A Book Review: Elektra by Jennifer Saint - MILD SPOILERS

Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Would I recommend this book: For sure. It has everything you could ever want in a Greek mythology retelling, so if that's your jam, go or it.

One of the reasons why I love reading Greek mythology retellings is because of all the different ways different authors present and characterise the same people.

Saint's depiction of all 3 women - Elektra, Cassandra, and Clytemnestra - was enjoyable. They were distinctive and memorable, and all had their own unique stories to tell despite being so closely linked. Her writing was phenomenal, and she really made me feel all the characters' emotions. I really really enjoyed reading it !!

Cassandra's chapters were definitely the ones I looked forward to the most, and I really liked reading from her point of view. It makes me really sad that she never gets any sort of justice despite being wronged her whole life. I would read an entire book just based on her tbh.

I think one of the main issues I had with the book was that Elektra and Cassandra weren't explored as deeply as Clytemnestra's. Don't get me wrong, I loved their chapters, but Elektra especially felt a little one-dimensional, and Cassandra did too at times. Clytemnestra seems to take up the bulk of the book, and I got a little sick of her towards the end, although I did sympathise with her.

I just wish there was more of Cassandra/Elektra. It felt like they were sort of secondary to Clytemnestra despite the book being named after Elektra. I thought she would've had more significance, and she only really started to shine in the last third of the novel.

Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading Elektra, and I would recommend it. I think it does really well humanising Helen, emphasising her kindness and empathy as well as her beauty. She might've been an adultress, but she was nice to Cassandra, so I like her.

It just angers me that so many people had to die because of 2 silly men and a woman. Helen's own niece was slaughtered, but she seemed unaffected by everything. I know they probably would've gone to war sometime in the future anyway, but so many innocent lives were lost, and it makes you think, was everything actually worth it?

Anyways, I will 100% be checking out Ariadne too because if it's anything like this, I know for sure I'll love it :))

Thank you all for reading and I'll see you all tomorrow :))

Peace and guidance,

Aziza <33