Amanda Zinni

(4.5 rounded up to 5)

This book started on a 5 star track for me but I'm dinging it down to a rounded up 4.

The text in this book great overall, excellent. Great advice. However it does not take onto account outside factors such as mental illness/disabilities, physical illness/disabilities, etc. and actually felt a bit offensive with some of the language/phrases used towards the end of the book. You are not a loser or an amateur if you are struggling. This kind of undid a lot of the positive messaging throughout the entirety of the book.

However, that said, I do still tink this is a great book to read and take from it what works for you. There were many “Ah Ha!” moments for myself whilst reading. It is better to show up than not, as this book says, so if you cannot do something for a week that is ok! Show up when you can. Sometimes is ok. It is progress.

I'm ugly crying... weeping. This book pulled things out of me like someone sucking venom out a snake bite. What a beautiful story.

I used CAWPILE to rate because then end of this book drastically changed my opinion of the story, feeling towards the characters, and affected my overall enjoyment.



SPOILERS BELOW



The first like 40-60% of the book had me. I was in it, locked in. But it lost me in the rest. The end feels like a totally different book with Persephone making a lot choices that felt out of character to what her character has been established from page 1. Didn't her best friend just tell her she's full of kindness and what have you?

I mean, I get it. I get when you are pushed and pushed and you explode. But this felt like a 3-day PMS moment. It is so whip lash from onset to offset. No true build up of this darkness swimming in her before her chat with Hades (like I feel like we had NO warning; Aphrodite being the catalyst we should have had tasted something right after their talk). I know it's briefly mentioned here and there that she has “darkness in her” but it was not explored in a way to lead into what came from Hades confirming the bet. Even worse was there isn't any reflection on anything afterwards. The story goes from her wreaking havoc to then just bringing right back into routine day-to-day: School, work, partying. After THAT? No way. There is a line of feeling guilt and shame but towards the people in the Underworld and maybe Hades. I want to know how she felt! We just got visual rage but I didn't feel anything from her, if that makes sense?

And then in the route of “Happily Ever After”??? No meaningful discussion of feelings and why each party felt the way they did, just acceptance and move on?? No discussion of her outburst towards him, Adonis, Minthe, Demetere? It felt disingenuous.

Maybe these things are explored in the other books but the way this one ended unfortunately has me not wanting to explore that.

4.5 (rounded up)