This was a really entertaining and modern twist that tells the tale of Ariadne, Theseus, and the Minotaur. I loved the reality show set up! It was very thrilling, humorous, and also heart-wrenching!! ✨

Ariadne's whole life is formed and shared with the world. Her royal family has an entertainment empire that dominates the tabloids, social media, and TV. The biggest draw? The Labyrinth Contest that airs every year, where Ariadne leads fourteen teens into a maze to kill the Minotaur. No one has ever won in the 10 seasons its aired. When Theseus arrives at the competition and asks Ariadne to help him win she doesn't expect to fall in love with him. If he wins the contest it will end for good, but the Minotaur will die and for Ariadne his life might be the only one worth saving.

If you combined Keeping Up with the Kardashain's and a Greek Tragedy this book is what you get, and its wonderful. I don't know this myth super well, but the way it's been re-told is very well done and the added drama of it being a running TV show is well done. I'd recommend this for anyone who grew up reading Rick Riordan, love mythology, or just love the watch drama unfold.

Interesting take on a classical mythological tale.

This plot and concept?: A++++ This writing?: Left a lot to be desired. I raced thru this book and I haven't stopped talking about it, but I can't help but having wanted this to be a bit more refined. Anyway I'll be reading more from this author in the future because this was so compulsively readable.... Do w/ that what you will, Goodreads world!

Someone should tell the author that gay men don't say "sister" every other sentence.

So much so potential gone so terribly wrong. This novel quickly shifts focus from the retelling of a Greek myth (with numerous converging outside myths and heroes along with a very Hunger Games-esque reality fake show set-up) to the story of a family literally prostituting their daughters for the sake of reality TV ratings. It becomes a story about statutory rape, rape culture, drug use, sexism, patriarchy, and violence against women and children. But, not really “about” any of these, since the author appears to use these topics as edgy plot points rather than doing any substantive interrogation of these patterns of abuse. There are callous remarks about loss of virginity (demanded of minor aged girls by their parents for the sake of reality TV) and consent. It became nauseating to process by the halfway mark.

This is not a book I would recommend to any reader, much less a young adult reader. The gender roles and messages about sexuality, consent, and social media are incredibly problematic. Appallingly so.

Love that is was a cross between modern and ancient Greece. I liked the reality TV aspect of it because let's be honest it's still all the craze. I'm really liking this whole Gods (or other Greek Mythology) as celebrities. I like that mix of mythology but here's a modern take other than including current technology. It's still a slightly depressing story, but the story IS depressing even without a retelling. Either way it was a really good read.