If there is something wrong with this book it's that it is simply too short for my taste.

I was really excited at the idea of a story focusing on the relationship of Demeter and Persephone. I didn't particularly care about the contemporary trappings of the myth, or that Hades would have to be present out of necessity. I don't even think that the actual narrative of the book is all that different than the synopsis, just that the book I built in my head was different than the one I actually read.

So even with that disclaimer, I don't think this book really works. We start the book meeting Cory, fresh off a summer working at a camp the wealthy father of the boy she was comforting on the last day talks her into being a nanny for his children for the next sixish weeks and in exchange she'll get 20k. Usually when characters in books are offered a life changing amount of money, and for Cory who desperately wants to leave her mother and have a gap year with only the savings from camp to go on, she readily accepts and is whisked off to the gated community our Hades-esque character calls home.

Emer, Cory's mother, is the face of a agricultural situation. What it was supposed to be exactly went over my head, other than they had funded this genetically modified rice that was meant to be able to produce more than regular rice? It might also be nutritionally fortified... Honestly it doesn't matter because this whole set up really only exists to let us know that she's been focused on her work and rubbing shoulders with Senators and former Presidents in relation to this business at the start of the book. Then in a nod to the original myth I suppose the dubbed Magic Rice fails to yield anything for the farmers in China they've been working with, she gets a lot of negative media attention for this all as she realizes that Cory has taken a mysterious new job and didn't come home after camp.

The narrative bounces back and forth from there, us seeing Cory as a nanny in a situation that feels like the reader is trapped in a fun house mirror and her mother one step behind trying to reunite with her daughter.

In a way this was probably what I should have seen coming, but I just wanted more from this mother/daughter story. Most of what we see of their relationship is in small moments of flashbacks. In the present I wasn't invested in either storyline. Like I said at the start I think that the narrative would have benefited from being a little longer. Partly because their reunification is so easy? I dunno. it just never clicked into place for me.

I'll also say that there's a scene in the book near the end that feels sexually dubious at best... It was personally giving assault to me, but I'm unsure if that was how the moment was meant to play out. Partially because the book does this thing where it wants to end on this note of maybe Cory will leave her mother again and return to this wealthy pharmaceutical ceo even though there was nothing compelling about their relationship and he did give off assaulter vibes.

I'm sad that this didn't work out for me in quite the ways I hoped, but I'm sure there's an audience for this one. Just don't ask me who it is.

The cover and the title are awesome. I wanted to like this, but the writing style isn't doing it for me. I would potentially tryout something else by this author, or maybe try this book in the future after it is published, but for now I am going to have to pass on this one.

A weird, poetic, and claustrophobic book filled with dreamy prose and bad decisions. Based of the Greek Myth of the mother/daughter duo of Persephone and Demeter, Fruit of the Dead follows a 18 year-old cap counselor Cory and her mix up with a wealthy father of one of the campers. She is ripped from her world and jetted off to a remote island to nanny for the man's two kids, all while her mom is trying to move the world to bring her back home.

This was such a weird and ominous read that goes into the 'fever dream' category for sure. While sometimes hard to follow without quotations and the muddled timeline, it was still such an interesting and gripping read based off a harrowing Greek Mythology.

I received this ARC thanks to Netgalley prior to its release date of March 5th, 2024. A literary retelling of the Demeter and Persephone tale, Rachel Lyon paints two brilliant binaries-- the story of Cory, a directionless, listless, anxious 18-year-old who is whisked away from her summer camp gig to a private island owned by a pharmaceutical bigshot told in tandem with the story of Emer, the workaholic, well-meaning mother of Cory who is facing the downfall of her career. Rolo-- the pharmaceutical bigshot in question-- is enigmatic, twisted, controlling, and elusive. He cuts Cory off from the world she once knew, much to the panic of her mother, who is willing to move heaven and earth to get to her daughter.
I highly recommend reading up on the mythology of Persephone and Demeter before reading this book. I waited until after, but I wish I would have read up on it before. I think it would have changed the experience all in all. I think that Rachel Lyon's writing was great. She has beautiful prose that I truly enjoyed. The story is told from two different perspectives, and I've got to say that I enjoyed Cory's more. My eyes started glazing over slightly during Emer's chapters. I enjoyed the witty connections that Rachel Lyons included that tie in well with the mythology without overkill. The story of interesting, though at times I felt it became a little monotonous.
Overall, the story was interesting and beautifully written. A unique spin on a classic tale. I

The writing structure was not the type that I typically enjoy. I needed more dialogue among the characters. I also feel that I would have enjoyed it more if I was familiar with the myth. I will still recommend this, especially for those that enjoy contemporary myth retellings, but it was not for me.

This is such a wild ride - I appreciate the dual perspective of this mythic retelling in a modern setting. I think the characters were well enough laid out and flowed into the story well. A theme I found interesting juxtaposition of the pharmaceutical industry vs the more humanitarian fields and how maybe not so different they are when you take a look at their operational underbelly.

But more broadly this isn’t for everyone but for a literary fiction vibe of a mythical story it was pretty enjoyable. Definitely worth checking some trigger warnings.

I am a huge fan of mytjol9gy and retellings. The cover on this was also badass, so I thought this would be right up my alley. Unfortunately, that did not end .up being the case. I really didn't care for the writing style. I also didn't find the characters or plot interesting. I was very disappointed but I'm sure there will be others this resonates with better.

Very disappointed that I just could not get into this. The beginning felt clunky and odd. I know the Greek mythology but maybe I'll pick this up for a reread so I can get a feel for the flow of the plot.

In Fruit of the Dead, Cory is recently 18 and working at her summer camp with no Fall college or gap year plans locked down. She does think twice, but decides to take an impromptu job offer with the extremely wealthy father of one of her favorite campers. She quickly signs an NDA and is whisked off to a private island. There is limited communication access and she neglects to truly explain to her mother Emer where she is and what she is doing.
Much like the mythology, this book is based upon, Emer is a true force of nature and has great misgivings about what has happened to her daughter. It isn't long before her search for her daughter sets off a chain of events that will impact much more than their small family of two.

While you do not need to know the mythology behind the story of Demeter and Persephone, knowing it adds a beautiful layer of complexity to this beguiling story. Rachel Lyon has rewritten the myth for contemporary times, mirroring some of the most talked about issues in this poor girl meets rich man story. Every connection to the original myth is so creative, so witty, I will recommend it highly and reread it soon! If you like greek myth retellings, stories of young adults finding their way, or just want to visit the private island of a billionaire, Fruit of the Dead is for you!
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