This book just wasn't for me. Throughout the book it just felt like it was lacking, and seemed a bit boring at times. The plot and characters didn't;t really appeal to me. The plot was very slow to develop and made it feel like some aspects of the book we just being dragged out

I enjoyed it. It's not my favourite version/retelling of Hades and Persephone. Hades is a way to chill a guy for one. second, I'm aware that Hades is her uncle, but her calling him uncle half the time is weird when this is supposed to be a romance.

I've been looking for a Hades & Persephone story that feels like this for a long time. So many recent H & P retellings focus too much on sex and romance, and not enough on *Persephone*.

Girl, Goddess, Queen is about Persephone. Yes, there is a romance between her and Hades, but this book's focus is on the girl herself, and of her own internal journey. I loved it.

There is a lot to discuss here- the complicated relationship between a mother who wants to protect and a daughter who feels smothered by that protection, a young woman coming into her power, a beautiful romance between two people who heal from their trauma together. This book will resonate with a lot of people, I think, but especially with the daughters who have spent a lifetime staying small and are ready to come into their own.

My only critique is that this was, at times, a bit dull. There's room for a more complex plot here, if the author had taken the time to explore it. The focus is on Hades & Persephone's relationship, which is fine, but I would have liked it better if more things happened.

Ultimately though, 4 stars, and I'll be recommending this everywhere. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge Persephone and Hades fan and was so excited to receive a copy of "Girl, Goddess, Queen" by Bea Fitzgerald. I had recently seen Hadestown on Broadway and wanted another fix of one of my favorite Greek Myths. I was thrilled to discover that this story isn’t your typical gloomy retelling, but something even better – it’s snarky, smart, and engaging. I read it in one night – a total book hangover!

Without giving away too much of the plot, Persephone defies her parents, Zeus and Demeter, to dodge an arranged marriage by escaping to the Underworld. She crashes into Hades’ world like a tsunami, and their relationship dynamic is hilarious and entertaining. It’s an enemy-fake lovers-to-something deeper like love-story, sprinkled with amazing chemistry, all while challenging the patriarchy of Mount Olympus and the Gods’ status quo. You go girl! This is exactly the type of YA book we need! If you love smart, unstoppable girls, brooding guys with heart, and a kick-ass retelling of Persephone and Hades, then this book is for you. Highly recommend!

As a big Greek mythology nerd, I’m always drawn to retellings, especially when they center around Persephone and Hades. Naturally, I was excited to pick this one up.

Unfortunately, this retelling didn’t quite work for me. It took several tries to get through it, which is rare for me as a reader. I found myself bored at times, which was disappointing given the premise. The book felt overly long, and the inclusion of a miscommunication trope made it feel even more drawn out.

That said, I did appreciate the themes of girl power and the portrayal of Kore as someone struggling to break free from the expectations of being a dutiful daughter and future bride. That aspect was compelling, just not enough to carry the whole story for me.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Being a HUGE fan of the Persephone and Hades myth, I'm always up to reading a re-imagining, and this one did not disappoint. Persephone aka Kore at the start of the book is iconic with a voice of her own. She's willing to make sacrifices and literally leap into the unknown to escape a life married to a god like her father, Zeus. Over the course of the book we see her come into her full potential, her powers and love while trying her best to outsmart her parents to get what she wants. There's a marriage of convenience storyline and some great twists and turns, so I would highly rec this book. It gave the vibe that there may be a sequel, but if not, I'm content with it being a standalone.

I really enjoyed this book! An interesting and new genre for me--the retake on the mythology story was so interesting. I don't know a lot about mythology in the first place, so I learned from reading this as well! Thoughtful descriptions and strong world-building throughout.

Will NEVER and I repeat NEVER get tired of Persephone and Hades retelling.

GIVE THEM TO MEEEEE

Angry I slept on this book.

Characters are light and the romance is cute. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!??

3.5/5 stars

I had fun reading this Persephone and Hades re-telling. We follow Kore, Demeter's daughter as she flees to Hell to demand shelter from Hades and to escape the forced marriage that her mother and Zeus were arranging for her. We join her on her journey from girl to goddess to queen - as she figures out who she is, what she is meant to be, and she takes power for herself in the Underworld. I just loved the overall theme of a woman fighting to escape the box that society has painted her into. She's taking back the narrative! Persephone and Hades, my dumb idiots I love them.

One issue that I had with this was that the language and tone could be jarring from one scene to the next. Although this deals with heavy topics such as misogyny and rape, there were times when Persephone still has the naivete of a young girl. I felt that the tone was thus not consistent throughout the book. This definitely skews young adult despite the mild sexual content.

Netgalley and Sourcebooks provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a big fan of Greek retellings, this book was a fun introduction to the world of Hades and Persephone for me. I especially loved the banter throughout—it added a great spark to the story. Styx completely stole the show as my favorite character!

That said, the miscommunication trope is one I personally can’t stand, and it played a big role here, which took away from my enjoyment. There were also moments of repetitive dialogue that dragged the pace a bit.

Overall, it’s a fresh spin on a classic myth with some great moments, but a few of my least favorite tropes kept it from being a higher-rated read.

Girl Goddess Queen was a unique Greek retelling for young readers. I'm overjoyed to see more mainstream myth retellings in the YA space. They've dominated the adult market for years. The choice of Kore/Persephone's myth was apt for a young audience. I loved that this novel gave her more autonomy inside her own story than the traditional myth. The characters were well-realized, and I enjoyed Hades especially.

My main complaint is the length. The narration bogged down the narrative momentum in many places. In dialogue heavy scenes, there were often large paragraphs between different characters' dialogue. I thought a lot of that could've been pared down. It felt like the author couldn't trust the reader with a few well-chose details, and instead made the consequences and background of every moment very, very clear (too clear, in my opinion).

Still, I think this story will resonate well with young readers, and I'm glad to see it.

4.5 stars. Such a great retelling of the story of Persephone and Hades. I love all of the characters, besides Zeus, and it was SO funny.

Overview: You may think you know the story of Persephone and Hades, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Persephone was never kidnapped, she jumped. Running away from a marriage she doesn’t want, she goes to the only place she can think of. The Underworld. At first, Hades is furious and even more insufferable, but forced to work together to build a better afterlife for the humans, a friendship blossoms, and maybe something more? Declared the goddess of flowers, Persephone was forced into a box she never fit in, and now she’s breaking out of it and bringing chaos along with her.

Thoughts: I LOVE the characters. They’re all so funny, especially Styx. It kind of gives me assistant to the villain vibes with all the humor and the slow burn. I definitely recommend to any fans of Percy Jackson/any Greek mythology retellings as well as people who like giggling and smiling till their cheeks hurt. I love the FMC, and in a world of boys, Hades is a gentleman. Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for giving me an ARC!! Enjoy this fabulous book! ❤️

This was a sweet, fun retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth. Persephone starts as a young goddess who doesn't know much about the world since her mother has protected her so much. The growth that she goes through throughout the story allows her to understand more about both her and the world around her in a way that feels very authentic and relatable. I loved this book and can't wait to read Fitzgerald's next one!

Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald is a fantastic rendition of the classic Hades X Persephone story where the roles are slightly reversed.

Kore/Persephone, the FMC, is fierce and relentless in her pursuit to have her freedom. As she enters the age of marriage she does the only thing she can think of to escape an arranged marriage. Escape to the Underworld. There she discovers something (or rather someone) who's nothing like the stories she's heard about.

Hades, the MMC, just wants to be left alone and solitude from Olympus and the rest of the world, but what he finds is a girl hell-bent on defying the King of gods and will do his part to help her escape.

As secrets unfold and truth comes to light the two grow close and enemies become friends become lovers. I absolutely love this coming of age story for Persephone as she grows and finds the power within herself to defy Zeus and her mother. The feelings and parallels to modern day are ever present and I love a strong female character that fights for what she believes in.

I would recommend this one to readers that love a 'fight your oppressors' vibes and a cute first love feel.

Girl, Goddess, Queen is a Hades and Persephone retelling in the veins if Persephone choices to go to the Underworld.

I thought this was a very solid retelling. At the start, I thought it did a good job of weaving various versions of the story together, combining the ones where Persephone goes alone, and the ones where Demeter fights kings to protect her daughter. The end deviates from that a bit in a way I found disappointing, but overall I had a good time with the story.

The discussion of men pushing women down, trapping them in roles when they are meant for more, was an interesting theme to explore.

I also enjoyed the subversion of gender roles in not only Persephone’s character, as is common, but also with Hades. I enjoyed the reveals into Hades’s personality in this universe.

This is nitpicking, but I wish it hadn’t been referred to as Hell so often, when that’s not the same thing. Additionally, the main six gods. They’re siblings, like in mythology, I get the author was probably trying to avoid the weird context of that but like… they’re gods. Its whatever. There were also moments I read things and feared I might be smote, but that’s just me.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

I loved this book so much ❤️ Really think this would make an amazing movie or tv show, although, as we all know, nothing good ever gets made anymore. Or if it does, it gets canceled after the first season. I really loved how the author dealt with consent (when they finally got there/smut is very fade to grey, btw). Persephone has been taught that sex isn't a good thing, and it is only something you will have to deal with after you are married. She knows all the stories about the other gods. So she has quite a few hang-ups about it. Hades puts absolutely no pressure on her and waits until she is ready.

Even though I got this book as a free kindle book, I loved it so much, I may actually go purchase it. My library doesn't have the first book in the series, so I will have to go buy that one, for sure! Looking forward to the next one (fingers crossed).

Loved this and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for their next romance.

A great spin on Persephone and Hades! I've moved straight on to the next book by Bea Fitzgerald - that should say enough! :)

This book is a retelling of the classic myth of Persephone. It puts Persephone squarely in the driver's seat of her life, which is a wonderful twist on the original story. I appreciate the way Hades is portrayed, too. Without giving too much away, he is the main reason I enjoyed the book, and he is both tragic and likable. The author does add some interesting and enjoyable worldbuilding to what is a classic tale as well, bringing the reader into the world.

Girl, Goddess, Queen is a really enjoyable and fresh take on Hades and Persephone. I found it is easy to get into, and the story feels modern while still keeping that magical, mythical feel. Persephone is a strong, relatable main character who learns to stand up for herself and take control of her own destiny. The romance is slow-building and I thought it was well done, and the whole book has a nice balance of plot, character and romance. I've read a few retellings that have been stuffy but this was fun and digestable, as YA should be imho, and I while I felt it could be a little shorter, I loved the characters and where the story took them!

What if the story of Persephone/Hades/Demeter was all a lie? What if Persephone chose to seek refuge in the underworld and unexpectedly fell in love with Hades? What if Persephone and Hades were actually a match made in Hell? Bea Fitzgerald's reimagining of the Persephone myth was absolutely enjoyable from start to finish. Persephone does not want the life her mother, Demeter, and father, Zeus, want for her. She wants to explore the world, on her own terms. She doesn't want to be married to some minor god to appease her parents, so she figures out a way to work the system and convinces Hades to help her. He isn't thrilled with the idea, but her starts to enjoy her company and the two start a friendship that turns into something more.