My Five Word TL:DR Review: I Absolutely Inhaled This Book

Aphrodite in Pieces was an absolute belter. I loved it. I read it in two sittings. I hated to be torn away from it. I was always happy to return and I’m sad that it came to an end. I could read it again right now – and I would do so if I didn’t need to catch up with a few books. This will, without doubt appear on my favourite books of the year list come December.

Unsurprisingly, Aphrodite in Pieces is a reimagining of the life of the Goddess Aphrodite and it’s truly compelling. The Goddess of Love and Beauty, Aphrodite is usually portrayed in quite a different way, usually shallow and like the other Gods quick to temper and vindictive. Now, I’m not saying that she doesn’t make mistakes in this version, or that she can’t be vengeful but this reimaging brings a vulnerability to her not to mention a certain clear sighted honesty that is not often seen.

I’m not going to go into the story too much. What I can say is this portrayal shows you Aphrodite’s beginning, her upbringing and her rise to become one of the Twelve. It details many of the stories that she is known for but gives a slightly different slant as we hear these stories from the horses mouth. And, it also concludes with a very satisfying ending.

What I loved about this.

I absolutely loved the writing. The style, the flow, the pace. Everything worked for me. Aphrodite, probably at a slightly jaded point in her life, has decided to tell her story to a little known sculptor so that he may carve her likeness but bring something more, hopefully, to the statue because he knows ‘her’. Who she is. What she’s suffered. The love of her life. Her triumphs and defeats. I thought the voice was perfect. I was hooked from the first page and compelled to read, pushing myself into the early hours.

Aphrodite. She’s not a Goddess that I know much of. I’ve read stories in which she appears, but usually as the ‘baddie’ of the piece. And yet, now I feel like I’ve missed out! Her’s is such an interesting story and, predominantly at its heart, a love story. The Goddess of Love and the God of War, Ares, inextricably linked, sometimes parted for extended periods – but immortals, well, they have nothing if not time. The story between the two is told really well. And, this can quite often be an incredibly sad tale. Not to mention frustrating – particularly in the way Aphrodite is treated. Often vilified and usually called witch and whore, everyone believes she is a temptress, women fear her taking from them, men want her but then hate that she holds power over them. She is the Goddess of Love! She behaves much as you would expect, love is not a crime after all. Lets be honest, she’s not portrayed here as some sort of innocent. She makes mistakes. But, she does own them.

The other Gods are much as you would expect. Zeus is an absolute horror! Expected. I pretty much wanted to strangle him, all the time. Apollo is given a ‘softer’ personality, a close friend to Aphrodite, sometimes grounding her and bringing her back to herself. The other Gods play minor roles here and there, the other predominant role being taken up by Ares.

In conclusion. A fantastic reimagining. A consuming love story. Amazing writing. Interesting, compelling and addictive. I loved this and now have a book hangover. I need to go and look up more by this author to see what I’ve missed out on. Watch this space.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars