This book didn't have what it took to keep me interested enough in it. Although it started off pretty well, to me it felt like there was not a good progression in the story.

I really enjoyed the premise and multiple povs of this book, however, I often found it hard to distinguish between the different characters and timelines. Still, I was very immersed in this immigrant war story. There were some painful parts full of grief but also a lot of love and hope throughout this book. I appreciated the cultural traditions, multiple layers, and everyday life. Though I have read other historical fiction, this was my first that featured Greece. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and the full circle moment after learning how the various timelines connected!

Thanks NetGalley for my arc!

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

As a person who usually prides herself in 'observing' things, I was pretty ashamed to find that I had not noticed the fact that this book was a novel in verse. I started listening to the audiobook and had some difficulty following the narrative because of the 'in verse' part. Not being used to poetry, this particular version felt a little abrupt. I stopped and gave myself a lot of breaks until I got to the last section of the narrative. By this time, I was heavily invested in the outcome, and I knew where the different timelines converged enough to have a good enough picture in my head of all the events.
We have multiple narrators here, who were all voiced by different people, which helped me remind myself who I was listening to and what they were experiencing at any given time.
The main storyline is in Detroit in the 1930s. We meet a greek family (although the mother is not actually greek herself) whose two girls have an expected trajectory to follow in life. Mary, our lead protagonist, does not want to marry and have a family of her own. At least, she does not want to do it immediately. She wants to finish school, find a job and be financially independent. Her father has other plans. He struggles to reign in the family in the way he sees as the most reasonable way (it is obvious that not everyone else agrees).
The yearning in Mary is quite palpable, and her issues seem simple yet profound. She stumbles on a packet of letters between two unknown people who talk of their own yearning, having been separated by war. Only towards the end do we find out for sure who the pair were (although it might be obvious, I was being cautious to not fall into assumptions). The letters are recited in alternating chapters as the second thread of this story. The final third thread is the direct story of the two people of the letters, their past coming into focus little by little, colouring the picture in.
It was only towards the end that I appreciated the book's unique format. I might not have liked it as much if I was reading it (as mentioned earlier, it is not a format I am used to reading). The narrators all did a good job, and I would recommend this audiobook to anyone who would like a unique angle on historical fiction.
The author's note at the end did add a lot more flavour to the book and should not be missed!
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is based on my own listening experience.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to listen to in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

***AUDIO BOOK VERSION***
Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit is a book I took a chance on and I'm so glad I did. This historical fiction book is so beautifully written and is done so cleverly in poetic verse. The book is based on the author Colby Cedar Smiths grandmother's upbringing and life history. Set in Detroit in the 1930s, Mary - born to Greek and French immigrants, lives in a small apartment with her family and longs for true love, a marriage of choice, independence and to own her own business. Although this story is centred around Mary, we also hear of her parents through flashbacks back to times of their own childhoods. The book was cleverly narrated and written and I enjoyed the three different narrations through the book on audio. This book opens an insight to times of great hardships such as the great depression, violent riots and hunger strikes during the war. This book really impacts on you and my heart went out to each character portrayed in the story. This story is absolutely beautiful and captivating!

The narration of this audiobook was great and kept me interested throughout. This was a very emotional story surrounding war and had interesting perspectives.

This was a lovely historical fiction YA that centers on a young woman coming of age in Detroit in the '30s with immigrant parents who met during WWI. She discovers the letters they wrote to each other during that time, and their three narratives spin the story of a family who learns to grieve and grow together.

The audiobook was wonderful to listen to with a full cast narration. I thought the characters and their accents really helped create an immersive atmosphere and since the story was in verse it's a great way to hear the rhythm of the words and how it lends itself to a well paced and impactful storytelling experience.

***Thank you to Andrews McMeel Audio and Netgalley for providing a free copy of the audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review.

I highly enjoy novels written in verse-- they are quick reads, but I find them even more enjoyable when they are audiobooks. This was the case with this book. I enjoyed listening to it quite a lot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced audio copy of this book.

I loved this audiobook and found such value in listening to a book told in verse. I will admit that I am not the biggest poetry fan, but I was sucked into the storyline as well as the way it was being told. The audiobook was the perfect way for me to immerse myself in this story. Insightful and beautifully told, this short audiobook packed a punch. I would highly recommend it if you are looking for a unique read about Mary, who is growing up in Detroit to immigrant parents from France and Greece.
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This story is not only timely but emphasizes that families want to keep their cultural traditions and histories while incorporating and learning about the traditions of a new country. I loved the alternating POV between Mary and her parents.

Title: Call Me Athena
Author: Colby Cedar Smith
Publication Date: August 17 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley for my opportunity to review this book. I read an e-copy of this book and also listened to the audiobook.

Synopsis: Call Me Athena is a novel in verse that follows Mary in 1930s Detroit. Mary is the daughter of Greek and French immigrants on her quest for her own freedom and path in the midst of facing sexism, the Great Depression, and her parents wanting her to fall into a traditional Greek female role.

My Thoughts: I loved this book! I really enjoyed the uniqueness of a multi-generational family story in verse format. I enjoyed the alternating timelines, where we got to see life from Mary's viewpoint growing up in America, but also her parents' pasts in Greece and France. While I found it infuriating that Mary's parents were not supportive of her wanting to pave her own way, find love on her own terms, and start her own business, it was helpful to hear about their childhoods in Greece and France to give context for their rigidly held beliefs. This book was richly written and I loved the gorgeous descriptions.

Audio: I really enjoyed the narrators. The narration was fantastic and added so much to the story because the narrators were in character and had crisp, clear narration. Absolutely wonderful narration!

I highly recommend this book in any format!
-Lauren
www.okayinmybook.com
www.instagram.com/okayinmybook

A simple story to follow but a difficult one to explain. We have three linked stories that all have the same intent but bring different perspectives to bear. It's a book about expectations, ours and those of others, And it doesn't try to hard to moralize and draw conclusions. Nothing gets buttoned up. It just ends and we are left to draw our own conclusions.

I love novels in verse and I love historical fiction, but this one just dragged on. I had received a digital ARC from the publisher that I could not get through and I barely made it through the audiobook ARC because the poor quality of the audio file makes it impossible to listen at anything faster than 2X speed.

2.8 stars

I originally requested the audiobook ARC and it wasn't working for me so I had to read it as well. reading it was a better experience.

This was a mixed experience for me.

As a third generation immigrant I was able t o really relate to the content, which got me really emotional sometimes, but I wasn't a big fan of the delivery.

Just a matter of style and preference so I really recommend people looking for diverse stories about immigration to give it a try

This book was a delight to read. The writing was be and drew me in from the very
beginning. The historical novel tells the tale of immigrants during the great depression. Told through the point of view of our main character Mary and Flashbacks from when her parents were younger.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Loved reading this! such an interesting read and i loved the way it was written!

I needed to start with the line: “Call me Athena, she was not a good Greek girl either”

This verse novel followed three perspectives: Mary, Giorgos, Jeanne. It was beautifully lyrical, included historical viewpoints, and was filled with important topics (family, identity, culture, time period, and hardship being just some that were especially relevant).

All of these stories were heartbreaking and touching in their own ways as they each dealt with life, but to see how they connected and persevered through life was beautiful. I loved the family aspect and the growth. I loved the individual perspectives (even though I personally had my favorite as I'm sure you all will as well).

I’m having a hard time writing this review just because I don’t want to give too much away, but it follows WWI in France, Greece, as well as the 1930s in Detroit throughout the various perspectives.

The story was far from sunshine and roses, but not completely hopeless; there was definitely balance. I absolutely plan to have this book in my classroom and actually plan to pull some excerpts from it to use for various units.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I absolutely want to read this book in addition to listening to the audiobook now. One thing I could say for improvement is some parts did feel a bit fast/I wanted more. I would have been happy to keep reading. I cannot wait for more from Colby Cedar Smith.

Overall Review: 4.5 stars

Thank you to @netgalley Andrews McMeel Audio, for the ALC in return for my honest review.

I have to admit, I was unsure if I would like a book written in verse. I was drawn in by the cover, however - and wasn't disappointed. The narrative flowed smoothly between Mary, a young girl living in a turbulent 1930s Detroit, and her Greek father and French mother's stories during the World War I era. The characters feel very real - possibly because they are based on the author's own grandmother and great grandparents - and this is what makes the story compelling.

I had a really hard time getting into this one. It just wasn’t for me. I’m not sure why I just couldnt get into it.

Listening to the audiobook turned out to be a lovely experience . It was under 'Listen Now' on NetGalley and I almost, almost decided against clicking on it.....thankfully I did! The novel itself is written in verse and I feel that is the reason why the audiobook sounds so good with a poetic feel to it. The book is loosely based on the author's maternal grandmother Mary's life and follows the story arc of three characters--Mary as a teenager living in Detroit in the 1930s during the time of the Great Depression, Georgois (Gio) a Greek fisherman and Jeanne a French nurse both during the First World War. The relationship between these three characters is gradually revealed as the story progresses.

The narration is done by three different voice artists, (one for each main character) Gail Shalan, Hope Newhouse and Ramiz Monsef and all three do a very good job of bringing their respective characters to life. Although the written book is over 500 pages long, the audiobook lasts only 5 hours.

My thanks to NetGalley, the audiobook publisher Andrews McMeel Audio and the author Colby Cedar Smith for the audio ARC of the book. I had finished listening to this book way before its official release date and I apologise for sharing my review late.

I ABSOLUTELY adored this book in verse & that is saying a lot. This book follows three characters from three different parts of the world who all end up connected in different ways. The audiobook is a great way to learn their tales but I would recommend the physical book to my patrons.