I was intrigued as I have not read a book like this before. Rachel Lyon's Fruit of the Dead is a captivating contemporary retelling of the Persephone and Demeter myth. Set in a world of luxury and excess, the novel follows Cory Ansel, a young woman who is mysteriously lured away to work for a wealthy billionaire. I found the pacing a little slow at times but overall enjoyable.

Actual rating: 4.5

‘A lush and haunting story that explores love, attraction, control, obliteration and America’s own late capitalist mythos’ is the exact way I would describe Fruit of the Dead.

A contemporary reimagining of Persephone and Demeter where the underworld is a lush, private island, Hades (Rolo Picazo) is a gross middle-aged CEO of a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company and Persephone (Cory Ansel) is 18, lost in the world, and wants to do anything but go home to her mother.

I started with really complicated feelings about this book. I didn’t particularly like it and the lack of quotation marks were something I definitely had to get used to.

The more this book went on, the I fell in love with this book. It became profound and clever with the way it intertwined myth with reality and how these characters were their godly counterparts. The dogs, the seeds, even right down to the pomegranate and harvest were just gorgeous mirroring and the English Lit student in me just ate it up! I haven’t read a book in one sitting since Yellowface last year but this one just consumed me, absolutely adore.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an eARC of this book in exchange for a review.

I found this retelling of Persephone & Demeter myth quite gripping. Although I felt like it was a bit dragging for me at points, I could not let it put it down and I definitely wanted to get to the end. I enjoyed the split character stream, alternating between 18-year old Cory who doesn't quite know what her next stage in life is as her friends are going off to college soon as the summer is over, and her mother who is the head of a charity fighting famine.
What I enjoyed more than anything was the themes of drug addiction, sexual exploration and exploitation and the mother-daughter relationship, making it a great coming of age story set in the heat of the summer.

The split character stream of consciousness wasn't for me. I enjoy stream of consciousness writing by sillked authors, such a John Fosse, Deborah Levy & Rachel Cusk, but this one wasn't for me, as the novel needed to bring other characters to life more.

The third & first person perspectives were challenging to follow.

The exploitation is difficult to read, despite this being based on a myth from 1000's of years ago.

I've never forgotten Rachel Lyon's Self-Portrait With Boy, not only because of its arresting premise but because of the way it interrogates the costs of being an artist. Her second novel, Fruit of the Dead, is beautifully-written, richly atmospheric, with an irresistible sense of folktale logic - but it just doesn't have anything nearly as interesting to say. A loose retelling of the myth of Persephone and Demeter, Fruit of the Dead is narrated in turn by teenage Cory, who goes to work as a babysitter on a private island owned by a pharmaceutical billionaire, and her mother Emer, who is terrified when her daughter disappears for a summer without telling her where she's going. Lyon puts both Cory and Emer on the page so confidently: there's a real sense of them occupying physical space. In contrast, the rest of the cast fade away into sketches, even the Hades-like billionaire himself. And while the logic of the original myth gives this story its driving force, Lyon also yields to the temptation to include details that add little to the purpose of her book but are ironic references-back, like Emer leading an agricultural NGO that has sold a load of genetically-modified 'magic rice' to China that fails to grow. Lyon is one of those writers who could write the phone book and make it compelling, but I wish there had been more to this.

Oh wow this was a beautiful book, a feverish daydream of novel that felt as heady and atmospheric as a hot summer’s day. I really enjoyed the twist on the myth of Hades and Persephone, most modern retellings tend to paint Hades in a more sympathetic light so I was incredibly interested to see a more villainous interpretation and this did not disappointment. Fundamentally however, the story is about a mother and a daughter and the lengths she’ll go to protect her. The relationship between Corey and Emer was wonderful to read, deliciously complicated as a lot of mother daughter relationships are.

If you’re looking for a different take on the myth, I highly recommend this book. Thanks to net gallery for an arc in exchange for a review.

i really enjoyed this! loved the dreamy yet panicky and present way it was written, the mythology threaded through it. couldn't put it down

18 year old Cory has failed to get into college so has decided to work at a summer camp before making decisions about her future. At the end of the contract one of the parents offers her a job as a nanny. He's rich, powerful and paranoid about security so Cory signs an NDA and is whisked off to a private island. There she is kept in luxury and fed opiates whilst pressure is placed on her and she is not able to contact home. Cory's mother Emer is convinced her daughter is in danger and searches the Eastern seaboard whilst her professional life falls apart in her absence.
This is a very powerful retelling of the story of Persephone but with a really modern take. Hades is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company who feeds his captive with addictive drugs. Persephone is a vulnerable girl, already the victim of sexual assault, and Demeter is the Chair of an NGO trying to stop world hunger. All very 21st century and with '#me too' and a little hint of Epstein it's a potent mix. The plot struggles in places but I devoured it in a few hours.

Fruit of the Dead offers a modern reinterpretation of the Persephone & Demeter myth, delving into themes of resistance to adulthood, maternal desires, and irresistible temptations. With its blend of Greek mythology, intricate coming-of-age narratives, and complex mother-daughter dynamics, the book is a captivating exploration of human experience.

The alternating chapters, each from the perspectives of the mother and daughter, provide unique insights that intertwine to create a rich and satisfying reading experience.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this E-Arc.

Having never read a book by Lyon before, I was thoroughly surprised and enthralled by this intriguing twist on the classic tale of Hades, Persephone and Demeter. Set over the course of one sultry summer, Cory has left school with no clear direction and a fear of the demands and restrictions of adulthood, especially after being raised by a mother who is seemingly in thrall to her high powered job. When presented with the alluring money, power and confidence of drug titan Rolo, she is easily seduced into the luxurious isolation of his private island and the senses dulling drugs for which he made his fortune and could face his downfall.

Lyon's skill comes in her depiction of character, drawing rich and complex people upon the page regardless of the length of their appearance. Indeed, one of Emer's interactions towards the end of the book with a Christian family is one of the most striking portrayals of the complexities and small intricacies of humans and their dynamics. Cory is simultaneously inherently likeable, an object of concern and love, and frustrating, immature and self-destructive. Emer is ruthless and cold, and devoted and loving. Perhaps the most intriguing of all the character is Rolo himself. Beloved and despised, often at the same time by the same people, his sharp wit and bold confidence seduce not only Cory but also the reader, and yet Lyon consistently embeds a sense of unease, a grossness to his appetites and behaviour, that is often forced onto the reader through his physical appearance, through the knowledge as an adult of his deeper intent. Indeed, the consequences of his actions, and his company's, driven by capitalist greed, are contrasted in such a way with Emer's ostensibly charitable, well-meaning efforts in farming communities to draw questions as to whether anything that draws a profit will ever result in anything but greed and avarice.

The relationships drive this plot forward, as Emer hunts for her daughter while seemingly reducing her personality, her life to the single focal point of Cory, and her daughter weaves a dark, toxic and intoxicating relationship with Rolo, however, Lyon does not allow Emer and Cory's relationship to be one of purity, of absolute love. Indeed, as the plot is told from both of their perspectives, the reader slowly unpicks how Emer's past trauma has kept them apart, has held them too close, has led Cory to experience the same and respond differently, and suggests that their relationship is similarly one of painful complexity.

This novel read as a fever dream - sometimes it lapses into long, lyrical meanders and, at other times, the narrative is sharp, frantic, attention grabbing. Conversation and internal monologues can be both sharp and acerbic at times, and heartbreakingly endearing and innocent at others. Every chapter unfolds more of each character and yet leaves you more unsure of their final destination. Indeed, Lyon does not provide an answer to that even upon the final pages, instead leaning on the mythology itself to suggest that journeys can be circular, that patterns may simply have to repeat.

Fruit of the Dead was gritty yet lyrical, and hit in all the right places. A perfect fever dream for summer with a wholly new take on Persephone retellings. Creating Demeter as her own character instead of a villain in Persephone's arc gave the story layers of depth and nuance that are missing from the classic hero's journey. I absolutely loved this and I will definitely recommended it as a 2024 summer must read.

This was such a clever idea for a Hades/Persephone reworking, and I found myself gripped throughout. I did feel as if it was rushed towards the end, and was left wishing the last act had been more conclusive — but overall an absorbing read, and I’ll definitely look out for whatever Rachel Lyon writes next!

I forgot until finishing that this was a modern retelling of Hades and Demeter - but it was absolutely magical in its writing style, in its characterisations, in its settings and flow. Gorgeous

First of all, how gorgeous is this cover?! Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon is a modern retelling of the Greek myth where Persephone is taken by Hades into the Underworld, leaving behind a very distressed mother (Demeter).

Without giving too much away, I want to acknowledge some of the brilliant parallels made in the book, from the names — the protagonist Cory (Persephone is also known as Kore) and her mother Emer (a clear derivative of Demeter) — to the themes and motifs. According to Greek myth, Demeter is the goddess of agriculture and harvest, and she is heartbroken when she discovers that her daughter has disappeared. She searches the Earth for Persephone but cannot find her. During her search, Demeter becomes so consumed with grief that she neglects her duties as the goddess of the harvest. The Earth became barren, crops fail, and famine spreads across the land. In the novel, Emer is the head of a respected agricultural organization, and when she leaves in search of her daughter, everything falls apart.

Much like Persephone’s abduction by Hades, Cory is taken from her familiar world into one that is starkly different, ruled by unseen forces and laws she struggles to comprehend. This new realm is not the Underworld of Greek myth but a modern-day parallel where the painkiller Granadone plays a central role, symbolizing both the pomegranate seeds that bound Persephone to Hades and the complex web of dependency, control, and desire.

I will refrain from saying more detail, as I don’t want to spoil it, but I will say that the novel stays true to the myth, exploring the journey from innocence to experience, the complex mother-daughter relationship, and the theme of personal growth and finding one’s place between two worlds.

Overall, Fruit of the Dead is a profound and beautiful exploration of ancient myth in a contemporary setting. I’d highly recommend for anyone, particularly those interested in Greek mythology!

This is an incredibly atmospheric novel, I felt a sense of dread the entire time I was reading it, which is very much in keeping with the theme. I wasn't incredibly familiar with the source material but it's a very well done modern interpretation of a classical myth that functions well as a novel in its own right (though even without knowing the story of Perspehone and Demeter I think you can see where the references and allusions are). Enjoyable is not quite the right word because it evokes the unease it sets out to incredibly well but I'm glad to have read this and many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This brilliant, contemporary reimagining of Persephone and Demeter's myth gripped me from beginning to end. Dark and difficult, Fruit of the Dead explores the push and pull of mother-daughter relationships, unequal power-dynamics, and the lives of the super-rich.

On an ultra-luxury private island somewhere in the Atlantic, where contact with the outside world is almost impossible and drink and drugs flow freely, eighteen-year-old Cory takes a job as a babysitter for the secretive and privacy-paranoid Rolo, CEO of a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical company and creator of highly addictive opiates. She leaves her mother, Emer, with a string of unanswered text messages and a gut-wrenching worry that Cory is in danger. But Emer's own business is struggling, her NGO's 'magic rice' refusing to grow, and a desperate search for her daughter threatens to leave her own career in tatters.

Despite its very contemporary setting, Fruit of the Dead is interwoven with hints to the original myth and I had a lot of fun spotting them. With so many retellings of this myth casting it as a love story, it was interesting to read a version that was much darker and more complicated.

so far, this has proven to be the biggest literary letdown of 2024. lyon's sophomore novel, <i>Fruit of the Dead</i> has none of the brilliance i found in her electrifying debut, <i>Self-Portrait with Boy</i>, back in 2018. lyon's first novel was a tour de force, an evocative and unsettling exploration of female creativity and ambition, one that left an indelible impression on me. the flawed protagonist, lu, was a captivating narrator, simultaneously sympathetic and appalling.

since then, i have been on the lookout for a new release by lyon. so yes, i was fairly hyped for <i>Fruit of the Dead</i>. in some ways, i'm glad lyon wrote this novel, as i imagine that it will be likely to be more of a commercial success than its predecessor (self-proclaimed 'feminist' retellings of greek myths are very much in). at the same time, i am disappointed. beyond the clever gimmick involved in reimagining the myth of Persephone, the novel falls flat. there are an abundance of nods to the original myth, both overt, especially when it comes to the imagery, and more subtle ones, but beyond that lyon retelling is rather banal.

the novel's biggest weakness lies in the portrayal of the 'daughter' character who was regrettably clichéd. i'm surprised that lyon, someone who was able to make a difficult character like lu into a nuanced and compelling individual, her into a layered and memorable character, here resorts to the tired archetype of a 'lost' young woman, who is whiny and wishy-washy, and inevitably falls for an older (supposedly) charming man despite many red flags. the mother character is just as thinly rendered. she's well-intentioned but is pushed away by her bratty daughter. dio mio. the mother-daughter dynamic at play here is flimsy at best.

<i>Fruit of the Dead</i> feels like a misfire. despite the opportunity to breathe new life into the Persephone myth, lyon doesn't venture outside conventional boundaries. not only i craved a more daring and imaginative reinterpretation of this myth but i found myself bored and uninterested by the unfolding events. sure, lyon's prose is as dazzling and self-assured as in her debut, but prose alone doesn't suffice.

if you happen to be interested in this novel i recommend you check out more positive reviews.

What a wonderful embrace and twist on the Greek myth retelling/reimagining craze going on! I loved the dual perspectives throughout the story and the clever references to the original tale. The writing was so rich and descriptive I could taste it. Sometimes it was indulgent and focused and then other times I felt like I was going to get whiplash with the pace and plot advancement. I am also obsessed with the cover it is beyond gorgeous!

When I saw The Fruit of the Dead on @netgalley I requested it IMMEDIATELY. I am having some fatigue with mythology retellings, which this was described as, but I hoped jt would be something slightly different. And thankfully it was.

The novel is told through two perspectives: 18-year-old Cory, a camp counsellor at the end of her last summer before real life begins, and her mother, the tightly-wound head of a farming charity about to cause a famine. Cory is precociously beautiful and when the enigmatic head of a pharmaceutical company offers her a babysitting job on his private island, she can’t resist, even as it throws her mother into a panic. More than anything, this is a mother-daughter story, and a story of Cory seeking a sense of identity, even as she spirals into the escapism that the painkillers offer her. It’s lyrical, moving, and feels like it would work without the mythological resonances - they’re so clever and give it a strong sense of structure, without being overpowering. I did find the pace slowed at points, but it’s still a strong literary fiction novel I’d recommend.

Rachel Lyon embarks on the ambitious task of reimagining the timeless tale of Hades and Persephone in "Fruit of the Dead," crafting a vivid and atmospheric world brimming with potential. While the imagery and setting create a strong foundation, the novel ultimately falls short in execution, leaving readers craving more depth in both details and dialogue. Lyon excels in weaving rich and evocative imagery that transports readers to a haunting and captivating realm resonant with mythical undertones. However, the narrative falters in its execution, relying heavily on internal character dialogue, resulting in a somewhat one-dimensional story. Despite its flaws, "Fruit of the Dead" offers a fresh perspective on the classic myth, making it a compelling choice for fans of inventive retellings. Lyon's work, while possessing merit, leaves readers longing for a more thorough exploration of the characters and world she has created.