Aphrodite

LoveReading4Kids Says

Vibrant and visceral, Bryony Pearce’s Aphrodite is a fresh feminist reworking of myths around the goddess of love and beauty — a suitably bold and beautiful book that delves deep into Aphrodite’s origins, and sheds light on lesser-known legends.

The story opens fabulously with Aphrodite emerging from the waves, initially oblivious to her powers — namely, possessing beauty so remarkable, it can make men mad. After being drawn to Olympus, home of vengeful, vindictive power-hungry patriarchal gods, she finds that her unparalleled beauty is a curse, something others want to control and possess.

But she is not to be underestimated. Aphrodite stands tall. She refuses to be a pawn in a game controlled by men. She reduces mighty gods to squabbling fools while converting her “curse” into her most empowering weapon.

At once thoughtful and thought-provoking, fresh and fierce, Aphrodite packs primal punch as it exposes the patriarchy, and dismantles misconceptions around this remarkable goddess. As the book’s strapline goes, “she’s not just a pretty face” — she’s a warrior who can’t be quashed or controlled, and the author does jubilant justice to that in this rip-roaring novel.

Reviewed by Joanne Owen
Joanne Owen is a writer, reviewer and workshop presenter whose lifelong love of books began when she was growing up in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
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