Radiant Darkness

From School Library Journal Grade 9 Up—Whitman has cleverly fit an ancient story into a trendy modern formula—a beautiful, innocent, privileged girl (Persephone) meets a powerful, wealthy bad boy (Hades). In this retelling of the myth, Persephone falls head over heels for Hades and willingly leaves her overbearing mother to become queen of the underworld. Teens will likely relate to Persephone, who cannot stand the thought of spending eternity in the prison she feels her mother has constructed for her, and her transformation from girlish dreaminess to strong, thoughtful woman will resonate with them. Though the author perhaps tries a bit too hard to use metaphor and symbolism ensconced in flowery language, there is an interesting story here; the hints at Persephone's lusty relationship with Hades, combined with the contemporary tone of her first-person narrative, will capture some readers. An endnote gives an overview of the original tale, which may lead to exploration of this and other Greek myths. Purchase where alternative chick-lit is popular.— Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada Copyright В© Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review “Teens will likely relate to Persephone, who cannot stand the thought of spending eternity in the prison she feels her mother has constructed for her, and her transformation from girlish dreaminess to strong, thoughtful woman will resonate with them.” (School Library Journal ) “ThereвЂTMs originality and flair in the picture of a world where the gods have both the familiarity and star appeal of glossy media personalities, and Whitman makes Hades and Persephone (Hadephone? Persades?) a glam celebrity couple that everyone will want to read about.” (Bulletin of the Center for ChildrenвЂTMs Books ) “Whitman amplifies both the heady romance and Earth-goddess themes with poetic, sensual descriptions of natureвЂTMs intoxicating fertility…she skillfully humanizes Persephone with archetypal scenes of mother-daughter tension. Many mortal teens will see themselves in the young goddess, as she realizes her own talents and strength and grows into herself.” (ALA Booklist ) He smiles. "Hello."It's a deep voice. I can feel it reverberate in my chest and echo all the way down to my toes.I know I should leave, but I don't want to. I want to keep my senses like this forever. I'm all eye, all ear, all skin.Persephone lives in the most gorgeous place in the world. But her mother's a goddess, as overprotective as she is powerful. Paradise has become a trap. Just when Persephone feels there's no chance of escaping the life that's been planned for her, a mysterious stranger arrives. A stranger who promises something more — something dangerous and exciting — something that spurs Persephone to make a daring choice. A choice that could destroy all she's come to love, even the earth itself.In a land where a singing river can make you forget your very name, Persephone is forced to discover who — and what — she really is. Persephone runs off to the Underworld with Hades, with whom she has fallen in love, but when her mother Demeter threatens to destroy the earth to save her, Persephone finds a way to come back once a year, bringing spring.