GIRL, GODDESS, QUEEN.
With a title like that, expectations were high, and fortunately, Bea Fitzgerald didn't disappoint. Also, this retelling gives new meaning to the expression : Hot as Hades ;)

To escape an arranged, and possibly incestuous, marriage, Kore - repressed daughter of Zeus - escapes to the pits of hell. But seeking sanctuary with Hades - God of the Underworld - has unforeseen consequences and Kore discovers not only an unlikely alliance, but becomes the great Persephone, chaos bringer.

This is the perfect book for a YA lover like me to share with my teenage daughter. The YA genre has really enabled the parent-child reading crossover and I am so grateful for books such as this one, which spark conversation and create common ground between two utterly different generations!

Lastly, let it be said that it is a rare talent indeed that can make even the underworld vibrant.
I loved this. A cracking debut, in my humble opinion, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for Bea FitzG in the future.

I'm not normally a fan of Rom-coms but HADES this book was enough to convert me! I absolutely adored Hades and Persephone in this book, the snarky-ness, the banter, the fact that Hades subverted EVERY male trope there is because he was so sweet and precious and artistic. And with the Hecate thread thrown in, there is totally room for a sequel - right guys???

I thought this was absolutely spectacular. A sexy, fun, smart, feminist retelling of Persephone and Hades, but with a twist. I could not put it down, and stayed up till 4am devouring it. Gripping, pacy, interesting, modern. A real standout first debut that deserves to be a bestseller

I think there was a lot to love about this novel. It was engaging, and very well-paced, with intriguing characters and a good balance of light-hearted fun and heavy hitting emotion. I think Bea Fitzgerald has crafted a wonderful world, and hit on the right balance between descriptive world building, and show-don't-tell exploration through the eyes of Persephone. I really enjoyed the diversity in this book: I think representing Hades as one of the only POC characters amongst the heavy-hitters of the Olympian court added deeper layers to their intolerance. The way sexuality was addressed was also very refreshing, it was simply the reality of several characters and didn't require fanfare or anxiety filled coming-out speeches. It felt like both a very mature approach, and one that was more in keeping with the mythology surrounding the Greek Gods.

All that being said I think the time-out-of-time nature of the book felt odd in places, whilst attitudes towards women and marriage seemed in line with very old, traditional ideas, characters would use modern language, and even mention much more contemporary scientific discoveries. I think this would have been less distracting if the God's position as outside of the linear timeline, or somehow omni-temporal was more explicitly stated, or even if there were fewer references to the more conventionally ancient Greek aspects of the clothing, locations and anecdotes.

I also found that Hades, while a likeable love interest in many ways, often found himself mouth-piece to feminist ideas. At first this didn't bother me, I thought it was a nice change, and allowed Fitzgerald to establish him as ideologically other to his peers. However the more frequent his feminist expounding became, the more difficult it was to view him as a well-rounded character. He began to feel more like a proxy for the author, a tool rather than a character in his own right.

Overall I enjoyed this book, I think it has a lot to offer to the Mythological retelling genre. I also feel that Fitzgerald takes a refreshingly nuanced approach to writing about the developing physical relationship between her characters, that is so often glossed over in Young Adult / New adult novels. The book was obviously very well researched, and I cannot think of a better recommendation for a feminist retelling with such extraordinary attention to historical detail; especially one that also manages to seamlessly weave in fantasy fiction elements. 4 Stars!

~4 ⭐️
~I really enjoyed this book!! It was a great Persephone and Hades retelling. It seamlessly brought up important topics with the right balance between them and the plot. This book was so funny and joyful. I loved so many of the characters and the dynamics they shared. Overall this book is a witty, funny and brilliant greek mythology retelling!! It definitely reminded me of Lore Olympus so if you enjoyed that you will love this too!

thank you penguin for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

i know the story of hades and Persephone by heart. I've read hundreds of retellings and studied their story till my eyes bled. i have been following bea around for a while and was beyond excited for this. it wasn't just most anticipated of the year, it was most anticipated of the century.

finally, a feminist retelling featuring my favourite version AND its ya? you're telling me i can read a contemporary fiction about my otp without having to endure a bad plot that revolves around endless bdsm smut⁉️

i wasn't let down, but it was different from what i was expecting. if you're a fan of riordan but miller is too far down the literary spectrum for you, then THIS is what you're looking for.



*SPOILERS A LITTLE*



what to expect before diving in:

writing style: its not ladden with prose and poetry. obviously there's some scenes and depictions, enough for it to be beautifully well-written but not so much it's a heavy mosaic of words. there's a lot of moderns slang and easy to understand words, which bring me to my next point.

chronologically inconsistent: obviously i don't expect them to be speaking ancient greek but for the slangs they're using, the development of the overworld seems very behind. if your major turn off is age gaps, bea completely solves this issue here!

romance: hades <33 something i adored in this book is the challenging of that stone cold love interest trope. crying does not challenge your masculinity! their slow burn full of "i hate you" and "duck you"s had me rolling in my seat. their dynamic was so reminiscent of lore olympus. there were a few promiscuous scenes but nothing too graphic or weird/kinky.

this book confronts gender stereotypes and shows first hand the expectations that are forced not only unto girls, but also boys.



now my PROBLEM with this book however is mostly with what it's lacking. while it does cover ex partners (all hades') it never talks about the little dwindle between Adonis and persephone? as most retellings do, this book portrays different versions of the myth all in one and even how many misconceptions come by but still the gateway from kore to Persephone left me a little let down.

my last issue i swear is the lack of Cerberus content. Persephone, goddess of spring (or in some cases life) DOESN'T fangirl about 7ft tall underworld hound? he's mentioned literally (not an exaggeration) 2-3 times.

overall it's still my favourite retelling of this myth and the cover? illustration? i will be re-reading it till i die.

Thanks so much Netgalley for an advanced copy of Girl, Goddess, Queen.

As soon as I heard about this book I knew I needed to read it. I adore Persephone and Hades retellings and I knew this specific one was going to be right up my street.

These retellings are usually either very dark or very smutty. This is neither. It's lighthearted and fun. It definitely has undertones of something dark, but nothing that makes anyone uncomfortable.

I enjoy that it's YA because it removes the sexual element almost completely and we can get into the meat of our characters.

I can't wait to read more from Bea.

Unexpectedly enjoyable, I loved this book. A sassy heroine, a hero against stereotype and a wonderful romance thrown in. Students are loving Greek mythology at the moment, so this will be a great addition to the collection.

Funny and informative; a Grecian rom com with loads of likable characters in an unlikely place. I’m always a fan of real rights of female stories from mythology like Madeline Miller’s Circe and Natalie Haynes’ Stone Blind, and while this doesn’t have the depth of those novels, it certainly has a place in that canon.

This is a retelling of the Greek myth of Persephone who is dragged into the underworld by its ruler Hades. In this version, Persephone goes voluntarily.

What I liked about this book: I have been a fan of Greek myths and legends since I was about 8 years old. I enjoyed the banter between Persephone and Hades at the beginning of the book. I thought it started well, with Persephone (then known as Kore) rebelling against her parents' wishes. I liked how feminist issues were brought into the tale.

What I didn't like about this book: I hadn't realised it was a young adult book. The interaction between Persephone and Hades at the beginning was ok but became tedious as they played out their attraction. I felt at times as though I was being forced to watch someone else's foreplay. It was extremely repetitive with Persephone moaning constantly to the reader about how she felt. Just get a room!

Overall I was disappointed with this book. It lacked the subtlety of the likes of Madeleine Miller, Pat Barker and Elodie Harper, all of whom have gone back to the classics for inspiration. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC.

This YA retelling of Persephone and Hades is a cracker. It turns the myth on its head in a totally fitting way whilst also drawing parallels with modern day issues of misogyny, toxic masculinity and self determination. Beautifully realised and skilfully executed, Girl, Goddess, Queen is a brilliant retelling with modern feminist insights on an ancient tale.

Thanks to Net Galley for an ARC!

I ATE THIS BOOK UP. I've always been a massive nerd for Greek mythology, and have been following Bea on Instagram for a while now, so when I saw that ARCs were going I jumped at the chance. I was not disappointed.

Bea's retelling has enchanted me. Once I got settled in, I could hardly put it down - I nearly missed my bus stop on the way to work this morning!

In the interest of keeping this spoiler free, I'll keep it short. If you enjoy the likes of Lore Olympus, you'll love Girl, Goddess, Queen.

Girl, Goddess, Queen is a feminist retelling of the myth of Hades and Persephone, and to be honest wasn't feeling it. Persephone (or Kore for the first half of the book) has a very immature voice which I found grating, and to be honest I found the story much more believable when Hades found her annoying than I did when he began to care about her.

The plot really started to drag in the second half as well. I must have been somewhat invested because I finished the book, but it's definitely not one I'll be going back to.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to the writer, NetGalley and the publisher for early access in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this book. Any retelling and I’m there just waiting to read it. I absolutely devoured this. Fantastic!

I read the words ‘Hades and Persephone retelling’ and jumped! And Girl, Goddess, Queen by Bea Fitzgerald did not disappoint!

I got the amazing opportunity to read the early release arc and wow, I’m speechless. It’s such a unique twist to the classic tale, with phenomenal character arcs. Diving deep into how Persephone grows into herself and becomes the badass that she is!

When Kore is thrown into a future she doesn’t want, she runs from her mother, Demeter and Father, Zeus, to the only place she feels she’ll truly escape. The underworld. Where King Hades rules and resides. But what she finds there is far beyond what she thought.

I couldn’t put this book down, it has consumed my life for the past 3 days! I was laughing and crying along with the characters, it will surely send you into an emotional rollercoaster. What more could you ask for? I can’t wait to read more!

Don’t walk, run and preorder this book!

I am a fan of retellings of Greek myths and this book was no exception! The book was easy to read and a lot of fun. I enjoyed the focus on the character of Persephone and her developing relationship with Hades and was impressed by the feminist edge the narrative has, playing around with the male and female stereotypes you might usually associate with Greek mythology. Descriptions of the settings were vivid and brought the whole Underworld to life (pun intended.) For a debut novel, this had an assured tone, and I would be interested in reading more by Bea Fitzgerald. Thank you for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novel – I will definitely be recommending to our KS4 students.

This was a delightful Greek read! I adore Greek rewritings in general and this one lived up to the genre, with clued in, witty references to the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece, all written in a modern easy to read manner!

I would have loved more of a love story, it was definitely a slow burner.

Lots of similarities to ACOTAR?

I really enjoyed this overall and it was nice length, with lots of scope to expand on characters storylines and personalities.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the chance to read and review this one! I will definitely recommend this book.

I have read a LOT of Hades and Persephone retellings and this one was honestly one of my favourites. Firstly, the enemies-to-lovers, marriage of convenience banter was excellent. Hades and Persephone's relationship development was exquisite. But beyond that, my favourite feature of this book was its feminist themes. Whilst most retellings feature Persephone as a strong character, few add new dimensions to Hades. Fitzgerald's reimagining of Hades opened up further feminist critique of patriarchal society (and honestly who can resist a soft, artist, bisexual lord of the dead). This book focused heavily on character development over plot but for me that was one of its key strengths as it allowed a deeper dive into often reimagined characters as well the patriarchy and how it effects all. Overall, a very engaging read and one I would definitely recommend adding to your TBR!

Girl, Goddess, Queen was a really fun, addictive retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth, which admittedly I wasn’t too familiar with before reading this book. I enjoyed it so much that I now want to read more retellings and reimaginings, and my wishlist is getting very long!

My favourite part of this book was the witty banter between Hades and Persephone. The characterisation was so good, and I really liked both of them. Starting as friends made their relationship that more believable, and I was fully on board for the slow burn romance that followed.

The world and setting is also well done, and obviously readers with a knowledge of Greek myths will find even more to enjoy than I did. Landscapes came alive with vivid descriptions, and I could imagine just what it must have been like to have lived that way. A world of Gods and Goddesses always sounded so magical, but underneath the shine there’s always much more darkness to it, and I particularly liked the darker territory the story eventually ventured into.

Girl, Goddess, Queen is a great debut YA novel, and Bea Fitzgerald’s writing is already confident and assured. I think this one will be a big hit with readers young and old, and I’m looking forward to whatever this author writes next.

Four and a half
This was certainly a unique take on the tale of Hades and Persephone. The Persephone we meet here is most definitely not to be underrated and I'm pretty sure that Zeus is well aware of that so strives to keep her downtrodden and at his mercy. Well Persephone is sick of fitting into a roll she doesn't want so takes matters into her own hands and tricks her way into the Underworld ! Hades is not exactly what she expected and as to his domain well it certainly needs upgrading and there's just one lady for the job and you guessed it Persephone is a house guest who just doesn't respect boundaries !
Fun all the way and sweet too particularly when Hades lets his guard down. Expect banter and chemistry but there are great supporting characters too. I very much enjoyed this story and will happily look for more by this new to me author.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair