A poignant story told in verse relating the journey of three individuals as they struggle against societal expectation and forge a path for themselves to lead a life with meaning. The author's deeply personal connection to the characters whose lives we follow makes it all the more heartfelt.

There are several questions posed that seem to resonate even today "Who needs the warmth the most?". The themes of the horrors of war as well as struggle within oneself with feeling like an outsider in one's own country and a stranger to one's customs and beliefs have been beautifully highlighted. For me, the biggest takeaway was despite adversity one must keep hope alive for a better future.

Firstly I would like to say a big thank you to the author for writing this beautiful story and as a Greek girl for letting me see myself in a character with almost the same heritage.

This book has such a wild beauty that you, the reader, want to read more and grasp every emotion these characters feel.

The format of the book made it even easier to read and enjoy and the way Smith writes creates a sad overtone that you can not just experience through those who live through it but you can feel it deep inside your bones.

The way the author handles the different heavy topics in the story, leaves the reader with the sense of understanding from the author to the characters and those that experienced something like this at that time.

The characters feel real, authentic with a sense of understanding themselves but also their place in society but also within their respective families and what is expected of them.

Lastly, I could see my great grandparents in the parents of Mary when they had to leave everything behind and imagine a future to a whole foreign and unknown country, just so they could provide a respectful life to their children.

This book was lovely. I originally looked at it because it was available to listen immediately and upon reading the description I was 100% in. If you like historical fiction based on real, everyday people, this will fit right in on your shelf. Loosely based on Colby Cedar Smith's grandmother, there is a great deal of love and care put into the characters and their experience navigating being an immigrant in Detroit during the Great Depression.

The classic internal battle between wanting true love and wanting to be a good daughter plays out in this novel written in verse without triggering any sense of deja vu.

The verse writing style does not translate quite as well through audiobook and I think it would in hardcopy, but do not let that turn you away from the audiobook if that is your reading medium of choice. A cast of three narrators, both written and cast to read the audiobook, take you on a emotional journey through time, love, heartbreak, and hope. Poetry and prose lovers alike will find Call Me Athena a compelling and touching read.

A big thank you to NetGalley, Andrews McMeel Publishing & Audio, and Colby Cedar Smith for providing me an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This... was not for me.
It was a less-than-6-hour audiobook and I still found myself being bored. I felt nothing for the characters... Even when very sad things happened to them, I felt nothing. I was just frustrated and meh the entire time. I really didn't connect to the story I guess.
It was a novel in verse, but it didn't really feel like one as an audiobook? I think I just couldn't hear the poetry... I also didn't love the narrator who did Jeanne, I mean no offense, but I could definitely hear that it was not a native french, but an English native playing at a french accent and it annoyed me greatly. The parents frustrated me to no end but I also could not like the main character.
I'm sorry... I don't know what to add, this was just a big miss for me.

This was my first NetGalley book and I'll be honest, I hesitated a minute before choosing this - I'm not usually a fan of stories told in verse. But I am so glad I went for it!! I chose the audiobook and it was EXCELLENT. Beautifully written story told from varying perspectives depicting life as an immigrant, family dynamics, inequality, poverty, and gender roles. Inspired by the author's own family history, this is both a tragedy and a love story. The narrators were wonderful and helped to give the characters depth. Overall, just really well done. I plan to have my 14-year-old son listen as I think there's both a lesson of historical value and one of hope portrayed through the lens of each character's coming of age journey.

The only negative is that it is too short! I wanted it to be longer and to have more time with these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free audioARC in exchange for an honest review!

I liked how the story focuses on Mary, Gio, and Jeanne. All three characters alternate as the narrator which gives a close look at how they react to world events, such as WWI and the Great Depression. I think Colby Cedar Smith portrayed loss, grief, and hope well. However, I began to lose interest in the last 15% of the book. I was hoping for more interactions between Mary and her parents.


I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Call Me Athena is a great glimpse into two periods in history. As someone who grew up in Metro-Detroit, it was especially interesting to hear Mary’s story! Our area was basically created because of Henry Ford, but we don’t take too much time thinking of all those who were impacted positively and negatively by the early auto industry.

I listened to this as an audiobook, which can really make or break a story. In the case of this book, I feel like it broke it. Every time it switched to Jeanne’s perspective, it was jarring and took me right out of the story due to the almost painful French accent. I’d definitely recommend reading a physical copy instead.

Thanks to Net Galley for this audio-arc in exchange for my honest review!

It’s strange how a book enters your life unexpectedly. I had opted for this novel only because it was a “Listen Now” audiobook on NetGalley. I wasn’t too happy with the cover (I somehow don’t like those highly rouged cheeks, and it didn’t seem to suit the book.) But after reading it, I must say I am pleasantly surprised.

Story:
The story comes to us from the perspective of three young adults:
• Mary, living in Detroit in 1933: The daughter of immigrants, she has always wondered why her parents came to America, especially as their life isn’t as dreamy as they had imagined, they struggle for work and money, and they seem to not have left their old traditional beliefs behind. But she doesn’t stop dreaming of breaking free from the shackles of her culture. Mary is the main protagonist of the book.
• Georgios (I hope I have got the spelling right), living in Greece in 1915: With a father missing at sea, Georgios has to be the man of the house. He dreams of being a fisherman someday but with WWI, his life changes and he soon finds himself on the battleground of WWI.
• Jeanne, living in France in 1915: The daughter of a rich doctor, Jeanne is still expected to follow the traditional path set out for girls. But when her doctor goes away on WWI duty, she spreads her wings and begins volunteering as a nurse for wounded soldiers. She doesn’t realise that this decision will change her life very soon.
How the three characters are connected to each other is guessable once you are a few chapters in the narrative.

Each of the main characters is nicely crafted. At first, some of their circumstances seemed too farfetched to be true. But as the author’s note revealed that the story is that of her own family members, my reaction changed from disbelief to awe. Mary especially is such an stimulating character for the time she lives in. Her actions are really gutsy, and you can’t help but admire the caged bird who wants to spread out her wings and fly. I am so happy her real life turned out to be just as she wanted.

Don’t let the number of pages as shown on Goodreads stump you in your decision to go for this book. This is a novel written in verse, so it goes by very quickly. I am not qualified to comment on the quality or beauty of the verses as I have no poetic bone in my body. But suffice to say that it was written very nicely, with the lyrical words bringing a richness to the narrative.

In spite of what the title suggests, Greek mythology plays only a minor role in the story. As is evident, this isn’t a Greek myth retelling. But you will realise the significance of the title to the story if you know the story of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war. The character with whom the verses about Athena are interspersed does perfect justice to the goddess’ name.

Overall, I didn’t know what to expect from this book. And that helped me enjoy it to a great extent. Go for it if you want a nice historical story based on actual facts, and to meet one inspiring woman from the past. It is a worthwhile read indeed, where the writing style adds a special charm to an otherwise straightforward story.

The audiobook is narrated by Gail Shalan, Hope Newhouse and Ramiz Monsef. And all three of them are excellent, lending the right amount of seriousness and depth to the narration. Even the accents are perfect and add a great deal of authenticity to the listening experience. The audiobook is just over 5 hours long as it is an adaptation of the original verses to suit the audio format.

Thank you, NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

This novel-in-verse about love, tragedy, and overcoming adversity was an emotional rollercoaster. The story is told through three different perspectives: Mary, Jeanne, and Gio. Mary’s story takes place in Detroit during The Great Depression as her family struggles to survive in a struggling economy and a society increasingly hostile towards immigrants. Jeanne and Gio’s stories take place during World War I with Jeanne living in France and Gio living in Greece. Each character faces their own hardships and tragedies, but they still manage to find love and dreams for the future. The poetic format in which each story enhances the impact of each moment beautifully no matter where it hits on the emotional spectrum.

What makes this book stand out for me is its almost brutal commitment to realism. Though the book tricks you into believing each character will have a straightforward journey, it turns into something quite different. They are faced with adversities, tragedies and triumphs that shape and change their goals and how they view themselves. Dreams are lost, sacrificed, and/or shifted. People’s minds don’t change easily, but it’s because they think they’re doing what’s right. Nothing is clear cut as the whole range of human experience for each character is explored in turn.

I think that this piece has a lot of depth for a YA book and there are many successful elements. However, I feel that there was some opportunity missed in tying Jeanne and Gio’s stories with Mary’s. Mary finds their letters and reads them, but she does not seem to respond to them in any way other than keeping them secret. As a result, the letters just seem like a handy way to tie in the other stories rather than a meaningful part of Mary’s experience or point of view. We also don’t get much of Jeanne’s and Gio’s perspective in the 1930s which might have added another layer of depth to the story. Additionally, I am a little disappointed Mary calls herself Athena when there is a far more significant and consistent connection to Joan of Arc; a similarly powerful female figure.

As stated previously, this is a book written in verse. It is a good book for those who enjoy this poetic format or who are experiencing it for the first time. I also find that this format makes it enjoyable for both YA and adult readers. However, if you do not usually enjoy the poetic format, you will likely find this book a bit heavy handed. I experienced this book as an audiobook and felt the narrator did a pretty good job. However, given the type of book this is, listening will naturally be a different experience from reading. There are positives and negatives to both types of reading experience and it really comes down to personal preference on this one.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Historical fiction is not a genre I typically reach for, but I found this book’s cover, and then it’s synopsis, a bit intriguing. The story follows a young Greek American girl who struggles to live a life of freedom and authenticity in 1930’s America. Her parents want her to marry an older man who would be able to support their poor family, but Mary is already in love with another boy and resents the reality of her situation. Her story overlaps with an earlier timeline when she finds a series of letters written between Gio and Jeanne from WWI. Through the eyes of these three characters we are shown first love, familial loss, search of identity, and the struggle to live in periods of wartime.

This story was very moving and poignant, partly because of the poetic writing style and partly because it was loosely based on the life of the author’s grandmother. It was so interesting to read about the hardships that individuals went through during these times, and just how many of these issues can still prevail in modern times. Mary has been brought up to be a ‘good Greek girl’ but she wants more from life than to be someone’s wife who will provide him with children. Her yearning to be with a boy that she likes was heartbreaking because while she is true to herself during these moments, her actions end up affecting her family in unexpected ways. As a woman living in the 1930's, she is further stifled by gender constraints and expectations of these times.

Tradition and heritage are other themes prevalent throughout this novel. Jeanne and Gio’s lives in France and Greece, respectively, show us the difficult choices that individuals often have to make in the name of survival. I especially enjoyed the moments where the stories of these three main characters connected and came together despite their different origins and experiences. I liked the multi-narrator style of the audiobook with all three narrators providing further emotional impact on top of the lovely writing style. Overall, this was a great debut novel from Colby Cedar Smith.

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you to #netgalley for allowing me to review this book in advance!! This novel details the stories of three people, Mary and her parents, as they struggle to honor their heritage, yet strive for independence from social and gender norms and struggle through the war.
This book was intriguing to me because I grew up in a Detroit suburb. I had never heard of the riots that took place around the Ford plants during the Depression. I was aware there was a Greek Town (we used to go there for gyros) but never gave much thought to the Greek immigrants that settled there. For these reasons, this novel hit home. I was so inspired by this novel, as I felt for Mary and her desire to be more than what she was told she should be and appreciated her drive and unwillingness to conform to gender norms. I thought her boyfriend was fairly progressive in his thinking as he supported her goals. It was quite clever the way the lives of the war torn lovers integrated into the story. The narrators were great, but if I had one request it would be to level out the volume between speakers. Mary's voice was so soft, but if I turned it up, the other voices were too loud. I have listened to at least 100 audiobooks and never had that issue. All in all a great read!

A multi-generational tale of immigration and identity spun between France, Greece, and Detroit, MI. It’s a bit slow and will take the right reader.

I personally just think that this book wasn't for me. I found it pretty boring, but I just don't think that I was the right audience for it.

I'm sure other people would absolutely love it.

Let me start off by saying this book made me weep. On multiple occasions. Thanks for that.

I was initially drawn to this book because Detroit. I grew up in metro-Detroit and spent time going downtown at different point in my life. I love to see a city that I love reflected in a story that appreciates the magic of what makes it unique. And this book really gives us a glimpse of what it was like in the 1930s. I wasn’t quite in the mood for a historical read at the time, but I was so glad I picked it up. This story blew me away.

Call Me Athena is a novel in verse that tells the story of sixteen-year-old Mary, the daughter of immigrants, who was brought up to be a good Greek girl in an America that is suffering at the hands of the Great Depression, sexism, racism, and xenophobia. But Mary doesn’t want to be what her parents expect; she wants to be a modern American woman. She struggles to be docile and is brash and bold compared to her twin sister. Mary’s parents want her to marry an older man because his money will help the family, but she is already in love with a boy who drives a shiny Ford Cabriolet.

When Mary finds letters from the war hidden away in her family’s cellar, Gio and Jeanne enter the story in periodical flashbacks to the Great War. Gio lives in Greece, until an accident forces him to flee to America. Jeanne works as a Red Cross nurse in France. While Mary’s story is the most prominent, Gio and Jeanne are interwoven at the perfect times to highlight the duality of their lives and Mary’s experiences. All three experience familial loss, first love, and grappling with the expectations of what they need to do versus what they want to do.

One of the things that I liked most about Call Me Athena was the authenticity, mostly because the story is loosely based on the author’s grandmother’s life. 1930s Detroit felt real, especially when I could picture places that I’ve been– like the Fox Theater and Belle Isle.

This is the type of book I would have devoured in junior high school, so it’s particularly great for middle grades but great for anyone with a Michigan and/or historical interest. Since it’s in verse, the narrative moves quickly, but you may want to slow down at some points to feel how beautiful some of the words actually are. The audiobook is also a great option because Mary, Gio, and Jeanne are all voiced by different actors, which really helps establish them as different characters.

4/5 Stars.

This is one of the many ebooks (and audiobooks) that Netgalley has to offer without the need to request

Let me start by saying that the audiobook is phenomenal and you should definitely pick it up.

Call me Athena: Girl from Detroit is absolutely worth your time. This book written in verse is about two generations of the same family and their diverse cultural background. The protagonist, Mary, is the child of immigrants - her father being greek and her mother being french-, and that’s something that neither her, nor the narrative, let us forget; being greek, french and the child of immigrants shaped the way Mary interacted with the world and how the world interacted with her. Her parts of the narrative were always a delight to read (and listen!), as they were always filled with so much emotion: happiness, sadness, anger… Mary’s parts had them all.

This book is also told from the perspective of Mary’s parents Gio and Jeanne. They tell us about their lives before the first world war and during the war, with Gio serving as a soldier for the Americans and Jeanne acting as a nurse in the northwest of France. Their parts, although insightful, weren’t nerly as interteining as Mary’s.

Call me Athena: Girl from Detroit is a book written in verse and a very quick read, perfect for dragging you out of a reading slump. I would personally recommend me audiobook, as you could feel the emotion of the world way better.

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

Detroit in 1930s--automobiles, immigrants, female empowerment--it's all included in the historical novel told in verse. I was captured by the story of this family as the tale weaved between time and points of view. Beautiful language and fast-paced.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange of an honest review! All opinions are my own.

At first I was afraid to try this book. I don’t like verse even in my native language, so I was sceptical about trying it in English (I even got both the digital e-book and audiobook!). Nevertheless as a history lover, I couldn’t miss this chance to read the story. The book has 2 time periods and 3 POVs. The first one is Mary, who lives in Detroit during the Great Depression. Mary is conflicted – her environment wants her to be a ‘good Greek daughter’, but she wants to be a modern American women – date whoever she wants and even help with business! The other storylines focus on Marys parents: Gio a Greek and Jeanne from France. Their story starts together with World War 1 and shows how they both grow up and meat each other.

This book was a very quick read (I switched between audio and e-book) written in beautiful verse. I especially liked the fact that it was based on the authors grandmothers life. I would have liked to learn more about all the characters, but it is an amazing story! 4 stars

Thanks Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Audio for the advanced audio book copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really good audio experience. There’s a full cast, which I always love in an audio book. The chapters alternate in order between Mary (living in 1930’s Detroit to immigrant parents), her father Gio (1917-18 Greece), and mother (1917-18 France). I love that the story moved between what was happening to Mary in the 1930’s and what was happening to her parents when they were her age and were meeting during WWI. Switching between the depression and WWI was super interesting to me and I enjoyed the differences but also similarities in the time periods. Mary was a great character and so strong and empowered; I was really rooting for her the whole time. I found her parents incredibly frustrating in Mary’s present, but seeing their past and what lead them to America gave insight into their opinions and made it a little easier to empathize with them.

The book is written in verse, but that didn’t come across super strong on the audio. I recommend the audio for an immersive experience but I also imagine reading the story in verse would be just as powerful.

Thank you to Netgally and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with an audiobook arc in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
OMG, I absolutely loved this book! I fell in love with the characters almost instantly, and just flew through the first 70% of the book in one sitting. I honestly probably would have finished it in one sitting if I didn't have other obligations. I found both timelines intriguing and delightful, Mary and Billy are adorable, and I found a new appreciation for all I take for granted being a woman in today's world.
A lot of the themes discussed in this book are not new to me but I think delving into them both from the distance of different culture ( i.e. replace being a "good _____ girl" with being a "good GREEK girl") and the aid of first person narrative really did wonders to breathe new life into the ideas discussed. I really enjoyed this story that felt both familiar and fresh.
10/10 would recommend!!

Colby Cedar Smith took me on a beautiful journey and I loved every second of it. Historical fiction just always hits and this book solidified why it is one of my favourite genres. A sweeping story across time and generations ? Sign me up. Also i’m having a great reading month so far so *cross toes* that it continues.

Call Me Athena follows a young woman, Mary, as she struggles for independence and identity as the daughter of Greek and French immigrants in 1930s Detroit. Mary yearns for true love, to have a career of her own, to become a modern American woman much to the frustration of her parents who want her to be a ‘good greek girl’. Told in verse, this novel captures the perspectives of three narrators, Mary in 1930s USA and Gio and Jeanne’s in WW1 , and delivers a powerful message of love, grief, courage and most importantly, hope.


Aahhh this book just made me feel many things and I'm still thinking about it. I was angry ,I laughed , I swooned , and probably would have cried if i had tears left. The lyrical verse perfectly carried this story and breathed life into the narratives of the characters. The story, which was loosely based on the author’s own family , tells the story of being an immigrant in America so beautifully, detailing the reality of being in the land of the free but chained and struggling at almost every turn. The yearning for a life of your own and choices of your own in a world that doesn't make room for you because of your background or your gender. Mary was a captivating character to read from , I was rooting for her right from the beginning and felt myself cheering for her at every obstacle. All of the characters in the book had depth to them and this helped make their stories so much more engaging and made their actions more understandable. I don’t know how to talk about this book other than discussing my favourite moments so I will now get onto that.

This audiobook really added to the story and the emersion into the world and emotions of the characters. I listened the audiobook whilst reading with my eyes and would recommend that method for an optimal experience. The narrators were all really good and had different accents which helped differentiate the characters.

This book comes out 17 August 2021 and I think everyone should pick it up if you enjoy historical fiction and stories told in verse. I cant wait to buy it so I can go back and relive all my favourite moments and poems ☺️

**Okay now for some maybe spoilery gushing**


Billy and Mary were so freaking cute, i just bookmarked i think all of their moments because seeing Mary happy just made me so happy. Their first kiss, her in that green dress, when he dropped her off in the car - I JUST LOVED THEM. Seeing her parents, Jeanne and Gio’s story really gave them so much depth and allowed for them to be humans and people instead of these caricature immigrant parent characters. You really got to understand the way they were now and the things they had gone through.Reading from their perspectives and their love story was lovely and I love them so much and just wanted to protect them. im so happy and relieved that Mary got to live the life she wanted to and have the love she wanted and a career of her own, just ugghh so happy for her and mostly just pleased that the author didn't give me a devastating ending.

Thank you to Netgalley and Colby Cedar smith for the eArc and the opportunity to read this lovely story.

#CallMeAthena #NetGalley