Review: Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis

Title: Persephone Author: Kaitlin Bevis Publication Date: July 6, 2012
Synopsis:
There are worse things than death, worse people too.

The “talk” was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they’re a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn’t until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth. Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life.
~My Thoughts~
Teenage Persephone is starting to feel like someone is watching her. She's also starting to have some weird visions too. Clearly, she thinks she is losing her mind. But when something happens and she is forced to accept that these strange things aren't hallucinations at all, she is in for the biggest shock of all. Persephone is a goddess, the daughter of Zeus.
As if this isn't weird enough, she is now in danger of being kidnapped. Boreas, the god of winter, is after her and he will stop at nothing to get her. When he comes too close to achieving his goal, Persephone is rescued by the dark and mysterious Hades, king of the underworld. This wouldn't have been to bad, if Hades hadn't made her his bride. Forced to stay in the underworld as queen until they can find a way to beat Boreas, Hades and Persephone start to grow closer. The tension between the two, combined with the added threat of Boreas and others, makes Persephone an exception retelling.

When it comes to mythology, I have to admit that I am pretty much clueless. I do remember being very interested in it once, a long time ago, but anything that I had learned has completely disappeared. When I was given the chance to read and review Persephone, I jumped at the chance. I thought that maybe this is what I needed to bring back my old interest. Guess what? I was right!
Persephone grabbed my attention from the very beginning and didn't let go. Even though it took some getting used to with all the names, positions and powers, I didn't have much of a hard time following along at all. Yes, there is a lot to learn here if you aren't up to date on mythology, but the author found ways to incorporate all you need to know without making it read like a text book. In fact, it was just the opposite. I didn't even realize how much I was actually learning because I was so engrossed in the story. 
Persephone is smart, honest and even a little snarky at times. I immediately liked her. Even though she did have an attitude once in a while, you can't really fault her for that. She has just found out that her whole life has pretty much been a lie, and who wouldn't have some kind of a crisis in that situation? Still, she sucked it up and made the best out of what she was dealt and I truly loved watching her grow into a stronger person.
Then we have Hades. He's moody, elusive and kind of a jerk. Perfect love interest. Of course, you can't really fault him for his ways either since he is the god of the underworld after all. That can't be the most pleasant of jobs. The tension between him and Persephone are constantly causing issues for them, and also provides us with witty banter and snarky remarks. Who doesn't love those?
Whether you have an interest in mythology or not, Persephone is definitely worth the read. And who knows? Maybe this will be the start of a new love affair with mythology and will wet your appetite for more retellings. I know it did for me, which is why I can't wait to read the second book in the series.
 So what am I really saying here? Read this book!
For more about Kaitlin Bevis and Persephone, visit her website here. 
~Purchase~ Amazon B&N