Book Review: She Speaks
Title: She Speaks The Women of Greek Myths in their Own Words
Author: Honor Cargill-Martin Illustrator: Camelia Pham
What’s it About?
Over the years, we’ve heard many a tale about the deities atop Mount Olympus. This time, we hear the tales from the point of view of the women. From Medusa, to Helen, from Pandora to Circe and
even some between. These stories are told from their perspective, in their voices.
Other Thoughts:
The first thing that caught my eye about this book, was the cover. There was something about the art that drew me to it. I think a lot of it had to do with the colors. The color pallet is
bold and bright yet feminine and powerful. It’s perfect for a collection of stories about strong, bold and powerful women, especially those what may have been misunderstood over the years.
When you open She Speaks, you’re met with a table of
contents. I knew right away I was going to like this book. I really loved the way the table of contents was presented. It was fun but it also told you exactly what to expect. But what I liked
the most was that instead of each story getting a title and a page number, the focus was on the women. It’s not “These stories are in the following pages” but “These are the women who will share their stories.”Not only that, each women gets a headshot as well! I really liked that the
they match a name with a face. It helps me keep each story straight without mixing up the women with another’s story.
Turning to the introduction, I found a very strong beginning.
In this section, before we even get to the stories, they talk about how Greek mythology has evolved. They share, briefly that the stories have changed over time. Every time the story is retold, the storyteller puts their own spin on it; puts a piece of themselves in their version of the story. And each storyteller makes adjustments based on who the story is being told to and what they need. I appreciated the honesty and transparency.
I appreciated how each story was just different enough to be distinctive, but not so much that the reader gets whiplash or that it’s overpowering/ overwhelming,allowing each girl to stand out in her own way.
However, personally, I’d be interested to her Hera’s story told by her. Though,
I’m sure some of what I’d like to see would not be suitable for this age group. I would like to be in her head and hear her thoughts on her husband’s extra curricular activities.
In the end, I really enjoyed this book. I’d love to see more Greek myths told by the women who are a part of them. I’d also like to see other myths and stories told from the opposite POV to what we usually hear the story told.
Ratings:
I give this book a
6
out of
10 goddesses
But that’s just what I think. What did you think? Did you love this book? Do you like the art work as much as I do? Let us know in the comments!
