It's fine. I normally quite enjoy retellings of myth, fairy tales, or classic stories, but this one seemed a little too cut and paste. Which, if you want a 'this is what myths would look like if the ancient Greeks had satellite technology' that's fine, but it didn't entirely work for me.

Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters = Greek myth + Keeping Up with the Kardashians + The Hunger Games. This is a retelling of Theseus in the Labyrinth, from Ariadne's POV. In the myth, Crete's crown prince was assassinated by Athenians, so in penance the Athenians must send seven girls and seven boys to be sacrificed to the Minotaur, a Cretan monster with the head of a bull and the body of a man that is kept in a large underground labyrinth. The twist is that the story has been updated with modern technology, to create a world where the yearly sacrifices to the Minotaur are televised as The Labyrinth Contest and the for the rest of the year the lives of Crete's royal family are broadcast in a Kardashians-esque show called The Paradoxes. The princess Ariadne is uninterested in fame and takes her duty as the Keeper of the Maze very seriously. She believes the contest is the gods' will, and that someday the Minotaur--her brother--will be freed from his curse to live as a normal boy as long as Ariadne does her part to fulfill the gods' plans. This year's contest is different, though: the Athenian prince Theseus has thrown himself into contention and wants Ariadne's help to defeat the Minotaur and end the Labyrinth Contest once and for all. As Ariadne becomes more and more aware of the corruption behind the contest's origins, she must decide whether she's willing defy the gods and help Theseus kill her beloved brother.

I thought this book would be more comedic or at least satirical than what it ended up being, which is much darker than I expected. This isn't a YA retelling that lightens up a Greek myth with humor and fun modern references--Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters exposes everything that is messed up with original story, and adds on everything that's seedy about the modern entertainment industry. The queen of Crete is overtaken with lust and straight up has sex with a bull; the resulting child is cursed with uncontrollable rage and hunger for human flesh; the king of Crete is a greedy, controlling capitalist insistent on revenge, who views everyone around him as objects; Daedalus and his son are under contract with the king that renders them his prisoners; the queen is an out-of-control pageant mom forcing her daughters to use their sexuality on camera and force them to continue relationships with abusive drunks to boost ratings, even when doing so means they take drugs to dull the experiences; viewers tune in every year to watch fourteen youths get brutally murdered and eaten on live TV. So, yeah, it's dark and twisted. The Minotaur's part of the story especially broke my heart. Honestly, it took me weeks to read this book partially because I was worried about how it would turn out. Since I know the original myth, I was nervous about what direction the author Emily Roberson would take the story.

Ariadne starts out as very much the "not like other girls" trope, looking down on her older sisters' femininity, materialism, and self-objectification. She sees herself as special; her father's favorite; a sensible, pious, and intelligent person. As the story goes, she learns how ignorant and self-righteous she's been, and begins to view her family and her past decisions differently. I really liked seeing her grow over the course of the story, but I didn't love that her journey was catalyzed by her romance with Theseus. Their relationship was very insta-lovey, and I didn't find it very romantic at all. I think Roberson tried too hard to make Theseus kind and sympathetic, when in the original myth he's kind of a dick. The story would have worked better, imo, if he'd been dick-ish and Ariadne had decided to do the right thing and help him in spite of that. It would have given Ariadne more agency and complexity. Parts of the plot were very convenient and poorly executed in general-- the story was too focused on displaying the skeevy-ness of the secondary characters, to the detriment of Ariadne's character and good story development. I never felt any hope or tension in the story, I just had a sick, disturbed feeling in my stomach. The ending was rushed and, though not upsetting on a plot level, it also was not very emotionally satisfying.

In the end, Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters was underwhelming, and I think I kept reading mostly out of curiosity to see how the author adapted the original myth. The writing was fine, and there were interesting portions, and of course the premise is intriguing, but I wouldn't choose to read this again.

TW: referenced bestiality, coerced prostitution, drug abuse, dating violence

I really liked the book ! The main character was liakable and I loved the plot ,I wish it was longer tho ,to enjoy it a little bit more

Today we’ll be talking with Emily Roberson about her debut YA novel, Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019), a mythological retelling. In this modern version of the myth of Theseus and Ariadne, Ariadne is a complacent Daddy‘s girl when we meet her. As her father’s favorite, she’s spared the humiliation her sisters accede to when they star in their own reality TV show, the Paradoxes. Sure, Daddy might have a martini-stocked bar in each room of his fabulous palace, as well as a sacrificial altar for augury in case the mood to sacrifice a dove seizes him. But when your mother is infamous for coupling with a bull, while hidden in wooden cow statue, Father looks like the better bet, even if he does have an agenda for everyone. Ariadne is also the Keeper of the Labyrinth, which means that every year she leads the chosen Athenians into the Labyrinth for their televised demise. Each year, the fourteen Athenians come to Crete to be feted, each one sure that he or she will be the one to defeat the Minotaur, and each year the slaughter is televised to diminishing audience interest. That all changes the year Theseus, the illegitimate son of the King of Athens, arrives in Crete intent on preventing further deaths. Ariadne finds herself attracted to Theseus, a serious and authentic young man, who happens to be gorgeous as well. However, their developing romance soon becomes more fodder for the reality show her family stars in, and Ariadne must face some hard truths about her life.

Just trying to clear my Netgalley shelf of older content that I read but forgot to or didn't rate/review. Love utilizing this as a read for our Ancient Studies course!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and will recommend it to students.

I really didn’t enjoy this book. I had to DNF it at about 60%. I thought the premise was very clever and had a lot of potential. It feels like someone who abhors reality tv wrote this book though. The characters were written as though there is nothing deeper in them other than fame whoring. Parents who encourage their children to show everything on camera, including having sex. The one child who wants nothing to do with this is pressured later when she finally becomes a “plotline” to have sex with a boy even though she clearly stated many times she wasn’t ready. She didn’t even want to be on camera but was forced to do that. Her best friend is a joke of a friend. He was no friend to her at all. All of it just made me very uncomfortable and angry.

Look at this cover and read that premise. Sounds amazing, doesn't it? Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters created a great twist on the original Greek Myth by creating a retelling revolving around reality TV. It could have been amazing if the author didn't make the one mistake many YA authors make - include a romance. I wouldn't have minded a fast instalove like this if there was an interesting twist with that romance. In the original, Theseus ends up being a jerk. I think a play on that would have fared better. You don't have to have instalove if you are writing a YA book.

I love Greek Mythology. Percy Jackson ignited that fire so I am always willing and excited to read more Greek Mythology retellings. If the focus of this book shifted towards the family dynamics and had the relationships explored between the main character and all her of her family members this would have been amazing. The reveal at the end is so good so why waste any emotion on a teen romance when it could be on something more long-lasting - family.

I am a sucker for a story involving Greek mythology so I couldn't resist this one. This felt like a refreshing spin on a classic tale!

The chemistry between Ariadne and Theseus was very well written and they were a great team. The one downfall to the entire story: instalove. I am never a fan of that as it is ever relatable and it can turn me off of a story. However, I still continued on with this to see if it got better. Thankfully it did but I could not believe the "romance" between the characters because of that.

Overall, I would recommend this to readers for something different to read.

Do you think the Greek God of time would be for or against Daylight Savings Time? Is there a Greek God of time? Can we do a ritual or something and ask them?

Even though I barely know what day it is, I am losing my mind over this latest book tour by Rockstar Book Tours. Lifestyles of Gods & Monsters is the literary Baz Luhrmann mash up I am obsessed with.

“Killing a big-name monster is the fastest route to something even more valuable–fame, eternal glory, their name written in the stars.”

Take the legend of the Minotaur, set it in a modern Greek world where Gods and Goddesses, Kings and Queens, still rule the people. Add the myth of the maze and turn it into a worldwide televised reality gameshow, and you have Lifestyles of Gods & Monsters.

This is obviously an over-simplistic summary of this book. Roberson gives so much life to this myth. The Minotaur isn’t a senseless beast. Or at least, not entirely. The depth of his character is one of the reasons this modern retelling works so well.

Same with Ariadne, Theseus, and Icarus. This isn’t a callous legend, where the whims of gods highlight their cruelty and humans are fickle creatures merely doing what they’re told. These characters are complex and you can feel the turmoil and struggle they face as this story progresses.

“I thought I was special because I hid from the cameras, because I was my own person. But I always only did what I was told.”

The idea of putting these legends in the scope of reality television is BRILLIANT!!! It’s not that it captures a certain accessibility to make this story modern. These legends were the reality television of ancient Greece. The heroes were revered and the villains provoked terror. To place it beneath cameras and ratings and social media blasts is simply genius. I love that this gives teens not just a way to relate to the story, but also to understand how important these stories were to these ancient cultures.

Now, I realize I’ve been on a Baz Luhrmann kick, and I’m not even sorry about it. But seriously, to all the gods and goddesses, what sacrifice do I need to make to get him directing this delicious novel into a movie BECAUSE I NEED THIS NOW!!!

In fact, just do all the greek myths based on this idea, because legends told through the lens of modern reality television is exactly the entertainment I need in my life. I think it’s the only version of reality TV I can take, TBH, and it may not even be reality television, exactly, but I don’t care. I crave this story in full visual effect.

“Ariadne, we’ve just established that destiny is a manipulative pile of trash, have we not?”

While this book was focused entirely on the Maze and the Minotaur, Roberson sets up the expansion of not just these characters, but tying in for future legends as well. And if I can’t get Baz Luhrmann to direct all of these stories, I really hope Roberson writes more. At least give me that! Whatever legend she tackles next, I will be devouring it. Hades, even if it isn’t a legend, I’ll be grabbing it because I am a fan!

Thank you to Rockstar Book Tours and FSG Books for sending me a copy and including me on this tour!

I was provided with an eARC of this book in exchange for a fair review.

What an interesting and fun take on a Greek myth! I am a HUGE fan of mythology, and to have that modernized with the whole Hunger Games-vibed reality TV show was really great. There were enough twists and turns to keep me entertained, and who can beat some swoony vibes thrown into the mix?
All in all, a great read!

Bloody and dark, but filled with warm family relationships too, this take on the Minotaur legend is uniquely suited for our modern, social media age. It's the Hunger Games meets Greek mythology meets the Kardashians, and I was rooting for Ariadne the whole way through!

This is an astoundingly clever mash-up of Greek mythology, celebrity culture (think 'Keeping Up with The Kardashians'), and the Hunger Games; altogether the story of Ariadne and Theseus is told, where the gods are under the lens 24/7 just like Khloe and Kim, and ratings are always king. The monster is the Minotaur, Ariadne's brother, a tragic character, who is supposed to be killed by whoever solves the maze. Ariadne is caught between helping her new-found love or helping her family, with everything having been written by the gods.

Life's tricky when your dad is King of Crete.

It's kind of nauseating to read about Greek gods and goddesses caught up in the trappings of modern life, of cell phones, celebrity gossip, and social media, BUT its also really fun. Suspend your disbelief for a little while and imagine Ariadne with an iPhone. She is also a strong heroine in this novel who carries the whole storyline, making you root for her the whole way through.

Author Roberson is making Greek myth accessible for a newer generation at the same time questioning the way we value celebrity; she has written something decidedly clever and unique. Her writing is provocative without being too obvious, and it's both funny and intelligent.

Purists may have a hard time with a book like this but it's hard not to get caught up in the idea of it. If you liked the Hunger Games, like Greek myths and can see the funny side of celebrity culture, give this is a go.

Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters is a wonderful spin on mythology that we're all familiar with. I loved the concept and the writing was a ton of fun to read!

This was. So. Fun. It went a lot of directions I didn't see and it went in some real dark, heavy places, but it always had the lighter tone that kept it from being a heavy read. And the beginning was a little predictable, especially if you know the myths, but the ending definitely threw me. I'm not super familiar with the myths, so it was a delightful surprise how most things went down.

I loved this retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur through the eyes of Ariadne and in a more modern time period! I’ve been feeling a mythology binge, and this fulfilled my needs!

The premise of this book stood out to me for a while - the Kardashian's meets Mythology! But also has a Hunger Games vibe... it was really cool. I regret waiting so long to read this, but I haven't been in a fantasy mood as of late and this just didn't interest me, but this had just the right amount of contemporary vibes to get me interested. That, and I LOVE mythology.
This was really interesting and I'm glad I finally got to it!

Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters has some salient strong points in its themes. I like how the book takes a critical look at celebrity culture, putting tabloids and reality TV on blast, as well as the exploration of family secrets and the need to "keep up appearances". However, I found it to be too "teeny" even for my taste (and I usually enjoy YA novels and teen comedies). Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters is a bit melodramatic, and the Labyrinth Contest aspect was reminiscent of the dystopian YA novels that I despise, such as The Hunger Games. Ariadne also has a case of "I'm not like other girls" which bothers me on a good day. Overall though, I enjoyed parts of the story and did laugh at times.

I really enjoyed a great many things about this book. Characters were fleshed out and the plot was well spaced. Some of the secondary storylines could've used a bit more page space but all in all an enjoyable read!

If you like Greek mythology, this will be a fun book for you. The text follows Ariadne, Theseus, Icarus, the Minotaur, and all of your favorite character's from the Minotaur's myth. Lifestyles bases the events in an updated Crete where social media, streaming, and "likes" abound.

The character development is interesting. The plot is similar to many dystopian life/death competition (very Hunger Games-esque), but the characters are well-known to fans of Greek myths. There are some story lines that don't feel quite complete, and the text even points out the issues with following Theseus' story to the end, and then mimics the same error it points out.

Did I enjoy the book? Yes.

Would I read it again? Probably not.

Would I recommend it to a friend? Maybe