Immediately loved this one as someone who’s drawn to modern spins on ancient Greek myths and thoroughly enjoying the renaissance of them. Though I wouldn’t label it a strict retelling of Persephone and Demeter, the parallels are there in a subtle, intriguing way.

What really gripped me here was the dynamic between Cory and her mother, Emer. The tension between them, combined with the unsettling allure of Rolo Picazo, creates a dark and twisting narrative. Lyon weaves themes of control, addiction, and power into a modern setting that feels eerily relevant. Cory's descent into Rolo’s world on his private island mirrors the kind of mythic underworld you’d expect, but with a fresh, contemporary twist. Also, it's not relevant, but I have to say I kept imagining this guy as Dave Bautista. Someone cast him in the screen adaptation, stat.

Lyon’s ability to shift between Cory’s and Emer’s perspectives kept me on edge, highlighting the different ways both women struggle to reclaim control in their lives. The island, with its opulence and sinister undertones, feels like a character itself, adding to the story’s haunting atmosphere. I was a fan of this one, it was an easy read, and I loved the way it came together.

I was drawn to the premise of the book being a literary greek retelling. In this version, the chapters alternate between the mother and the daughter. The daughter obviously is a child and is lost to what she wants her future to look like and is stuck in the present with all of the excesses on an island where all of her needs are met, however in a predatory manner. The mother has had it all, but is losing everything trying to seek to save her daughter who has been neglected in the past. I really wanted to like this one, but I really struggled with Cory and her dynamic with Rolo. I did not really find it plausible. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

I was really excited for this very modern take on the myth of Persephone & Demeter! Cory is an 18-year-old camp counselor who finds herself at loose ends at the end of the summer. A camper's wealthy father, the CEO of a pharmaceutical company who owns a private island off the coast of Maine, offers her a gig as a live-in nanny for a month while his ex-wife recovers from the birth of her child with her new husband. Cory rather gormlessly accepts, & more or less disappears, as she has no wireless service on the island, & is sick of her mother's constant meddling anyway. This causes her mother, Emer, the head of an agricultural NGO that has failed to live up to the promises it made on its genetically modified "magic rice," to basically spiral out of control.

The conceit here is that Cory is Perspehone (also known as Kore in some myths), the maiden; the pharma dude, Rolo Picazo, is Hades, king of the Underworld, who steals Persephone away (Picazo means "magpie" in Italian, which is a bird known for stealing shiny objects); & Emer is Demeter (the goddess of harvest & agriculture). So the symbolism is very thick here.

Unfortunately, Lyon's may have become so enthralled by her symbolism that she forgot to develop much of a plot, because this goes more or less exactly the way you think it would, save for pretty much everything Emer does. & everything Emer does is totally unearned & strictly for plot reasons, but it's so unbelievable & incomprehensible as anything a normal person would do that it's hard to validate it as a real plot. Emer goes on a quest to "rescue" Cory from Rolo's island, but it's never really clear why Cory needs such a dramatic rescue, why Emer should be the one to do it, why Emer should do it in this particularly insane way, or even really how she pulls it off.

I do think the writing in this book is quite beautiful. The book is a vibe, for sure. But if you are coming here for a carefully-constructed or even a coherent plot, you are going to be disappointed. Truth be told, I gave this book 3.5 stars & it got dinged pretty hard on factors like "logic" & "plot". But I ranked it high as far as "atmosphere" & "writing quality" (meaning that there were some beautiful turns of phrase, the writing flowed & churned like the North Atlantic itself). So depending on what you want in a book, you could love it or hate it. Personally, I'm glad I read it because I will take beautiful writing over a taut, suspenseful plot any day. & honestly, Emer's bizarre personal breakdown kind of made me laugh (though I don't think it was supposed to).

I want a prequel about Rolo's marriage to his kids' mom, because frankly, she seems infinitely too cool for him.

Cory is a River Rock camp counselor and befriends two children, Spencer and Fern, at the camp. The reader gains insight into the difficulties Cory has with her mother, Emer. Emer is a high-level, career driven executive with an international non-profit organization and doesn’t have time for a daughter. Spencer and Fern’s father, Rolo Picazo, a pharmaceutical billionaire who owns his own island, convinces Cory to come to work for him as a nanny for the children. This is where the book turns creepy. It felt like Rolo was keeping Cory on the island he owns, and she had no escape. Cory becomes addicted to drugs and is unable to contact her mother (no wi-fi). Two threads flow through the book: Cory’s story on the island and Emer trying to locate Cory.

I found the book lagging at times. It was a difficult book to read with the struggles Cory was encountering. The book, for me, was just okay. I’m unsure what type of reader would enjoy this book. For me, I was glad when it ended.

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Thanks to the publisher, Scribner, and the author for the privilege to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was a fantastic introduction to this myth and an overall fabulous retelling. It drips sweaty desire and yearning on every page. I could not put it down once I picked it up!!

This was such an accurate portrayal of the often complex relationship between mothers and daughters, but with the added twist of being a Hades/Persephone retelling. The myth of Persephone was one of my favorites growing up and I appreciated the nods to the origin story in this modern world. Cory and Emer were both flawed and realistic characters - beautiful, naive Cory who has the whole world at her feet and Emer, her mother who loves her more than anything, but in a way that can be overwhelming to Cory.

loved this author’s writing style and was fully immersed in the world she created. I loved how this story was told from Emer and Cory’s POV, though I did find Cory’s POV more engaging. I was fully captivated by and disgusted by Rolo. I kept wanting to see what would happen next and couldn’t put this down.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for a review copy.

I absolutely enjoyed Fruit of the Dead. The writing was incredible. I really enjoyed the shifting perspectives between Cory and her mom. Their mother/daughter relationship has it's imperfections which seem unique. They both have messes in their work and personal life that they have to deal with, and Emer's journey to find her daughter keeps you on your toes. I found the story to be a very interesting retelling of Persephone and Demeter.

"Fruit of the Dead" by Rachel Lyon is a modern and electrifying reimagining of the Persephone and Demeter myth, set against the backdrop of a lush private island. Cory Ansel, an aimless camp counselor, finds herself drawn into a complex web of power and addiction when she accepts a job offer from Rolo Picazo, a charismatic CEO with questionable intentions.

Lyon's writing is clever and fast-paced, seamlessly blending elements of Greek mythology with contemporary themes of independence and control. The alternating perspectives between Cory and her mother, Emer, add depth to the narrative, exploring the dynamics of love, family, and societal pressures. What makes this novel stand out is Lyon's ability to infuse mythic inspiration with modern relevance, capturing the essence of myth while addressing pertinent issues of our time.

Despite its dark undertones, "Fruit of the Dead" is a captivating read that vibrates with lush abandon and unexpected twists. Lyon's imaginative reinvention of Persephone and Demeter's tale makes this novel both haunting and ecstatic, sure to leave a lasting impression on readers.

I enjoyed this short but powerful novel because I learned so much more about the myth of Persephone and Demeter. I adored Rachel Lyon's first book SELF-PORTRAIT WITH BOY so I knew this was going to be something special. Lyon's writing in FRUIT OF THE DEAD is a bit off-kilter and unique. Sometimes it feels like a dream, sometimes it feels like a nightmare.

She takes us on a journey through Cory, a recent high school grad whisked away on the last day as a camp counselor by a mysterious and rich dad of a kid who took a liking to her. Without a college to go to, her promises her $20k for babysitting for the summer and she finds it impossible to say no. However, her mom (who she has a strained relationship with) is kept out of the loop and without much cell service and lots of passive aggression, she begins to spiral and decides if she needs to start searching for where her daughter went.

It's a terrifying tale, with a monstrous billionaire in the center of it representing the part of the devil. It's also a tale, of course, of the undying bond of a mother and a daughter. It reads more like a long-form poem with beautiful prose and you'll find yourself getting through it pretty quickly.

At the very beginning all I could think was this is how you do a Greek mythology retelling. I really loved Cory’s character and how she end up with Rolo. I thought that was a fun twist. Super cleaver with the names as well!
With the dual POV being Cory’s mother Emer, I kind of expected to dislike her as I tend to do with Demeter’s pov in Greek mythology. I found after getting through the “daughter of…” parts, I actually enjoyed the chaos of her chapters more. Didn’t like her character but did enjoy the ride.
The end did feel very rough to me, not only in how it came across but even just how dark it got. I would have like a bigger build into to darkness, because it sort of felt forced.
Definitely enjoyed it over all. The writing was super cleaver and fast paced. 3.75⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, Scribner and the author for this ACR.

3.5 stars
i was so ready for this slightly trippy literary coming-of-age novel to become my new brand but i wish it fully embraced the surreal aspects it was advertised to have. Lyon is a great writer and the story was engaging but I felt like it didn’t wrap up quite as I hoped

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I’ve seen some reviews from folks who entered this book clearly not knowing anything about the myth of Demeter and Persephone. I think that’s a mistake. Knowing the myth helps you know what vibes to expect from this book at least. It helps match the book properly with the readers who might enjoy it. So if you’re not already familiar, take a moment to read a quick summary. Ok. This is not a romance. This is a story of a young girl who gets abducted by the literal god of the underworld and tricked into eating something while there that will make her always have to return. It’s also the story of her mother’s desperate quest to find her.

This is a modern retelling devoid of fantasy. It takes the myth and places it in our modern world. Hades is a pharmaceutical company executive. A billionaire. He’s currently going through a legal battle to do with his very addictive pain pills. (He’s clearly an allusion to the Sackler family.) Personally, I loved the choice of a billionaire drug pusher as the stand-in for Hades.

Persephone is Cory. A just barely turned 18-year-old whose high-achieving mother wants desperately for her to go to college but who did not get in anywhere she applied. She and her mother are not getting along right now. (There are reasons for this rift beyond college that are a spoiler and are revealed later in the book.) She goes to be a camp counselor where she went to summer camp in essentially a huff. At the end of summer camp, the father of one of the children shows up to pick up the child and asks her to come to his private island to nanny the son and a daughter for a month. She has to sign an NDA. She cannot tell her mother where, exactly she is. This is the getting ripped into the underworld bit. nstead of the pomegranate seeds, what Cory is given is, naturally, the pain killing drugs. Her mother, after a bit of time and one very weird phone call, cannot shake the feeling something is wrong, and drops everything to go after her daughter. It’s kind of Taken but with a mom.

I really enjoyed the vibes of this book. It oozed danger even when nothing super insidious was happening. While things do escalate, for a lot of the book it’s not that anything is technically wrong, it just feels wrong. It’s an art form to be able to mimic that gut reaction in fiction. This was one of the stronger parts of the book. I also really enjoyed a part where different plot points came together in what one could have called a coincidence, but also could be called the gods interfering. It was astutely (and kindly) done.

However. This book chose to never use quotation marks for dialogue. Not once. This is a stream of consciousness writing technique. It’s becoming more common in modern books, although you can also see it in James Joyce, for instance. The reasons given by modern authors – like “removing the hierarchy between author and reader” – frankly make me raise my eyebrows in doubtful question. (It sounds like something a dinner party guest of Frasier’s would suggest.) It strikes me as a full-of-oneself literary technique that just forces the reader to work harder. What’s wrong with reading quickly and with easy interpretation? I found it quite distracting in this book. I had to re-read certain passages to try to figure out who said what and whether it was a thought or actually spoken out loud.

Of course the Persephone and Demeter myth is dark. It stands to reason that Hades forces himself on Persephone, and this book doesn’t shy away from that. So there are two sexual assaults. One is described as a memory. The other is described in the moment as the character is living it. There’s also a child sexual assault hinted at in flashbacks but not described in any detail. It’s more that the character is remembering how she felt when it happened than what actually happened. Finally, there’s a self-injury described.

I realize that in the myth Persephone is doomed to return to Hades for half the year forever. This can be a tricky thing to address in an updated retelling. But some aspect of what next could have been addressed. I would like to have seen just a hint of how the mother/daughter were going to try to work through this, even if they might not be successful.

Overall, this is an interesting modern retelling of the Persephone and Demeter myth. It admirably writes pharmaceutical companies as the underworld and a CEO billionaire as their god. Potential readers should be aware that this is a dark story, not a romance. It contains sexual assault. Some readers may not enjoy the complete lack of quotation marks. Recommended to readers interested in modern day retellings of mythology.

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A contemporary retelling of a Greek myth? Yes, please! Ok, so Fruit of the Dead is not O Brother Where Art Thou. For one thing, it's a retelling of Persephone and Demeter, not The Odyssey. But, on the other hand, that means women and women's voices are centered. Toss in a pharmaceutical billionaire CEO as Hades (aka the god of the underworld), and it almost made up for the lack of bluegrass music. (almost) See my book blog (linked in profile) for my full review.
Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
#bookalicious #booksinthewild #avidreader #whatimreading #bookrec #mythologyretelling

GoodReads:
Overall, this is an interesting modern retelling of the Persephone and Demeter myth. It admirably writes pharmaceutical companies as the underworld and a CEO billionaire as their god. Potential readers should be aware that this is a dark story, not a romance. It contains sexual assault. Some readers may not enjoy the complete lack of quotation marks. Recommended to readers interested in modern day retellings of mythology.
*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

I love a Persephone retelling, I’ve been obsessed with her story since I was middle grade age and reading fanfics. I had such high hopes for this book but unfortunately it really missed the mark. I found myself super bored most of the time and I had to really work to get through it. Obviously the father made me feel gross and wanted to fist fight him on that boat but other then that I honestly didn’t care what was happening. I can totally see why this is super popular with some readers and I’m so glad that it has found a great audience even though it just missed the mark for me. Thank you NetGally and Scribner (my 🖤) for the ARC of this. Y’all rock!

I just requested our library purchase this book for our collection. This is everything I want in a book plus more. Rachel kept me from cleaning my house because I couldn't put this book down!

An update on Greek mythology's tale of Persephone, Demeter, and Hades, though the plot still works for those not familiar with the myth. In Lyon's version, Persephone becomes camp counselor Cory, a floundering NYC teen who didn't get into any of the colleges she applied to and doesn't know what she'll do after graduation. Goddess of grain Demeter becomes agricultural executive Emer, and Hades becomes Rolo, an affable middle-aged dad who grew deliriously wealthy manufacturing a potent new painkiller. When his kid's camp session ends, Rolo persuades Cory to come work for him on his private island ... and then refuses to let her leave, or even call her mom, but softens the blow with regular doses of his company's flagship pharmaceutical. I was curious to see how Lyon might creatively translate the ancient myth for our modern times, but ultimately found this tale of a Sackler-like man exploiting a naive teenage girl pretty bleak.

thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

full review to come.

I loved this book - amazing contemporary retelling of the Persephone and Demeter myth. I think this will be a really book to add to an Olympics book display!

This modern-retelling of the myth of Persephone and Demeter packs in more than just an exploration of a mother-daughter relationship. The grey area between adulthood and childhood, the ethics of business, the struggle of motherhood, addiction, gender power imbalance, sexuality, and spirituality all play key roles in this story.

Cory is 18 years old, working as a camp counselor, and aimlessly wandering through life. When the wealthy father of one of her campers asks her to nanny for him, she rashly signs an NDA and is whisked off to live on his private island. She fails to tell her plans to her mother, Emer, who quickly becomes worried for her daughter's safety. Emer sets off on a mission to find her daughter, all the while Cory is trying to find herself.

I didn't know the myth of Persephone and Demeter before reading this book (I just knew about the Persephone/Hades part, thanks dark romance), so I looked it up afterwards. It was really cool how well Lyons paid tribute to and wove the myth into this modern coming-of-age story. I thought she did a great job developing all of the characters while keeping the plot moving and the sense of urgency strong.

There were some literary choices that I didn't quite understand, such as the lack of any quotation marks during the dialogue and the stream-of-consciousness pacing. I also didn't get why Emer's POV was first person and Cory's POV was third person. Was there some symbolism regarding how Cory was lost and hadn't found herself? I don't know. I enjoyed Emer's POV more, and it probably had to do with the fact that her voice felt stronger.

I enjoyed this one more than I expected to! Thanks so much to @netgalley and @scribnerbooks for the #gifted eARC!

I'm so disappointed in this book.

Cory's character is ridiculous. The whole thing with her just going merrily along with this man she doesn't know, who won't even let her return to the camp to get her belongings? C'mon.

I hate books that don't use quotation marks for dialogue. I don't want to struggle to figure out if the person is speaking aloud, thinking, or if it's narration.

Then I got to the mother's POV, and I didn't like her at all, either.

I wasn't connecting to the writing or anything about this story.

DNF at page 50

I'm not sure how to feel about this. I liked it, I didn't love it. There were some bits of character development that verged on the humorous, but they ended up making me dislike basically everyone, haha. Now! That being said, that is not enough to make me dislike a book or regret a reading experience. I think this is a fresh take, super fun, and niche. I might not be the intended audience, but I can see younger women in their 20s eating this up (or, alternatively, a TV series would be so messy and weird and fun).