This was such an accurate portrayal of the often complex relationship between mothers and daughters, but with the added twist of being a Hades/Persephone retelling. The myth of Persephone was one of my favorites growing up and I appreciated the nods to the origin story in this modern world. Cory and Emer were both flawed and realistic characters - beautiful, naive Cory who has the whole world at her feet and Emer, her mother who loves her more than anything, but in a way that can be overwhelming to Cory.

loved this author’s writing style and was fully immersed in the world she created. I loved how this story was told from Emer and Cory’s POV, though I did find Cory’s POV more engaging. I was fully captivated by and disgusted by Rolo. I kept wanting to see what would happen next and couldn’t put this down.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for a review copy.

I absolutely enjoyed Fruit of the Dead. The writing was incredible. I really enjoyed the shifting perspectives between Cory and her mom. Their mother/daughter relationship has it's imperfections which seem unique. They both have messes in their work and personal life that they have to deal with, and Emer's journey to find her daughter keeps you on your toes. I found the story to be a very interesting retelling of Persephone and Demeter.

"Fruit of the Dead" by Rachel Lyon is a modern and electrifying reimagining of the Persephone and Demeter myth, set against the backdrop of a lush private island. Cory Ansel, an aimless camp counselor, finds herself drawn into a complex web of power and addiction when she accepts a job offer from Rolo Picazo, a charismatic CEO with questionable intentions.

Lyon's writing is clever and fast-paced, seamlessly blending elements of Greek mythology with contemporary themes of independence and control. The alternating perspectives between Cory and her mother, Emer, add depth to the narrative, exploring the dynamics of love, family, and societal pressures. What makes this novel stand out is Lyon's ability to infuse mythic inspiration with modern relevance, capturing the essence of myth while addressing pertinent issues of our time.

Despite its dark undertones, "Fruit of the Dead" is a captivating read that vibrates with lush abandon and unexpected twists. Lyon's imaginative reinvention of Persephone and Demeter's tale makes this novel both haunting and ecstatic, sure to leave a lasting impression on readers.

I enjoyed this short but powerful novel because I learned so much more about the myth of Persephone and Demeter. I adored Rachel Lyon's first book SELF-PORTRAIT WITH BOY so I knew this was going to be something special. Lyon's writing in FRUIT OF THE DEAD is a bit off-kilter and unique. Sometimes it feels like a dream, sometimes it feels like a nightmare.

She takes us on a journey through Cory, a recent high school grad whisked away on the last day as a camp counselor by a mysterious and rich dad of a kid who took a liking to her. Without a college to go to, her promises her $20k for babysitting for the summer and she finds it impossible to say no. However, her mom (who she has a strained relationship with) is kept out of the loop and without much cell service and lots of passive aggression, she begins to spiral and decides if she needs to start searching for where her daughter went.

It's a terrifying tale, with a monstrous billionaire in the center of it representing the part of the devil. It's also a tale, of course, of the undying bond of a mother and a daughter. It reads more like a long-form poem with beautiful prose and you'll find yourself getting through it pretty quickly.

At the very beginning all I could think was this is how you do a Greek mythology retelling. I really loved Cory’s character and how she end up with Rolo. I thought that was a fun twist. Super cleaver with the names as well!
With the dual POV being Cory’s mother Emer, I kind of expected to dislike her as I tend to do with Demeter’s pov in Greek mythology. I found after getting through the “daughter of…” parts, I actually enjoyed the chaos of her chapters more. Didn’t like her character but did enjoy the ride.
The end did feel very rough to me, not only in how it came across but even just how dark it got. I would have like a bigger build into to darkness, because it sort of felt forced.
Definitely enjoyed it over all. The writing was super cleaver and fast paced. 3.75⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner and the author for this ACR.

3.5 stars
i was so ready for this slightly trippy literary coming-of-age novel to become my new brand but i wish it fully embraced the surreal aspects it was advertised to have. Lyon is a great writer and the story was engaging but I felt like it didn’t wrap up quite as I hoped

Blog:
I’ve seen some reviews from folks who entered this book clearly not knowing anything about the myth of Demeter and Persephone. I think that’s a mistake. Knowing the myth helps you know what vibes to expect from this book at least. It helps match the book properly with the readers who might enjoy it. So if you’re not already familiar, take a moment to read a quick summary. Ok. This is not a romance. This is a story of a young girl who gets abducted by the literal god of the underworld and tricked into eating something while there that will make her always have to return. It’s also the story of her mother’s desperate quest to find her.

This is a modern retelling devoid of fantasy. It takes the myth and places it in our modern world. Hades is a pharmaceutical company executive. A billionaire. He’s currently going through a legal battle to do with his very addictive pain pills. (He’s clearly an allusion to the Sackler family.) Personally, I loved the choice of a billionaire drug pusher as the stand-in for Hades.

Persephone is Cory. A just barely turned 18-year-old whose high-achieving mother wants desperately for her to go to college but who did not get in anywhere she applied. She and her mother are not getting along right now. (There are reasons for this rift beyond college that are a spoiler and are revealed later in the book.) She goes to be a camp counselor where she went to summer camp in essentially a huff. At the end of summer camp, the father of one of the children shows up to pick up the child and asks her to come to his private island to nanny the son and a daughter for a month. She has to sign an NDA. She cannot tell her mother where, exactly she is. This is the getting ripped into the underworld bit. nstead of the pomegranate seeds, what Cory is given is, naturally, the pain killing drugs. Her mother, after a bit of time and one very weird phone call, cannot shake the feeling something is wrong, and drops everything to go after her daughter. It’s kind of Taken but with a mom.

I really enjoyed the vibes of this book. It oozed danger even when nothing super insidious was happening. While things do escalate, for a lot of the book it’s not that anything is technically wrong, it just feels wrong. It’s an art form to be able to mimic that gut reaction in fiction. This was one of the stronger parts of the book. I also really enjoyed a part where different plot points came together in what one could have called a coincidence, but also could be called the gods interfering. It was astutely (and kindly) done.

However. This book chose to never use quotation marks for dialogue. Not once. This is a stream of consciousness writing technique. It’s becoming more common in modern books, although you can also see it in James Joyce, for instance. The reasons given by modern authors – like “removing the hierarchy between author and reader” – frankly make me raise my eyebrows in doubtful question. (It sounds like something a dinner party guest of Frasier’s would suggest.) It strikes me as a full-of-oneself literary technique that just forces the reader to work harder. What’s wrong with reading quickly and with easy interpretation? I found it quite distracting in this book. I had to re-read certain passages to try to figure out who said what and whether it was a thought or actually spoken out loud.

Of course the Persephone and Demeter myth is dark. It stands to reason that Hades forces himself on Persephone, and this book doesn’t shy away from that. So there are two sexual assaults. One is described as a memory. The other is described in the moment as the character is living it. There’s also a child sexual assault hinted at in flashbacks but not described in any detail. It’s more that the character is remembering how she felt when it happened than what actually happened. Finally, there’s a self-injury described.

I realize that in the myth Persephone is doomed to return to Hades for half the year forever. This can be a tricky thing to address in an updated retelling. But some aspect of what next could have been addressed. I would like to have seen just a hint of how the mother/daughter were going to try to work through this, even if they might not be successful.

Overall, this is an interesting modern retelling of the Persephone and Demeter myth. It admirably writes pharmaceutical companies as the underworld and a CEO billionaire as their god. Potential readers should be aware that this is a dark story, not a romance. It contains sexual assault. Some readers may not enjoy the complete lack of quotation marks. Recommended to readers interested in modern day retellings of mythology.

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A contemporary retelling of a Greek myth? Yes, please! Ok, so Fruit of the Dead is not O Brother Where Art Thou. For one thing, it's a retelling of Persephone and Demeter, not The Odyssey. But, on the other hand, that means women and women's voices are centered. Toss in a pharmaceutical billionaire CEO as Hades (aka the god of the underworld), and it almost made up for the lack of bluegrass music. (almost) See my book blog (linked in profile) for my full review.
Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
#bookalicious #booksinthewild #avidreader #whatimreading #bookrec #mythologyretelling

GoodReads:
Overall, this is an interesting modern retelling of the Persephone and Demeter myth. It admirably writes pharmaceutical companies as the underworld and a CEO billionaire as their god. Potential readers should be aware that this is a dark story, not a romance. It contains sexual assault. Some readers may not enjoy the complete lack of quotation marks. Recommended to readers interested in modern day retellings of mythology.
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

I love a Persephone retelling, I’ve been obsessed with her story since I was middle grade age and reading fanfics. I had such high hopes for this book but unfortunately it really missed the mark. I found myself super bored most of the time and I had to really work to get through it. Obviously the father made me feel gross and wanted to fist fight him on that boat but other then that I honestly didn’t care what was happening. I can totally see why this is super popular with some readers and I’m so glad that it has found a great audience even though it just missed the mark for me. Thank you NetGally and Scribner (my 🖤) for the ARC of this. Y’all rock!

I just requested our library purchase this book for our collection. This is everything I want in a book plus more. Rachel kept me from cleaning my house because I couldn't put this book down!

An update on Greek mythology's tale of Persephone, Demeter, and Hades, though the plot still works for those not familiar with the myth. In Lyon's version, Persephone becomes camp counselor Cory, a floundering NYC teen who didn't get into any of the colleges she applied to and doesn't know what she'll do after graduation. Goddess of grain Demeter becomes agricultural executive Emer, and Hades becomes Rolo, an affable middle-aged dad who grew deliriously wealthy manufacturing a potent new painkiller. When his kid's camp session ends, Rolo persuades Cory to come work for him on his private island ... and then refuses to let her leave, or even call her mom, but softens the blow with regular doses of his company's flagship pharmaceutical. I was curious to see how Lyon might creatively translate the ancient myth for our modern times, but ultimately found this tale of a Sackler-like man exploiting a naive teenage girl pretty bleak.

thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

full review to come.

I loved this book - amazing contemporary retelling of the Persephone and Demeter myth. I think this will be a really book to add to an Olympics book display!

This modern-retelling of the myth of Persephone and Demeter packs in more than just an exploration of a mother-daughter relationship. The grey area between adulthood and childhood, the ethics of business, the struggle of motherhood, addiction, gender power imbalance, sexuality, and spirituality all play key roles in this story.

Cory is 18 years old, working as a camp counselor, and aimlessly wandering through life. When the wealthy father of one of her campers asks her to nanny for him, she rashly signs an NDA and is whisked off to live on his private island. She fails to tell her plans to her mother, Emer, who quickly becomes worried for her daughter's safety. Emer sets off on a mission to find her daughter, all the while Cory is trying to find herself.

I didn't know the myth of Persephone and Demeter before reading this book (I just knew about the Persephone/Hades part, thanks dark romance), so I looked it up afterwards. It was really cool how well Lyons paid tribute to and wove the myth into this modern coming-of-age story. I thought she did a great job developing all of the characters while keeping the plot moving and the sense of urgency strong.

There were some literary choices that I didn't quite understand, such as the lack of any quotation marks during the dialogue and the stream-of-consciousness pacing. I also didn't get why Emer's POV was first person and Cory's POV was third person. Was there some symbolism regarding how Cory was lost and hadn't found herself? I don't know. I enjoyed Emer's POV more, and it probably had to do with the fact that her voice felt stronger.

I enjoyed this one more than I expected to! Thanks so much to @netgalley and @scribnerbooks for the #gifted eARC!

I'm so disappointed in this book.

Cory's character is ridiculous. The whole thing with her just going merrily along with this man she doesn't know, who won't even let her return to the camp to get her belongings? C'mon.

I hate books that don't use quotation marks for dialogue. I don't want to struggle to figure out if the person is speaking aloud, thinking, or if it's narration.

Then I got to the mother's POV, and I didn't like her at all, either.

I wasn't connecting to the writing or anything about this story.

DNF at page 50

I'm not sure how to feel about this. I liked it, I didn't love it. There were some bits of character development that verged on the humorous, but they ended up making me dislike basically everyone, haha. Now! That being said, that is not enough to make me dislike a book or regret a reading experience. I think this is a fresh take, super fun, and niche. I might not be the intended audience, but I can see younger women in their 20s eating this up (or, alternatively, a TV series would be so messy and weird and fun).

A modern-day bildungsroman of Grecian mythological proportions. The slow-building dread of this plot is second-to-none. It's an accident waiting to happen that you can't look away from. And why would you want to? Rachel Lyons' prose positively sparkles. The story is streamlined, tense, swift-moving.

I loved that Cory's narrative was juxtaposed with her mother Emer's. Cory is a traumatized, reckless, defiant girl. Emer is bewildered by her daughter, disenchanted by her career, and swiftly unravelling. Anyone who has ever been a mother or a daughter will recognize themselves somewhere throughout the course of this book. Their fraught relationship twisted my heart.

Our villain is a deeply, deliciously unsettling character who made my skin crawl from his first appearance through his last. Rolo Picazo is lecherous, controlling, manipulative, and exudes an oily, avuncular charm that makes me shudder just thinking about it. My revulsion is, in part, because he is so realistically written. Such men exist. They are not even uncommon. Hades, indeed.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS BELOW:

Knowing this story was loosely based upon the Greek legend of the goddess Persephone, I wondered what would stand in for the fateful pomegranate seed.

Granadone. A drug. How utterly brilliant and so absurdly obvious I was annoyed I didn't guess it earlier. Rolo's evasive response to Cory's query about its addictive qualities made my stomach sink.

The queen of the underworld must return.

This book had a lot of potential, but felt lackluster in comparison to the mythology it is based upon. It started off so promising and pulled me in (similar to the antagonist), but failed to deliver fully on its seductive promise.

I will stress that this one was a reimagining and not a retelling, so it definitely doesn’t require interest in mythology. It was more of a coming-of-age/ bad decisions novel on one end and mama bear on the other side. The plot moved slowly but it worked well overall. I think I’m generationally in the middle of both the characters which made it a bit harder to relate to. That didn’t stop me from audibly saying “red flag” as the 18 yo was being manipulated though.

Thank you so much to Scribner books for the ARC!

After seeing this all over my TikTok fyp, I was super excited to start reading. However, this book was not for me. I didn’t love the writing style and I also felt like FMC was too inconsistent in her characterization.

I am fascinated by Persephone and this book deepened that fascination. Lyon holds true but also adds so much to this story. This is a fever dream of a retelling and I didn't want to wake up.