I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 stars

In This Poison Heart, Briseis has a secret that separates her from everyone she knows. Plants react to her as she passes; she can help them to thrive and grow. It takes a lot of energy out of her to constantly be holding back and any time she uses her power she feels weak afterwards. Her friends are starting to distance themselves from her, so Briseis feels even more alone than normal.

Her two moms- who she refers to as Mom and Mo- own a flower shop in New York, but are struggling to stay afloat with the increasing rental costs. One day, a lawyer contacts Briseis and tells her she's been left an estate hours away. Her blood mother's sister has been declared dead and left it to her in her will. As Briseis learns more and more about the house, she uncovers more secrets about her birth family. Secrets that help her learn more about her own abilities. But, things are never as good as they seem. A group of people begin attacking Briseis in public, trying to get information from her. Is it worth the risk of her life to stay somewhere she feels at home?


I was so excited to pick up this book. The premise was so intriguing, but the story fell flat for me. The first 65% of the book was pretty dull- she moved to the estate, talked a lot about plants, met some friends, and learned more about her powers and family history. Things began picking up around this point, but they didn't make a whole lot of sense. It felt like the author was rushing with an under-developed plan, unsure of where they were going to bring the story. The villain was predictable and their motives lacked any logic.

The ending left room for an "epic quest" and set up for another book, but it felt like a 2014 Wattpad fantasy to me. I really think this book could have gone to great places, but the execution just wasn't there for me. The characters also were pretty basic and Briseis trusted people way too easily.


Likes-
1. The overall premise of the book was great. I loved how Greek Mythology (Circe, Jason, The Golden Fleece, etc.) was brought into the story, it was interwoven beautifully.
2. Briseis' moms- Mom and Mo- were icons. To be honest, I enjoyed them more than all of the other characters combined. They were the only ones with personalities.
3. Briseis being bisexual. It wasn't the main focus of the story, just a known fact about her. She even has an instant crush on a woman she meets.

Read the synopsis said ok this is up my alley. Read the book and got so much more than I was expecting. Such a great unique (imo) story. I've never read anything like it. I'm really digging these ancestral/witchy/powerful/queer black girl magic books. All I have to say is when does book 2 come out? ♡

Loved the story and characters and will eternally be fan of Kalynn's! Definitely a must-read for fan's of Legendborn and classic retellings.

It's a YA Fantasy novel about a black girl named Briseis with the superpower to make things grow and to make plants obey. She finds out her birth mother died and left her an estate. However, when she and her moms move there, she finds the townspeople and the house to be stranger than herself. My favorite part of the book: THE ENDING!!! I need book 2 now! Also, when Bri finds out about her lineage. It reminds me of Legendborn by Tracy Deonn and Poison Ivy comics. The verdict is out on Lore by Alexandra Bracken and Oh My Gods by Alexandra Sheppard. They're on my TBRs list and I haven't gotten to them yet.

This is a book that's really hard to review. Did it grab me till the end? Yes. Did it also seem to have inconsistent character development and have no idea how fast or slow the plot should be? Yes.

This book definitely trumps Cinderella is Dead for atmosphere and really making the core mystery interesting. Briseis herself (and her moms) are well formed characters and the spooky Gothic/Greek magical mystery keeps you on your toes. The descriptions are lavish and detailed, especially plants and flowers--pretty important for a book about plant magic. Everything has that awesome "old creepy house mystery" feel.

But the book also suffers from Bayron trying to fit a very complex plot too small a package. We have several characters, including the love interest, whose development is just.... not there. The central mystery is clogged up at the end with 50 billion revelations about various mysteries/characters, but with an "here's the infodump! oh these characters were involved too". I expect Bayron will resolve a lot of these threads in the sequel, but that's the big issue: most of these threads should either have been combined, removed, or pushed to the next book altogether. It might have forced the series to have an extra book, but it would be well worth it.

Still gonna read the sequel for the cool Gothic Greek vibes, tho. Also, queer black people being badass normal/magical.

The vines wrapped around her fingers and luscious red blooms turned their faces toward her light. She felt the earth move beneath her as more greenery sprouted and thrived. Deep purple flowers emerged amongst the vibrant yellows and she felt the life pulsing from her fingertips into each beautiful plant. The magic was there, but with it a looming darkness was emerging. Behind her a deadly plant arose, its vicious thorns protruding from a deathly black stalk. It moved forward, wanting to prick her with its poison and drain the life from her.

This Poison Heart completely wowed me. Kalynn Bayron just penned a masterpiece and I can’t wait for the next book in this series to come out so I can continue reading Bri’s story.

Bri has a special magic allowing her to grow and cultivate plants. When she inherits a house from her biological family, a dormant garden and a house full of secrets awaits her. I was drawn into this story immediately and couldn’t put it down. Mystery, murder, Greek mythology, and magic? Yes to all of that!

I also learned so much about plants and Kalynn wrote some gorgeous descriptions that had me perfectly picturing each one (even the crazy poisonous ones). I couldn’t get enough of Bri’s story and with that cliffhanger ending… I’m excited for more!

If you want a YA fantasy with Greek mythology, mystery, and magic, and you’re a plant lover… you’ll want to pick this book up immediately!

TW: Death of a Loved One, Murder, Poison.

Whoever proofed that summary deserves some recognition because it’s more than up to the task of giving you just enough to whet your appetite, without giving much of anything away. And trust me, there’s a big part of this narrative that the summary shrewdly practices the Five D’s of dodgeball, as it carefully dodges, ducks, dips, dives and dodges. What can I tell you, I appreciate a good summary and this one is a goodie.

So, with my dramatics out of the way, Kalynn Bayron is back with This Poison Heart, a book that is such an unapologetically joyful reading experience, that I seriously can’t imagine anyone not liking it. Let’s get to it, and we’ll start with temperature, humidity to be exact. In a book about botany, the greenhouse effect is immediately apparent as we are inserted into a hot and sticky modern day Brooklyn summer, and to make this infernal hell more so, there’s no air conditioning.

Yes, Bri’s moms, Angie (Mo) and Thandie (Mom) work and live in the same building, with their apartment sitting just above their street fronted flower shop, the aptly named “Bri’s Flowers”. Everything is going up in price, including the literal cost of doing business, so first-world luxuries like air conditioning, are just that, a luxury. And when they receive notice that their rent is going up, again, they’ve reached their breaking point financially.

Bri’s origin story, that is to say the source of her powers, falls under the “Superpowerful Genetics” category, or someone who has inherited their abilities from a parent or ancestor. She of course hasn’t really figured this out yet and still doesn’t know the limits of her resources, so she tests them whenever she can in secret. For their part, Angie and Thandie are aware Bri has certain gifts, they’re certainly aware of the side effects when she uses them, but out of fear, they do their best to keep it under wraps. But Bri has been toiling in mithridatism as well, testing her immunity to poisonous plants and flowers, something her mom’s definitely don’t know about.

Before we go much further it’s important to take a little break here and talk about Kalynn’s set-up, because it’s important. We are presented with a Black family struggling amidst tough financial times, with social assistance programs like rent control nowhere to be found. They are of course, thanks to systematic and financial institutional racism, kept from achieving the “American dream” , not given access to traditional wealth-building tools such as access to capital or conventional small business loans. Most Black families who are self-employed are either forced to close or are reliant on endowments from family members (very rare) that could help ease any burdens. In the case of Angie and Thandie, the miracle they need and the answer to most, if not all of their money problems, happens to occupy the second bedroom in their cute, but tiny apartment.

Call it coincidence, call it fate, but Bri’s powers are perfectly suited to solve her family’s financial woes. Her ability to grow/revive/sustain plant life would allow them to produce as many of, and any type of plant or flower the shop requires, allowing for more business and relieving them of that cost, which is significant. Bri is more than willing to do this, but every time she flexes this muscle there are side effects which can’t be ignored. Side effects Angie and Thandie refuse to be a party to, no matter how slight the discomfort, and even if the end result meant total financial freedom.

Imagine if you will, that the answer to all your life’s problems is in an envelope on the moon, and you’ve got Captain Marvel at your disposal, but you’re asking her not to fly. Why would you do that? Especially when they’re willing to make that sacrifice? I’ll tell you why, love, the best kind, the purest kind. We’ll get to more of this later.

For the full review, click the link below...

https://www.cinelinx.com/off-beat/this-poison-heart-book-review/

What a fantastically imaginative YA fantasy novel. Bayron breathes new life into the genre with an inclusive take on Greek mythological narratives. I can't wait to see what she writes next.

Thank you, NetGalley for the review copy of this book.
3.5 rounded up.

I enjoyed this quite a lot. Our characters were great and the story was fun and unique. The idea of plant-based magic is really cool as well. It is softer magic and while we get some explanations we aren't fully versed in all the magic rules.

I loved our MC and her two moms, the moms may be my favorites of all!

There were some predictable moments that I didn't hate but could see coming to a while off, and honestly, I thought the romance seemed very rushed and forced and it was the one real thing that I just didn't truly believe.

I did enjoy it though and will read the next book when it comes out.

Wow!!! I can’t believe Kalynn Bayron managed to combine gothic estates, Greek mythology, and poison gardens into one fabulous mystery. This book is possibly everything I’ve ever wanted and I loved it so much. Briseis is a thoughtful and hilarious protagonist, alongside her amazingly supportive (lesbian) mothers. While I had some issues with the pacing, I can’t deny what a great time I had reading and can’t wait for the next installment.

I smiled the entire time I read this book. It is Poison Ivy (or Rapaccini's Daughter) with an inherited mysterious house. Of course, the house has secrets to include a garden only the main character could enter. Plus, there is greek mythology influence sprinkled throughout. And, to top it all off there are two sapphic style romances that do not overwhelm the story. I got to the end of reading this book and instantly wanted to be picking up the next book in a series.
It is oriented towards teens, but the plot of the story is capable of drawing anyone in. And, while there are comments made in regards to the main character's skin color in a small town in upstate New York, it is equal parts important but not an overwhelming element of the story. I can not express how much I loved this book.

(3 stars)

This book had enormous potential, but I feel like much of the plot missed the mark. I really enjoyed the characters, but the plot left something to be desired.

My biggest issue regarding the plot was the poor pacing. The main character didn't even arrive at the primary setting until about 25% of the way through. The exposition dragged on for a huge chunk of the beginning, and it made it hard to get through. Because of how slow thing were at the start, it seemed like suddenly everything was happening in the last chunk of the book, especially in the last few chapters. This book suffered major finale syndrome.

Another problem I had with this story was the use of the immortal love interest trope. It is revealed later in the story that the love interest is actually three-hundred thirty-six, but in the body of a seventeen year old. The main character is barely seventeen, yet is supposed to be dating someone hundreds of years her senior? This might not bother some people, but it's a definite no from me.

My final criticism with this book was the author's unwillingness to use words like lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer. This book has a modern setting, so the author's avoidance of LGBTQ+ terms makes little sense.

Now that we've got my negative opinions out of the way, let's talk a little bit about what I did enjoy:

- the characters! Briseis was a really interesting character and I loved her relationship with her moms.
- the magic system! The influence of mythology was something that surprised me, but it was super cool.
- the handling of adoption! I really appreciated how the author made it clear that Briseis wanting to learn about her birth mother and her family was not a betrayal to her moms, definitely handled this topic with the upmost care.
- black representation written by a black author!

While I did have some hefty concerns regarding this book, it is in no way a bad book, and I still definitely recommend it for fans of 'Cinderella is Dead'.

“I wanted to know what it would be like to be myself, right from the jump. No secrets, no hiding. But it was too late for that…How much more of this could I take before I reached a tipping point? Before I did something I couldn’t take back?”

THIS POISON HEART is an enchanting and thrilling YA novel (the first in a series) about a queer Black girl with magical powers caught up in a Greek mythology-inspired story that bursts with family secrets, mysterious people, and poisonous plants. Briseis thinks she’s spending her summer in Brooklyn, helping out at her family’s flower shop and experimenting with deadly plants in a hidden corner of Prospect Park. But when she learns she’s inherited a mansion in the rural upstate town of Rhinebeck from her birth mother’s sister, her plans are turned upside down - for better or for worse. As the house and townspeople begin to reveal their secrets, Bri has to deal with a more significant inheritance than she thought and learn how to harness her powers for a battle of epic proportions.

This book is SO GOOD. It’s a fantasy novel, but it has more contemporary YA vibes than others in the genre that I’ve read recently, and I liked that. The mysteries in the story unfold slowly, revealed piece by piece as Bri discovers secret rooms, follows clues like a scavenger hunt, and encounters different people who drop tidbits of information. The pacing is immaculate and I loved how the story evolved and grew, with centuries-old legacies and otherworldly figures - I can’t wait to read more. The setting is so enchanting: old mansion, woods, creeping vines, plants of all shapes and sizes moving, growing, communicating. Also the place Bri and her moms move to: a charming small town that, while mostly white and not without its problems, is full of quirky characters and also working on defunding their police department (!) with social workers (!!!).

The primary characters are mostly Black and mostly queer. Bri is fantastic, a heroine to root for and admire, and also a teenager dealing with regular coming-of-age stuff. The budding romance between her and her love interest (sapphic) is compelling and may just break all our hearts. Bri’s moms are amazing - there’s really positive, accepting parenting going on, allowing Bri to stretch and grow while also protecting her, supporting her researching her birth family and not feeling threatened by it. They are also utter hams and add a lot of comic relief. Plus! Sapphic moms! I’m not sure it’s a queernorm world, but I didn’t pick up on any homophobia. There’s also a minor side character mentioned who uses they/them pronouns that I hope we see more of in the rest of the series. While the book is primarily concerned with Bri’s powers and the fantasy historical conflict she steps into, Bayron also incorporates current issues into the story, such as gentrification, racism, and policing.

This story to me also contains powerful allegories. Bri hiding her powers from some out of fear they won’t understand and her joy when she is able to share this piece of herself and be accepted all feels similar to the ways queer people hide themselves and the beauty of feeling safe enough to be out, of being known and loved as a queer person. Similarly the family history that’s been hidden away from her, including the crimes that have been covered up, could be seen as a parallel to the lost legacies of Black families in the US, who were in many ways denied the ability to stay connected to the ancestral lands they were taken from, forbidden from maintaining their own traditions, and denied the resources to maintain their own histories - and the ways in which our society continues to deny and diminish its racist history. I don’t know if Bayron intended readers to make these connections, but regardless I got so much from the depth and richness of her writing.

I absolutely loved this book and I will be on the edge of my seat waiting for the sequel. Thank you to Bloomsbury YA for the ARC! This book came out 6/29 and the gorgeous hardcover is not to be missed.

Content warnings: death of a family member, physical violence, poisoning, some gore, murder

I loved this! Cinderella is Dead was one of my favorite books last year, so of course this was one of my most anticipated reads. It definitely did not disappoint, and I loved the overall haunting, fairytale-like atmosphere.

Briseis has a hidden talent--a green thumb, if you will--where she has a knack for growing flora and fauna, which she begins to explore in-depth to see how far her powers go. Having been adopted by parents who happen to own a flower shop, Briseis' gift is more of a burden. When a biological aunt is pronounced dead, Briseis learns that she is to inherit an estate. An estate with an attached apothecary, a secret garden, and within a community that is filled with odd characters and secrets.

DC's Poison Ivy meets Greek mythology meets Little Shop of Horrors meets The Secret Garden (it's actually a party at this point) in the first book of Kalynn Bayron's new series. Bayron includes a lot of Greek mythology without making the narrative super convoluted. This book is told from Briseis' perspective and follows her as she uncovers the mysteries of her powers, new home, and community. There were a lot of details that made characters more substantial, in particular, Bri and her moms, and, although they were spoken of in the past/not alive within the narrative, Circe and Selene. Some characters like Karter, Nyx, and Marie were shrouded in mystery (understandable considering the situation) and I was interested in getting to know them more as secrets were uncovered. I was wary of everyone Bri met and was left on the edge of my seat and suspecting everyone. Even Bri's relationship with Marie felt off (not just the age difference) because I thought Bri was WAY too trusting of Marie too quickly.

The pacing was also a bit off where there was a lot of explanation and exposition in the first part of the book, but went too quickly in the second-half of the book. I think pacing is always an issue with the first book in a series where world-building, character-growth, and motivations are established. Overall, I enjoyed This Poison Heart and cannot wait for the next book!

Briseis knows she has a rare gift--with just a touch, she can grow plants. But this gift also attracts attention. So when she inherits an estate in rural New York from a relative, Briseis and her moms see this as a chance to get away and perhaps learn to control her power. Upon arriving at her new home, Briseis finds it to be beautiful--and mysterious. The property is filled with secret gardens and the house itself with notes and clues about her family's past. Then the local townsfolk start showing up at Briseis' doorstep, and she realizes the house once served as an apothecary. Briseis has an uncanny knack for whipping up the healing potions everyone desires, but the more she investigates, she realizes there is a darker side to the house and its powers. One that could have dangerous consequences for Briseis and her entire family.

"I was pretty sure that growing a poisonous bush in the park wasn't what they had in mind for how I should spend my summer."

This was a completely awesome book! The story is totally engrossing. There are poisonous plants, secret gardens, Greek mythology, and a gothic vibe--what's not to love? Briseis is an amazing character. She's strong, brave, and tough; she's also bisexual and loved unconditionally by her two moms, Mom and Mo. The book offers such a great family dynamic, with an excellent attitude toward adoption. It's no big deal that Bri is bi or that she has two Moms--it's just a fact of life. How I appreciate that in a YA book.

"'Did I--did I inherit the Addams Family Mansion?'"

I've read several books lately with Greek mythology and didn't care for them, but this one broke the mold. The stories are woven in perfectly and add to the plot flawlessly. The story is completely captivating and I loved all the strong women in it. It's also part mystery, part myth, which adds to the page-turning aspect. (Be forewarned, this is book #1, so this ends on a bit of a cliffhanger.)

Overall, cannot recommend this book enough. It's a unique and mesmerizing fantasy. The fact that it's so queer inclusive is lovely. I'll be impatiently waiting for book #2.

I have to start by saying, the cover of this book is stunning and I really wanted to read it, as I read Cinderella is dead by this author as well - it was okay, but I found the pacing to be a little off and I have the same critique of this book, so I'm not sure this author's writing style is for me. It's not a bad book, overall I liked the story, but the initial pacing is slow and it took half the book to establish the setting without really focusing on storyline, then it picked up, the ending felt incredibly rushed and I was left without feeling like it concluded well. I loved the poisonous plants and apothecary vibes, but this was just good for me.

Thanks to NetGalley & Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bri has always had mysterious magic around plants, they love her and she loves them, but it's a problem when she's trying to take a test in class and the teacher's plant is inching closer to her. Life is stressful for Bri and her secret until she finds out that she inherited a large mansion on the outskirts of NYC. She and her family move in there, ready to leave as soon as anything spooky comes out, but they discover Bri's heritage have deeper roots in history than they could ever have imagined.

Oh man, I absolutely LOVED this book. I especially appreciate the tonal shift when Bri moves into the mysterious manor. In the beginning, it's more like a typical "I'm afraid of everyone finding out about my secret plant magic!" story, and then it switches into a gothic mystery. Really cool switch in genres!

The side characters all had mystery and it was fun to try to figure out what secrets they were hiding. I especially loved Bri's moms, they were snarky and hilarious and brought some light to the book. It was also sweet to see an orphan like Bri having been adopted by two loving mothers, a lot of YA protagonists' parents are long dead or something. So it was nice that Bri had a strong support system throughout the story.

I will admit a lot of this is sequel bait which usually annoys me but I didn't mind it so much here because it's juicy drama. I'll take it! Can't wait to read the next one! ;)

I’ll be honest, I went into this book completely blind. All I needed to know was that it said “Kalynn Bayron” and I was 100% sold. I loved Bayron’s debut Cinderella is Dead so much that I knew I would read whatever she put out next.

If you’re willing to go into this blindly like I did, I fully recommend it. It made reading Briseis’s story endlessly more fun and unexpected. I was constantly left wowed by Bayron’s flare for storytelling.

Be prepared for the final act of the story to knock your socks off.

If you want a super barebones idea of what this story holds, know that, unlike Cinderella is Dead, it takes place in modern times, and there’s plant magic. I just want you all to know how much I adored this entire book. Bayron definitely has a fan in me.

Additional note: if you haven’t seen the movie Get Out and want to, I recommend watching it before reading this because there’s a massive spoiler mentioned. But you know, it’s an amazing movie so you should watch it anyway.

The gorgeous cover drew me in right away!! The book did not disappoint. I loved the concept behind the fantasy and the mysterious characters. I definitely wasn’t expecting the ending, but have strong hopes for a book 2!