Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A story bridging multiple generations together in beautiful short verses, surrounded around WWI, the Great Depression, and early 20th century American immigration.

Thank you Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This novel is absolutely beautiful. It is written in verse which is one of my favorite methods of storytelling, and it far exceeded my expectations which were admittedly quite high. Smith's poetry is masterful, evoking emotions, drawing powerful images and expressive plot onto every page.

Call Me Athena is the story of Mary, a 16 year old girl growing up in Detroit in the early 1930s. The daughter of French and Greek immigrants, Mary faces the struggle of finding her own place and following her heart against the darker realities of the Great Depression, being seen as an outsider, and the cultural expectations for "good Greek girls." The novel is haunting at times and realistically portrays the challenges and loss faced during this time in American history.

In a twist that I did not know to expect, (don't worry, this is not a spoiler), Smith tells the story through multiple POVs, Mary's-in the 1930s, and each of her parents-during the first World War (when they were the age Mary is at present), and eventually in the present as well. Smith also includes letters written between Mary's parents during the war. Mary finds the box of them in storage, and they are artfully used to enrich the story.

There are footnotes throughout the book, and the author included photographs and a detailed note at the end which explain that Call Me Athena is a tribute to her own grandmother, Mary. This story is stunning at every level. The poetry itself is rich, the storyline is powerful, and Smith balances between the haunting realities of growing up during the first World War and the Great Depression with a shining thread of hope. Although the book is considered YA, this is truly a book for everyone who has ever faced growing up, finding themselves, facing cultural expectations, and finding a place and a family who love you as you are.

I have never read a book written in verse before, and was unsure of how I would feel about, and I absolutely adored it. In verse, the emotions are so bare and real, every moment, be it simple or life changing, feels monumental and important. The writing is simply beautiful and lyrical and really whisks you away. Connecting to each of the characters was so easy and I loved the various perspectives provided. You have the story of Mary, daughter of immigrants, born in America, trying to decide who she is and what she wants amongst the struggle of being labeled as a foreigner in America. Then you have the story of her parents; her father, Gio, born in Greece but forced to flee his home and fight in World War I in order to become a U.S. citizen, and her mother, Jeanne, born in France and eager to help everyone and does so by becoming a nurse.

The struggles faced by each person in this book is very plain and frank and honestly heartbreaking. A story like this is one that needs to be told and ready; the experience of immigrants in America, their lives beforehand, the hard times faced in the supposed land of the free, and their unending hope and determination.

Many, many tears were shed while reading this, and it made me want to learn more about these types of experiences and has inspired me to do my own research. Everything about this book was poetic and poignant and I will be thinking about it for a long time.

Call me Athena is a novel in verse that reads really quickly.
You follow two timelines from the early 20th century. One during the first World War in Europe and a second in Detroit in the 30s.
This is a novel full of beautiful, short sentences.. Hope, dreams and the american identity and dreams.
By being in verse, you get to feel the strongest emotions of the protagonists. Going to the point in a poignant manner.
American and Greek identities (and a mix of both) are represented (a bit of French as well) in Call me Athena, following a true, but obviously romanticized, story from the author's family.

I personally do enjoy novels in verse, but if my memory is correct this is my first time reading an historical novel in verse, the ones I usually read are contemporary. If you like the genre, I would recommend you to check this book.

I was in shock when I first opened the DRC and found out that this novel was written in verse. I rarely read books written in such style but it blew me away how the author captured the imagery and themes that stood out in the story through strings of lush and lyrical sentences. Incorporated with vibrant characters and a heartwarming storyline, this debut is stunning and enthralling from beginning til the end.

This book is about a Greek/French/American girl named Mary, and her struggles of being a girl in a traditional and conservative society. Mary has big dreams of getting a job and driving a car, but society is adamant about her getting married and having children. In this book, she deals with love, grief, and adolescence all while chasing her dreams. It also switches back and forth from her POV to each of her parents’ points of view before they came to the United States, including their love story (they’re so adorable!).
I love this book so much! It was beautifully written and so captivating. I like that it had three POVs because each felt like a different story and it helped me understand the parents better. Another unique aspect of this book is that it’s written in verse. I think that made the book more engaging. The character development was one of the best parts of this book. Overall, the writing was so beautiful and the plot was heartbreaking and it taught me a lot about Greek and French culture. I recommend this book for fans of poetry, historical fiction, and coming-of-age novels. I can’t wait till the book comes out!

This was a lovely story bridging multiple generations, giving readers a glimpse into world war one, the great depression, and early 20th century American immigration and how families tried to balance the old ways with their new American Life. I loved the main character, Mary, and I felt for her as a modern day woman. I think this won't be a quick grab for teen readers and I'm not sure they'll find it appealing, but I think if you market it first as a novel in verse, that may grab them.

The story follows three narrators:
In 1930’s Detroit it follows 16 year-old Mary who is the daughter of Greek and French immigrants.
In the 1910’s we see Giorgio (Mary’s father) navigate from Greece to America and then to France.
Also in the 1910’s we have Jeanne (Mary’s mother) in Saint Malo, France.

It’s a novel in verse, which normally isn’t my type of book. I decided to read it because I love Greek mythology and the whole 1900’s era. I ended up loving it as it was easy to read and beautifully written. I loved the cover and how Colby Smith included pictures of her family.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McKeel Publishing for this e-ARC of Call Me Athena.

This is a novel written in verse, from the POV of Mary, a young immigrant girl living in Detroit in the 1930s and also from the perspectives of her Greek father and French mother, who met in a hospital during WW1. The story alternates narratives, with the formatting being the clue as to who is narrating. The story skips back to Giorgos and Jeanne’s youth and follows their story forward, through the trenches of the front line to the French towns where the wounded would arrive. This is the story of immigrants; of the hardships that brought them to America and the ones they overcame once here.

Mary delineates the cultural struggle between the old world customs and traditions of her parents and her perspective as a young woman who is American born, searching for her own path.

Author Colby Cedar Smith based the story on her paternal grandmother and great grandparents. It is a riveting look at Greece in the early years of the century, the fraught years of the First World War, the tumultuous times surrounding the Great Depression in Detroit. The clash of expectations such as arranged marriages, a woman’s place in the home and workplace, the yearning for independence, and the desire to embrace a culture outside ones own are all delineated and expressed here. This book will hold appeal to many but particularly those of Greek ethnicity will find this a familiar and engaging read.

I wasn’t sure how I would feel about a novel in verse but it worked very well here. The style, language and meter was approachable and the story interesting.

Highly recommended.

Truly loved this novel in verse about Mary, an American-born girl of Greek and French descent, growing up in Detroit in the 1930s and trying to find her independence. "Call Me Athena" also includes flashbacks from the perspectives of Mary's parents, which allows us to see the tough decisions immigrants had to make at that time.

Colby Cedar Smith does a wonderful job of bringing her family's story to life, while also talking about the issues of that era; war, poverty, hunger, inequality, etc. Through Mary, we get to see the burdens of inheriting a culture with all its superstitions and prejudices and the struggle of keeping traditions and maintaining cultural aspects of ones life, while also trying to grow and learn outside of it.

As a member of the Greek diaspora, this book touched me deeply and I'm thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a chance to read this ARC.

There are some books that are a pleasant surprises and this book was one of them. I'm not really a fan of poetry and surprisingly i dabble at it so to see a poetry book written as a story. This was a fast paced read for me which i thoroughly enjoyed.

This was such a beautiful story loosely based on the author's grandmother and great grandparents. Not going to lie, I was hesitant about the triple POV but I ended up loving Jeanne and Gio's story as much as I did Mary's. More than anything else, I think this is a story about the strength of family. There's some happiness in this story, but a lot of it is gut wrenching, nevertheless the ending is hopeful. I really enjoyed the ending and it made me tear up a bit. The author has a lovely way with words and you could really feel all the emotions coming through the page, even with only just a few sentences. This book is quite long but it never really felt like it and I sped through it in just a few hours.

This was such a beautiful story. Reading a novel in verse can be a little intimidating, but this flowed wonderfully, and none of the story was lost.

I really enjoyed the parts of the story told from Mary's parents perspectives. I'm sure many of us are guilty of forgetting our parents were young once, and possibly had very different dreams and aspirations to what we see of them. Call Me Athena was a poetic reminder that our parents, and members of our family, all have their own backstories.

The romance between Mary and Billy was also very sweet, and did not detract from Mary's ambitions.

Overall, this was an absolute delight, and I couldn't recommend it highly enough!

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Thank you so much Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this novel. I was completely blown away, I don't even know how to formulate thoughts on how incredible I found this book.

There are three stories woven into this novel, Mary's life in Detroit, her fathers in Greece, and her mothers in France. I loved how the three stories were integrated, I found it allowed us to connect so much more to the story and the characters. It was heartbreaking at times, but also heartwarming and inspiring. I loved the topics touched upon. I think this could be a very important books for young adults (or anyone, honestly!) to pick up as there's so many layers and so much to learn from it. I adore novels written in verse, so this was right up my alley. It was such a stunning exploration of immigration, family, love, dreams, and history. I feel so connected to the characters in this book and knowing they're all based on real people makes my heart soar. I cherish this incredibly personal story and thank the author very much for allowing us readers into this world. I would recommend everyone to pick this up whenever they can. It's a quick read, but it leaves a lasting impression. I can see myself thinking about this story for years to come. Very inspiring story!

Also, major props to the designer of this cover because it is so stunning! I will also definitely pick up a physical copy once this novel is released. I can't imagine it not on my bookshelves!

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Mary is sixteen years old and yearning for freedom in Detroit in the 1930s, struggling to understand why her parents came to America if they were going to be stuck in the ways of their countries. Told from three perspectives, this novel in verse alternates between Mary in 1933, her dad Giorgos (starting in 1915 in Greece), and her mom Jeanne (starting in 1915 in France). We learn about their struggles and victories in their individual journeys, and find out what the cost of freedom can truly be.

I have a soft spot for novels in verse, and this was no different. Each character was passionate and driven, especially Mary, which made me more interested in all of their stories. The alternating perspectives and timelines add depth to this story, building momentum as you fit more pieces together. I also really enjoyed that this story was loosely based on the author's grandmother and great grandparents, because it truly shows the importance of familial love in this book.

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an advanced copy.

What an amazing debut! Beautiful writing style, she didn't need fancy words, she just wanted to convey a powerful message about the changes that we could make if we wanted to.

This story set in Detroit during the Great Depression tells us about Mary's struggle to have gender equality. At the same time, we'll know the history of her parents in Greece and France during the First World War.

We'll see how Mary will prove to be an independent woman who has enough competence to fill a job as well as choose who to marry. I was devastated and shocked for discovering the reality during the war. I think Mary reflects us as women, fighting for our recognition. I really liked the Athena reference for the mean character roots and what it represents.

The writer has done a wonderful job throughout its more than 500 pages, I understand it was based on a true story from the bibliography shown at the end. I highly recommend this book which has already become one of my best readings this year.

I received this book to read and review on Netgalley. This is my honest review with no spoilers.

"Call Me Athena" is a novel in verse recording the thoughts and words of three characters: Mary, Jeanne, and Giorgo. Jeanne and Giorgo live in Europe during WWI; their stories are gripping examples of the drastic ways lives, families, and homes were changed during the war. Mary is a teenaged girl in Detroit in the 1930s in the throes of growing up. While she prepares for an arranged marriage and fights the impulses of life as a teenager, she learns hard and fast the lessons of loss and poverty. The poetry in this book is beautiful, the characters and their stories strong and inspiring, and the propulsive style keeps the reader invested from beginning to end. I highly recommend this for YA and adult readers alike.

#CallMeAthena #NetGalley

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Call Me Athena in exchange for an honest review.

Call Me Athena is a universal yet incredibly unique story. Told in verse, it's a loose retelling of the story of the author's Grandmother Mary growing up as the daughter of immigrants in 1950s America while trying to break out of the expectation of what a "Good Greek Girl" according to her parents. We're also treated to Mary's parents' stories to help us understand how they came together and were their views on how Mary and her sisters should live their lives might have come from.

This is a love story in so many different ways. The love between Mary's parents, the love between between Mary and her parents, love interest, and sister, and most beautifully written (in my opinion), Mary's love for herself as she grows into her more independent nature and empowers herself to challenge social norms. The writing was beautiful and I think the pacing and character development was really well handled here.

Have you ever tried to read Italian poetry from the XIV century? I can assure you that it is not as easy as falling off a log. Or even trying to read Manzoni: pages and pages of phrases that may occupy an entire paragraph without the use of punctuation (not like The Ulysses, but it is not that far).

Seeing a novel in verses was something peculiar, unexpected for me, but I wanted to challenge myself and give it a chance.

Settled in the 30s in Detroit, the story follows Mary, a young girl born from immigrant parents. It goes through her life and the difficulties a big family can face during tough times.

It has been fascinating exploring a period so far away from us, discovering what life used to be back then in an American city growing so fast. Overall, I really liked it and I will absolutely recommend it to my friends looking for a different reading.