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You Are Odysseus
Tell me, O Reader, of that resourceful man…
Read and become Odysseus, the many-minded man, the most famous adventure hero of all time. Make the same choices as he does in the original epic, or read as your version of Odysseus, making the choices you think he should make.
From the teacher (and illustrator) behind GreekMythComix comes this beautiful retelling, featuring characterisations, literary features, scenarios and episodes directly from and inspired by translations of the original poem, from Troy to Ithaca, as well as original, alternative story elements based on suggestions from the original poem, the Epic Cycle, ancient authors and playwrights, sparkling with additions from Ancient Greek mythology.
Homer’s Odyssey as a second-person narrative - an interactive epic.
Can you make the same choices as Odysseus?
Should you?
Read and become Odysseus, the many-minded man, the most famous adventure hero of all time. Make the same choices as he does in the original epic, or read as your version of Odysseus, making the choices you think he should make.
From the teacher (and illustrator) behind GreekMythComix comes this beautiful retelling, featuring characterisations, literary features, scenarios and episodes directly from and inspired by translations of the original poem, from Troy to Ithaca, as well as original, alternative story elements based on suggestions from the original poem, the Epic Cycle, ancient authors and playwrights, sparkling with additions from Ancient Greek mythology.
Homer’s Odyssey as a second-person narrative - an interactive epic.
Can you make the same choices as Odysseus?
Should you?
726 pages, Paperback
Published September 25, 2025
6 people are currently reading
296 people want to read
About the author
Laura Jenkinson-Brown
3 books5 followersLaura Jenkinson-Brown is a Classical Civilisations teacher, and a former English teacher and Bookseller. The illustrator and author of GreekMythComix.com, she creates illustrations, infographics, paper playset kits, videos and teaching resources to help everyone access the world of the Ancient Greeks and Romans, and has also illustrated for the Cambridge Schools Classics Project (Primary Ancient Greeks, Amarantus and his Neighbourhood). In 2022 she was the recipient of the Classical Association 'Innovative Pedagogy' Teaching Award, and in 2024 was voted the Working Classicists ‘Creative Classicist’ prize. She is also the author or several short stories of magical realism and speculative fiction.
You Are Odysseus is her first novel-length title.
She lives in Hampshire, UK, with her husband and daughter.
Unlike Odysseus (probably), she misses the sea.
You Are Odysseus is her first novel-length title.
She lives in Hampshire, UK, with her husband and daughter.
Unlike Odysseus (probably), she misses the sea.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 17, 2025
Not many books let you relive the pure joy of those summer dog-eared 'Choose Your Own Adventure' stories from childhood. Only this time catered to adults. And not any adults, ancient greek history and mythology lovers!
"You Are Odysseus" by Laura Jenkinson-Brown is a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' book where you can relive or rewrite the Odyssey. Did you wish to watch Odysseus make his way home to Ithaca without distractions? You can. That's what I first did. Actually, he was home so quickly I realized that maybe it's for the best he didn't make better decisions. The Odyssey would have been much shorter.
What if you wished to punish him for his actions? Ohoho, you can. Because you practically live in his head, that means you can convince him to make the absolute worst decisions and watch him flounder. I admit I have enjoyed doing that a little too much. Does that make me evil? Don't answer that.
Would you have liked to see him be more faithful? Did you wish to see him more kindly? More brutal? The choices are all yours. And the book will deliver! Did you know the book has over 700 chapters? Make a choice and you will be taken to one of those chapters to continue reading *your* Odyssey. And the different paths aren't short either! While the chapters are just short enough to allow you to pick up the book, read a bit and then put it down, the stories the choices can lead you to are so well-researched and so well-written that it's almost as if you're reading many novellas in one book!
In one of my read-throughs, I found myself with the option to punish Penelope's suitors. Not only was it satisfying, but I was genuinely amazed at how much depth that arc had. It was so long, detailed and fleshed out that I read it over three nights. There was simply so much to explore. And I'm not even done yet! As I write this review, I am remembering options I still want to get back to.
And thanks to the wonderful author, there is an adventure guide that should help you explore paths you might have missed, so don't worry too much about not seeing everything.
I adored this book to bits, and am continuing to explore all the paths, and I think you would, too!
Finally, thank you so much to the author for the advance copy. It made my month. You know me, I wouldn't say this unless I really mean it.
P.S: Did you know there are even references to Egyptian mythology here? I challenge you to find all the references to Amun.
You can also find me on: Instagram
"You Are Odysseus" by Laura Jenkinson-Brown is a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' book where you can relive or rewrite the Odyssey. Did you wish to watch Odysseus make his way home to Ithaca without distractions? You can. That's what I first did. Actually, he was home so quickly I realized that maybe it's for the best he didn't make better decisions. The Odyssey would have been much shorter.
What if you wished to punish him for his actions? Ohoho, you can. Because you practically live in his head, that means you can convince him to make the absolute worst decisions and watch him flounder. I admit I have enjoyed doing that a little too much. Does that make me evil? Don't answer that.
Would you have liked to see him be more faithful? Did you wish to see him more kindly? More brutal? The choices are all yours. And the book will deliver! Did you know the book has over 700 chapters? Make a choice and you will be taken to one of those chapters to continue reading *your* Odyssey. And the different paths aren't short either! While the chapters are just short enough to allow you to pick up the book, read a bit and then put it down, the stories the choices can lead you to are so well-researched and so well-written that it's almost as if you're reading many novellas in one book!
In one of my read-throughs, I found myself with the option to punish Penelope's suitors. Not only was it satisfying, but I was genuinely amazed at how much depth that arc had. It was so long, detailed and fleshed out that I read it over three nights. There was simply so much to explore. And I'm not even done yet! As I write this review, I am remembering options I still want to get back to.
And thanks to the wonderful author, there is an adventure guide that should help you explore paths you might have missed, so don't worry too much about not seeing everything.
I adored this book to bits, and am continuing to explore all the paths, and I think you would, too!
Finally, thank you so much to the author for the advance copy. It made my month. You know me, I wouldn't say this unless I really mean it.
P.S: Did you know there are even references to Egyptian mythology here? I challenge you to find all the references to Amun.
You can also find me on: Instagram
September 19, 2025
Did you love choose your own adventure books as a kid? Do you love Greek mythology now? Oh boy do I have good news for you!!
I got started with one single goal in mind: finding the right series of events to recreate the Odyssey? Of course not. Making every wacky decision possible to see what would happen? Now that sounds more like me.
So on my first journey I tried to be an Odysseus who was a complete piece of trash. On my second journey, an exceptionally stupid one. On my third journey, a very kind, very naive one. On my fourth journey, an Odysseus who was completely out of his mind. On my fifth journey, I did try to recreate the Odyssey and failed miserably. On my sixth journey, I did succeed with the help of Laura's guide to the 'right' order. I'm currently on a seventh journey with no clear goal in mind besides discovering pathways I haven't taken before.
Getting to play around with a choose your own adventure book as an adult is incredibly fun and nostalgic, and the classics student in me is also loving exploring all the different sections and recognizing the influences.
I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a playful take on classics! Thank you Laura for giving me the opportunity to be an early reader, I can't wait to get a physical copy.
I got started with one single goal in mind: finding the right series of events to recreate the Odyssey? Of course not. Making every wacky decision possible to see what would happen? Now that sounds more like me.
So on my first journey I tried to be an Odysseus who was a complete piece of trash. On my second journey, an exceptionally stupid one. On my third journey, a very kind, very naive one. On my fourth journey, an Odysseus who was completely out of his mind. On my fifth journey, I did try to recreate the Odyssey and failed miserably. On my sixth journey, I did succeed with the help of Laura's guide to the 'right' order. I'm currently on a seventh journey with no clear goal in mind besides discovering pathways I haven't taken before.
Getting to play around with a choose your own adventure book as an adult is incredibly fun and nostalgic, and the classics student in me is also loving exploring all the different sections and recognizing the influences.
I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a playful take on classics! Thank you Laura for giving me the opportunity to be an early reader, I can't wait to get a physical copy.
September 15, 2025
You Are Odysseus is a Choose Your Own Adventure book, where the reader decides what Odysseus should do next, then deals with the consequences. With over 700 sections and 51 endings, it’s like Dungeons & Dragons for Classics geeks.
The author, a Classics teacher in the UK, wanted to emphasize the choices that Odysseus faced. Students would make those same choices and see what happens as a result.
Let's be clear, however: This is not Homer’s Odyssey. Even if you select the options that Odysseus chose, it’s not Homer’s Odyssey; this is a re-telling. It’s your Odyssey. I’m sure some purists are doing a lot of pearl-clutching right now, but it’s a great way to sneak up on Homer’s Odyssey, if the original intimidates you. Or, as in my case, it’s a great way to review it (and read it side by side), as well as to explore the not-Odyssey, not-Homer versions that writers have been coming up with for two thousand years.
It's a lot of fun.
FMI see my blog post at A Just Recompense.
The author, a Classics teacher in the UK, wanted to emphasize the choices that Odysseus faced. Students would make those same choices and see what happens as a result.
Let's be clear, however: This is not Homer’s Odyssey. Even if you select the options that Odysseus chose, it’s not Homer’s Odyssey; this is a re-telling. It’s your Odyssey. I’m sure some purists are doing a lot of pearl-clutching right now, but it’s a great way to sneak up on Homer’s Odyssey, if the original intimidates you. Or, as in my case, it’s a great way to review it (and read it side by side), as well as to explore the not-Odyssey, not-Homer versions that writers have been coming up with for two thousand years.
It's a lot of fun.
FMI see my blog post at A Just Recompense.
Read
November 20, 2025ugh this was so much fun
December 15, 2025
My journey with this book is far from over - I have lots more paths to explore - but I was so excited to jump on here and discuss it with you because I am in awe of what Laura Jenkinson-Brown has achieved with this! To create something which has so much attention to detail, with such a vast scope that the options seem limitless and what must have been an immense amount of research, yet is also accessible and such a joy to read is incredible and I can't wait to dive back into the world she has unlocked.
This book has so many more routes back to Ithaca and towards trouble than I was expecting! I have already found myself hanging out with Menelaus in Thebes (I loved the descriptions of the Egyptian wildlife), narrowly avoiding being gobbled by Charybdis, in a tight spot on Tyre staying with Dido's murderous brother Pygmalion, cosplaying as a seal to trap and interrogate a sea god and accidentally straying into the plot of The Odyssey after being swept up in a storm and landing on Aeaea. But, so far, I've managed to make it home on every journey (in only eight steps on my uneventful first voyage 😂). Having the chance to inhabit all of these different (yet authentic to Homeric literature and wider tradition) versions of Odysseus and his nostos is giving me such a fantastic insight into his character (it was especially fun to delve into alongside the Homer units in my course) and in a lot of ways perfectly captures the polytropos, or man ‘of many turns’, we meet in the Odyssey.
Just one note! And this is not a criticism at all because I would not have had it any other way! But all of that incredible breadth and detail also makes the physical edition quite heavy (it is the thickest book on my shelf) and the Choose Your Own Adventure nature means that there is a lot of flipping around (swipe to see the colour coded tabs tracing some of my voyages so far). So if, like me, you struggle with muscle weakness or pain, I would opt for the e-book, which will whisk you between the different pages with a click.
This book has so many more routes back to Ithaca and towards trouble than I was expecting! I have already found myself hanging out with Menelaus in Thebes (I loved the descriptions of the Egyptian wildlife), narrowly avoiding being gobbled by Charybdis, in a tight spot on Tyre staying with Dido's murderous brother Pygmalion, cosplaying as a seal to trap and interrogate a sea god and accidentally straying into the plot of The Odyssey after being swept up in a storm and landing on Aeaea. But, so far, I've managed to make it home on every journey (in only eight steps on my uneventful first voyage 😂). Having the chance to inhabit all of these different (yet authentic to Homeric literature and wider tradition) versions of Odysseus and his nostos is giving me such a fantastic insight into his character (it was especially fun to delve into alongside the Homer units in my course) and in a lot of ways perfectly captures the polytropos, or man ‘of many turns’, we meet in the Odyssey.
Just one note! And this is not a criticism at all because I would not have had it any other way! But all of that incredible breadth and detail also makes the physical edition quite heavy (it is the thickest book on my shelf) and the Choose Your Own Adventure nature means that there is a lot of flipping around (swipe to see the colour coded tabs tracing some of my voyages so far). So if, like me, you struggle with muscle weakness or pain, I would opt for the e-book, which will whisk you between the different pages with a click.
October 7, 2025
I grew up loving choose-your-own-adventure stories, so anytime I find adult versions of them I have to pick them up. You Are Odysseus gives the reader the opportunity to choose what Odysseus's voyage home will be like after the Trojan War. There are so many twists you can take on your pathway home that makes this a book such an enjoyable experience. I obviously did not get through every single choice but I enjoyed each one I took.
This will be a book I know I will pick up many times to have new adventures throughout Ancient Greece. A perfect book for fans of Greek Mythology who would like to help choose the story elements from their favorite tales. I would love to get more books like this based on mythology.
This will be a book I know I will pick up many times to have new adventures throughout Ancient Greece. A perfect book for fans of Greek Mythology who would like to help choose the story elements from their favorite tales. I would love to get more books like this based on mythology.
October 10, 2025
A fun way to explore Odysseus' story and how it could have been different.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews