothers life. I would have liked to learn more about all the characters, but it is an amazing story! 4 stars

Colby Cedar Smith took me on a beautiful journey and I loved every second of it. Historical fiction just always hits and this book solidified why it is one of my favourite genres. A sweeping story across time and generations ? Sign me up. Also i’m having a great reading month so far so *cross toes* that it continues.

Call Me Athena follows a young woman, Mary, as she struggles for independence and identity as the daughter of Greek and French immigrants in 1930s Detroit. Mary yearns for true love, to have a career of her own, to become a modern American woman much to the frustration of her parents who want her to be a ‘good greek girl’. Told in verse, this novel captures the perspectives of three narrators, Mary in 1930s USA and Gio and Jeanne’s in WW1 , and delivers a powerful message of love, grief, courage and most importantly, hope.


Aahhh this book just made me feel many things and I'm still thinking about it. I was angry ,I laughed , I swooned , and probably would have cried if i had tears left. The lyrical verse perfectly carried this story and breathed life into the narratives of the characters. The story, which was loosely based on the author’s own family , tells the story of being an immigrant in America so beautifully, detailing the reality of being in the land of the free but chained and struggling at almost every turn. The yearning for a life of your own and choices of your own in a world that doesn't make room for you because of your background or your gender. Mary was a captivating character to read from , I was rooting for her right from the beginning and felt myself cheering for her at every obstacle. All of the characters in the book had depth to them and this helped make their stories so much more engaging and made their actions more understandable. I don’t know how to talk about this book other than discussing my favourite moments so I will now get onto that.

This book comes out 17 August 2021 and I think everyone should pick it up if you enjoy historical fiction and stories told in verse. I cant wait to buy it so I can go back and relive all my favourite moments and poems ☺️

**Okay now for some maybe spoilery gushing**


Billy and Mary were so freaking cute, i just bookmarked i think all of their moments because seeing Mary happy just made me so happy. Their first kiss, her in that green dress, when he dropped her off in the car - I JUST LOVED THEM. Seeing her parents, Jeanne and Gio’s story really gave them so much depth and allowed for them to be humans and people instead of these caricature immigrant parent characters. You really got to understand the way they were now and the things they had gone through.Reading from their perspectives and their love story was lovely and I love them so much and just wanted to protect them. im so happy and relieved that Mary got to live the life she wanted to and have the love she wanted and a career of her own, just ugghh so happy for her and mostly just pleased that the author didn't give me a devastating ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Colby Cedar smith for the eArc and the opportunity to read this lovely story.

#CallMeAthena #NetGalley

Detroit. Greece. France. How do the stories of people from each of these countries intertwin? What do Ford, fishing ships and hospitals by the seas have in common?

Colby Cedar Smith’s novel weaves it together in a tapestry that includes Greek mythology, World War II and Henry Ford’s combusting and re-melding of Detroit. Smith’s novel is written in verse, and initially, I wasn’t sure how I would take to it. It didn’t work as well for me in audiobook format, which is what I started with, but when I read the book, my brain was able to form a cadence for the verse.

So many of Smith’s lines lifted off of the page and the imagery was rich. I enjoyed learning about Detroit during the Great Depression and how Ford both made and broke people in the city. I made mental notes to look up several of the events mentioned, as well as Diego Rivera’s exhibit that is mentioned in the book.

I enjoyed reading the author’s note at the end about her inspiration for writing the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In 1930s Detroit, the daughter of immigrants struggles for independence from her family and dreams of marrying the boy she loves.

Beautiful poems weave the stories of three teenagers, each trying to find their way in a difficult world: Mary in 1934 and her parents in 1915. As their stories begin to intertwine, the reader sees not only the parallels in the lives of teenagers in the 1910s and 1930s (and today) but also comes to better understand the dynamics of the family--even as the family comes to better understand each other. The story has its sad moments, but what ultimately shines through is love, hope, and determination. A riveting story that will delight YA fans of novels in verse and/or historical fiction.

I loved this book! I didn't know going into it that it was inspired by the author's own family, so once I read through the author's note at the end, that made the entire story resonate even more than it already had. The verse was used very well to move between the three main story threads. It was a story that featured so much tragedy throughout but also ended on such a hopeful note. Knowing that it is based off a true story and that the author's grandmother went on to achieve some of her dreams was so inspiring. I highly recommend it, especially to fans of novels in verse and family memoirs.

TW: war violence, blood

Call me Athena is about a young girls struggle to find herself, be herself and understand her past. Mary is from a Greek family who wants to marry her off and have her behave like a nice Greek girl. Mary has other plans.

I both listened and read this book and preferred the reading. The audio was a tad dramatic and over the top for me. I also liked seeing the interspersed letters in the text.

I selected this book because of the cover which is beautiful and I’ve been on a YA jag lately,

It was nice to hear a new perspective and would be interested to hear more from this author.

Thanks to #netGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

3.5 stars

Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit by Colby Cedar Smith
Publication Date: August 17, 2021
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Thank you to @netgalley @andrewmcmeel for the ALC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Digging it! So, my first book for August. AND, my first novel in verse! Who am I? I’m still finding out new ways to enjoy books. How amazing is that? This was actually loosely based on the author’s maternal grandmother. Set in the 1930s, the story was about Mary and her family who emigrated from Greece to Detroit. There were two timelines, one during Mary’s time and the other were about her parents’ childhood in Greece and France. I just enjoyed how Mary and her parents’ young lives paralleled each other, and how the timelines captured the different yet similar perspectives between the characters. I appreciated how the sacrifices to emigrate, the Great Depression, riots and hunger strikes were portrayed so well. A book about equality, cultural identity and struggle for independence as a woman.