When I picked up my secret santa gift at our Fall 2021 End of Semester Holiday Bash, I was confused as to what my gift might be. When I pulled away the wrapping paper, I found a beautiful blue and pink cover for a graphic novel that immediately sparked my interest!
I received the first-edition of Lore Olympus, a graphic novel that combines Greek mythology with our modern age lifestyle. The book actually began as an online WEBTOON comic by Rachel Smythe and it received so much love that it has been published and a second edition is in the works.
Throughout the first-edition, we see Greek gods and goddesses such as Persephone, Artemis, Hades, Zeus, Poseidon, Eros, Apollo, Hera, and more! Readers get a glimpse into each of their personalities and how they manage living amongst one another.
The main character is Persephone, the goddess of spring, who has been sheltered by her mother Demeter. After reaching a mature age, she is finally allowed to join the other gods and goddesses among Mount Olympus, but little did she know that this new place she was about to experience was full of temptation and not everyone had the best intentions for her arrival.
Eventually, Persephone meets Hades at a party and shares an intimate night with him in the Underworld before heading back to Mount Olympus. They both go through the drama of telling their friends and receiving backlash, and intense moments of processing their feelings and dealing with miscommunication.
There are parties, social media, gossiping, relationships, and so much more that Persephone must suddenly deal with. Smythe does a great job of showing the realities that many young adults go through as they start to navigate their own lives and figure out who they want to be.
As a college student, it was refreshing to read something that felt so relatable and reminded me of the times when I used to spend hours reading fanfiction on Wattpad. I highly recommend this quick read for anyone interested in young-adult novels and Greek mythology.
If you would like to check out the WEBTOON before deciding to get a paperback version, click here.
I also want to give a huge thank you to Alanna for giving me such an amazing secret santa gift and sparking my love for reading again. Catch me at Barnes and Noble in July buying the second edition!