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Bull: A Novel-in-Verse Retelling Where the Monster Becomes the Hero
David Elliott turns a classic on its head: this rough and rowdy retelling of the Minotaur myth in verse will have readers reevaluating one of mythology's most infamous monsters.
THE MYTH OF THE MINOTAUR? THAT'S BULL.
Garnering six starred reviews, this update of the timeless story of Theseus and the Minotaur has been called “beautifully clever,” “a literary feast fit for the gods,” "powerful and engrossing," "irresistible, slick, and sharp," "a genre of its own," and "rude...crude, and it's a whole bunch of fun."
Resurrected from the dark depths of the labyrinth, this fresh, deliciously shocking, and darkly comedic novel-in-verse takes on the Theseus and Minotaur myth and shines a light on one of history's most infamous monsters.
THE MYTH OF THE MINOTAUR? THAT'S BULL.
Garnering six starred reviews, this update of the timeless story of Theseus and the Minotaur has been called “beautifully clever,” “a literary feast fit for the gods,” "powerful and engrossing," "irresistible, slick, and sharp," "a genre of its own," and "rude...crude, and it's a whole bunch of fun."
Resurrected from the dark depths of the labyrinth, this fresh, deliciously shocking, and darkly comedic novel-in-verse takes on the Theseus and Minotaur myth and shines a light on one of history's most infamous monsters.
224 pages, Paperback
First published March 28, 2017
91 people are currently reading
4075 people want to read
About the author
David Elliott
206 books174 followersDavid Elliott is the author of THE COOL CRAZY CRICKETS and THE TRANSMOGRIFICATION OF ROSCOE WIZZLE. He says of AND HERE'S TO YOU!, "My neighbor’s rooster and I were having a disagreement. I wanted to sleep in the morning; he wanted to crow. The rooster won, of course. The first verse of AND HERE'S TO YOU! is a tribute to his victory and to the joys found in simply following your nature."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 907 reviews
March 23, 2017
It’s interesting:
As a god I almost always find,
The more repressed the mortal,
The dirtier the mind.
4 1/2 stars. I loved this!
Bull is going to be a hard sell. To be honest, if you'd told me what it actually is before I requested it from netgalley, I never would have read it. And that would have been a real shame. It's a hilarious and creative retelling in verse of Theseus and the Minotaur. Easily one of the best novels in verse I have ever read.
Despite thinking I was about to open a dark and dramatic novel about the Greek hero - Theseus - and the monstrous Minotaur at the centre of a labyrinth, I quickly adjusted to this punchy, hilarious tale. And I say that as someone who would pick dark and dramatic over light and funny any day of the week. But I think most people would benefit from knowing what they are getting into.
So:
• This is a novel in verse.
• It is comical, in a twisted kind of way.
• Rather than change the original story, it's more of a "behind the scenes" retelling.
• There's a lot of swearing and sexual references.
I also love how the author considered the Minotaur's childhood years, and changed our view of many characters from the original myth without changing any of the story. It's narrated from various points of view, but the main one is Poseidon. God, he is such an asshole - though I find myself almost rubbing my hands together with glee as I say that. He's very much a love-to-hate character.
So he wonders
If I’d give the people
An omen,
A sign,
Something impressive,
He says, something divine.
Anything to prove
He’s the man
For the royal job.
So what the fuck, I think.
I’m gonna help this slob.
I don't know... maybe it's just my fucked up sense of humour, but I had SO MUCH FUN reading this.
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March 21, 2020
If you ever wanted to find out how a rap retelling of the myth of the Minotaur would be like, this is the book for you.
I laughed out loud all the way to the end reading this short book, which tells the myth from the POVs of Poseidon, King Minos, Queen Pasiphaë, Asterion (the Minotaur), Ariadne, and Theseus respectively, in free verse. Which made it all the funnier to me, I couldn't help but "sing" each chapter in my head and imagine it was a six-way rap battle. I'm sure that's not what the author intended, and probably most readers won't like this much, but I did and am sure a few others will, too. Sometimes, it's fun to just not take the old myths too seriously and laugh at them/with them a wee bit.
I laughed out loud all the way to the end reading this short book, which tells the myth from the POVs of Poseidon, King Minos, Queen Pasiphaë, Asterion (the Minotaur), Ariadne, and Theseus respectively, in free verse. Which made it all the funnier to me, I couldn't help but "sing" each chapter in my head and imagine it was a six-way rap battle. I'm sure that's not what the author intended, and probably most readers won't like this much, but I did and am sure a few others will, too. Sometimes, it's fun to just not take the old myths too seriously and laugh at them/with them a wee bit.
November 12, 2016
7 out of 10
That was unexpected. I mean, this is not an actual retelling, it's rather a telling only in a modern language and with an addition of new information about the Bull's childhood and motivations of other characters from the original myth.
Each of the heroes has a unique voice (and a form of verse!): Poseidon is a King of Sass, Asterion is a tortured soul, Minos is a moron, his wife is a delusional creep, and Ariadne is a typical YA heroine! I swear. She has a goal, but once a pretty boy comes to her life, she forgets everything and goes after him. What I'm trying to say is, all these special snow-flakes, Mary-Sues and TSTLs have always been there: in classics, in folklore, in serious literature too. We have to stop blame YA for suchlike heroins and tropes, 'cause they are eternal!)
All in all, I do recommend this book. It will certainly cheer your mood.
***Thanks to NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers for the ARC***
April 16, 2017
I know nothing about poetry, but this novel in verse has some fun rhymes. It is an entertaining piece of writing, funny and at times explicit. But it is not very interesting as a myth retelling. There is almost nothing new in it besides its modern language.
July 25, 2023
HELL . . .
. . . is not
the pushing of a boulder
up a mountainside
to watch it roll
back with broken back
and broken shoulder.
HELL is the numbing of the soul.
HELL is not an unfulfilled desire.
It’s colder.
Nor the thirst
that takes its victims whole.
HELL is the freezing
scorn for who you are
that transforms a faultless boy
What a beautiful tale from Minotaur's point of view!
Minos says I’m nothing more than Nothing.
Can Nothing take a form and call it me?
But Nothing is ever what it seems.
Watch Nothing laugh.
See Nothing cry.
Hear Nothing scream.
And to my great surprise, we have Poseidon as a narrator too!
It’s interesting:
As a god I almost always find,
The more repressed the mortal,
The dirtier the mind.
*****
But why hasn’t the boy learned
That life isn’t fair?
Word!
It’s true everywhere:
Fathers often destroy their sons.
Who do you think invented guns?
. . . is not
the pushing of a boulder
up a mountainside
to watch it roll
back with broken back
and broken shoulder.
HELL is the numbing of the soul.
HELL is not an unfulfilled desire.
It’s colder.
Nor the thirst
that takes its victims whole.
HELL is the freezing
scorn for who you are
that transforms a faultless boy
What a beautiful tale from Minotaur's point of view!
Minos says I’m nothing more than Nothing.
Can Nothing take a form and call it me?
But Nothing is ever what it seems.
Watch Nothing laugh.
See Nothing cry.
Hear Nothing scream.
And to my great surprise, we have Poseidon as a narrator too!
It’s interesting:
As a god I almost always find,
The more repressed the mortal,
The dirtier the mind.
*****
But why hasn’t the boy learned
That life isn’t fair?
Word!
It’s true everywhere:
Fathers often destroy their sons.
Who do you think invented guns?
June 2, 2019
ASTERION
Age 9
These horns are heavy on my woolly head.
My tongue is thick and rough.
It’s hard to speak.
I can’t stop hearing all the things they said
when they called me
Horny Boy and Freak.
Sometimes it makes me wish
that I were dead.
My mom says it’s because I am unique
that makes them laugh and say those awful things.
Instead of horns, I wish I’d sprouted wings.
I’d fly away. I’d leave them all behind.
November 2, 2019
"But I wouldn't
couldn't
didn't
they understand he
was my first my bully
boy my beautiful beautiful
monster."
Holy crap, where was this retelling when I was studying Greek mythology my freshman year of high school?
The plot is almost identical to the original myth; so there really isn't anything new to the sequence of events. However, what the author has done is fleshed out the characters with their own unique voices to try and interject some modern thinking into their actions. Cause lets fact it; teenagers don't often like studying about these really dead, immortal people because everything is so straight-forward. But David Elliott makes his retelling unapologetically bold and vulgar, conveying his opinions through his characters and their own unique rhyming style. From the first opening "Whaddup, bitches?" said by Poseidon, God of the Sea, you know you're not in for your mother's Minotaur myth.
And can I just say how gosh darn refreshing it was to actually have a verse novel where everything freakin' rhymed??!!! While I like verse novels, I don't really consider them real works of poetry because they rarely, if ever, rhyme (call it elitist of me, if you will.) So I just about fell out of my chair when I discovered that this was a novel that was not only in verse, but actually followed some sort of rhyming structure. It's a miracle, I tell ya! And there's a nice explanation in the back that the author gives in explaining his thought process behind each rhyming scheme he picked for each character. He really went deep with the thought process behind it!
Poseidon was probably my favorite POV to read about because he was hella hilarious. Honestly, this book could have been written entirely from his POV and I would've been happy. Asterion (The Minotaur), Ariadne (his half-sister),King Minos, Queen Pasiphae, Daedalus (the creator of the Labyrinth), and Theseus have their own POV as well. As the author said in his note in the back, the original myth didn't really give a lot of insight into the Minotaur's childhood and adolescence and how he was treated by his parents and siblings; so he imagined it for him. And I also like how he cleverly reworked the Theseus character into quite a lively, laddish, almost anti-hero like character. In the myth, we always see Theseus and the hero who saved his people from the big, scary Minotaur. But what if the real villain were Theseus himself?
I basically want to shove this book into every high school freshman's hands when it comes time for them to study Greek mythology. This book retells the famous myth in an entirely new way without sacrificing originality (and making it extremely fun in the process). The rhymes and slang used were cool without being forced, and the more complete, fleshed out characters of some of the most famous Greek players in their mythology will have the potential for young readers to see them in an entirely new light. If you like your stories bold and your characters vulgar, this is the retelling for you. It could have been a little longer, but the short amount of time I spent reading this was one of the most enjoyable hours I've had in a while.
And as Poseidon would say (though I'm cleaning it up a bit...)
Ta-ta, lovelies!
couldn't
didn't
they understand he
was my first my bully
boy my beautiful beautiful
monster."
Holy crap, where was this retelling when I was studying Greek mythology my freshman year of high school?
The plot is almost identical to the original myth; so there really isn't anything new to the sequence of events. However, what the author has done is fleshed out the characters with their own unique voices to try and interject some modern thinking into their actions. Cause lets fact it; teenagers don't often like studying about these really dead, immortal people because everything is so straight-forward. But David Elliott makes his retelling unapologetically bold and vulgar, conveying his opinions through his characters and their own unique rhyming style. From the first opening "Whaddup, bitches?" said by Poseidon, God of the Sea, you know you're not in for your mother's Minotaur myth.
And can I just say how gosh darn refreshing it was to actually have a verse novel where everything freakin' rhymed??!!! While I like verse novels, I don't really consider them real works of poetry because they rarely, if ever, rhyme (call it elitist of me, if you will.) So I just about fell out of my chair when I discovered that this was a novel that was not only in verse, but actually followed some sort of rhyming structure. It's a miracle, I tell ya! And there's a nice explanation in the back that the author gives in explaining his thought process behind each rhyming scheme he picked for each character. He really went deep with the thought process behind it!
Poseidon was probably my favorite POV to read about because he was hella hilarious. Honestly, this book could have been written entirely from his POV and I would've been happy. Asterion (The Minotaur), Ariadne (his half-sister),King Minos, Queen Pasiphae, Daedalus (the creator of the Labyrinth), and Theseus have their own POV as well. As the author said in his note in the back, the original myth didn't really give a lot of insight into the Minotaur's childhood and adolescence and how he was treated by his parents and siblings; so he imagined it for him. And I also like how he cleverly reworked the Theseus character into quite a lively, laddish, almost anti-hero like character. In the myth, we always see Theseus and the hero who saved his people from the big, scary Minotaur. But what if the real villain were Theseus himself?
I basically want to shove this book into every high school freshman's hands when it comes time for them to study Greek mythology. This book retells the famous myth in an entirely new way without sacrificing originality (and making it extremely fun in the process). The rhymes and slang used were cool without being forced, and the more complete, fleshed out characters of some of the most famous Greek players in their mythology will have the potential for young readers to see them in an entirely new light. If you like your stories bold and your characters vulgar, this is the retelling for you. It could have been a little longer, but the short amount of time I spent reading this was one of the most enjoyable hours I've had in a while.
And as Poseidon would say (though I'm cleaning it up a bit...)
Ta-ta, lovelies!
April 14, 2022
Read for MLIS elective
Wasn't too familiar with this myth but I really liked this retelling!! The voices were so distinctive, even though I wish the ending had been different 😩😭😭 (Yes I am Team Minotaur, what about it?)
Content warning: death (both human and animal), misogyny, bestiality (uh, it's not graphic but better safe than sorry)
Wasn't too familiar with this myth but I really liked this retelling!! The voices were so distinctive, even though I wish the ending had been different 😩😭😭 (Yes I am Team Minotaur, what about it?)
Content warning: death (both human and animal), misogyny, bestiality (uh, it's not graphic but better safe than sorry)
February 23, 2017
I received an advance readers copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I absolutely loved it. I loved the concept and Greek mythology and most of all, I loved Poseidon. I thought he was so hilarious and he reminded me of Deadpool with his sass and snark.
I haven't read a lot of books in verse so I can't confidently say this book is really well written but I personally thought it was great.
The humor in this book is more on the dark side so if you're not into that, you might not enjoy this book as much as I did.
Overall, I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I laughed a lot and I loved the modernization of Greek mythology.
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I absolutely loved it. I loved the concept and Greek mythology and most of all, I loved Poseidon. I thought he was so hilarious and he reminded me of Deadpool with his sass and snark.
I haven't read a lot of books in verse so I can't confidently say this book is really well written but I personally thought it was great.
The humor in this book is more on the dark side so if you're not into that, you might not enjoy this book as much as I did.
Overall, I loved this book and read it in one sitting. I laughed a lot and I loved the modernization of Greek mythology.
March 8, 2017
I won a copy of this book in the Instagram giveaway from HMH Kids. As soon as I saw the cover on Instagram, I knew I wanted this book. I might be one of those kind of readers, but I have to admit that it’s just one beautiful cover. All the cover love. And when I heard it was about Greek mythology as well. After reading the Percy Jackson series, I have a love for all things Greek mythology. So I was incredibly happy when I won an ARC copy of the book.
I have to say, this is the fifth novel in verse I’ve ever read, and they continuously surprise me. I really like the room they give each author to play with the style, and how they can morph it to fit the novel. Elliott really takes advantage of the opportunity, using a different style for each character. When one of the characters go insane, the form of the poems change to show how spaced out her thoughts are. I won’t say which character spends some of the book in a dark place, but then the pages are black, which just added to the atmosphere of the novel and the setting. It really suited the story.
I also liked the retelling aspect of things, and the fact that it did not alter the story. This novel stays true to the original myth, down to a fault. I have read alternated versions, so it was nice to get the true story (well, as true as a myth can be.)
I did feel like reading this one was a little bit awkward in the beginning. Mostly because the myth cannot begin without a woman sleeping with a bill to make the Minotaur. Which of course, is a pretty awkward event to bridge in a young adult novel. I feel like the author struggled a little bit with handling that so that he could get on with telling the story. I know he tried to keep the story clean as well, which is why the beginning felt a little off. But once the myth is set on its way, it improves.
At the same time though, I wondered why he had such an issue with bridging that beginning seeing as there is a lot of language in this novel. Not an overwhelming amount, but enough for parents not to want the younger young adults to be reading this one. So if it’s mostly for the mature young adult readers anyway, there’s not really such a need to hop and skip over the beginning as much as he did.
Other than that though, I really liked this story. I really liked getting to see everyone’s character, and how we got to really view the story from everyone’s perspective. Having all these unique characters and seeing how the plot wove together, with Poseidon narrating it all, showed how much detail there really is incorporated in this myth.
I really enjoyed reading this one. I flew through it in about an hour, and I think many other readers will really enjoy this one too!
This review and others can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
I have to say, this is the fifth novel in verse I’ve ever read, and they continuously surprise me. I really like the room they give each author to play with the style, and how they can morph it to fit the novel. Elliott really takes advantage of the opportunity, using a different style for each character. When one of the characters go insane, the form of the poems change to show how spaced out her thoughts are. I won’t say which character spends some of the book in a dark place, but then the pages are black, which just added to the atmosphere of the novel and the setting. It really suited the story.
I also liked the retelling aspect of things, and the fact that it did not alter the story. This novel stays true to the original myth, down to a fault. I have read alternated versions, so it was nice to get the true story (well, as true as a myth can be.)
I did feel like reading this one was a little bit awkward in the beginning. Mostly because the myth cannot begin without a woman sleeping with a bill to make the Minotaur. Which of course, is a pretty awkward event to bridge in a young adult novel. I feel like the author struggled a little bit with handling that so that he could get on with telling the story. I know he tried to keep the story clean as well, which is why the beginning felt a little off. But once the myth is set on its way, it improves.
At the same time though, I wondered why he had such an issue with bridging that beginning seeing as there is a lot of language in this novel. Not an overwhelming amount, but enough for parents not to want the younger young adults to be reading this one. So if it’s mostly for the mature young adult readers anyway, there’s not really such a need to hop and skip over the beginning as much as he did.
Other than that though, I really liked this story. I really liked getting to see everyone’s character, and how we got to really view the story from everyone’s perspective. Having all these unique characters and seeing how the plot wove together, with Poseidon narrating it all, showed how much detail there really is incorporated in this myth.
I really enjoyed reading this one. I flew through it in about an hour, and I think many other readers will really enjoy this one too!
This review and others can be found on Olivia's Catastrophe: http://olivia-savannah.blogspot.nl/20...
June 9, 2019
My son loves Greek Mythology. He’s always telling me stories he’s read or learned at school. I was intrigued by the cover of this book a few years ago. I was excited to find it at my local library bookstore for $1. It’s been sitting on my shelves until today. I knew it was written in verse, but I haven’t found a book in verse that I’ve liked. I decided to give this one a try finally and absolutely loved it. 5 million stars!!!
This book like I said is written in verse. The modern language, i.e. cussing and slang words make an the old myth of the Minotaur into something relatable and interesting to read. The poetry is quick and precise. It follows a rhyming scheme which I enjoy. I hate most modern poetry when it just thoughts vomited on a page yearning to be understood.
David Elliott takes liberties with the story sticking to the original myth and fleshing out what is skipped like Asterion’s childhood.
I read this book out loud my my fourteen year old with attitude like it was slam poetry. It’s fitting since it’s written in that fashion, with sarcasm and defiance.
If you haven’t found a verse written story that you’ve liked in the past check this one out. If you like Greek Mythology this is a fun edition. Highly recommend!
This book like I said is written in verse. The modern language, i.e. cussing and slang words make an the old myth of the Minotaur into something relatable and interesting to read. The poetry is quick and precise. It follows a rhyming scheme which I enjoy. I hate most modern poetry when it just thoughts vomited on a page yearning to be understood.
David Elliott takes liberties with the story sticking to the original myth and fleshing out what is skipped like Asterion’s childhood.
I read this book out loud my my fourteen year old with attitude like it was slam poetry. It’s fitting since it’s written in that fashion, with sarcasm and defiance.
If you haven’t found a verse written story that you’ve liked in the past check this one out. If you like Greek Mythology this is a fun edition. Highly recommend!
April 29, 2018
What is it with you mortals?
You just can't seem to learn:
If you play with fire, babies,
You're gonna get burned
* * * *
4 / 5
Bull was a wild ride. I am not an expert in the story of the Minotaur, so I went into this virtually blind and was rewarded with a hilarious, witty, and surprisingly sorrowful tale. Does Elliott do the original justice? I have no idea. What I do know is that I had fun.
So this Minos
This "king"
This two-faced
Turd.
The guy's all ego.
BUT I'M ALL ID.
Bull is guilty of the same crime that I bash Rick Riordan for: making a mockery of and not doing justice to divine figures. The difference here is that Elliot's characterisation is actually hilarious and not just cringey. I'm also reasonably sure it is satire, but to be honest I'm not really sure. Poseidon's first line, and indeed the first novel of the book, is "Whaddup, bitches?", which really sets the tone; Bull is not a delicate book, this is not a Mary Renault retelling but a humorous, often crass, and sassy version with a good dose of modern upholstering (language-wise, not setting). This is not to say that Bull is unsophisticated. There are lots of little homages to Homer, the poetry is reasonably fluid and has fairly decent rhyme, but I'm not a poetry critic.
She calls her calf Asterion. Asterion. Asterion.
That's my name - Asterion.
I'm Ruler of the Stars
Bull is split into different "books" each book is told by a variety of people: Poseidon, Daedalus, Pasiphae, Minos, Ariadne, and Theseus who each have their own unique voice. At the end of the book the author discusses the choice of form for each character, which was quite interesting to read about. For example, Daedalus has fairly standard quartets because he is a simple, straightforward engineer.
Minos says I'm nothing more than Nothing.
Can Nothing take a form and call it me?
But Nothing is ever what it seems
My favourite was by far and away Asterion - rather than amusing, Asterion's parts are sad and often beautiful. As the book progresses his verses become more and more broken to reflect his deteriorating mental state, and the pages becomes darker and darker as becomes less man and more minotaur. Ariadne is also a hit with me: she's snarky, bitter, sassy, and her language is not tame, but she's also compassionate and kind. In terms of sheer humour though, Poseidon's narrative definitely takes the grand prize; the book alternates between Poesidon as the overall narrator, and everyone else, so he gets the most page time. His parts are peppered with grave comments and a wagonload of banter.
Mother prefers to take refuge in madness
I don't blame her, I confess:
There's danger in sanity
There is a lot of adult humour and adult language, such that I wouldn't recommend to under sixteens. There's also a fair amount of misogyny going on, which wasn't exactly my favourite thing ever, but understandable given the story. Other than that, my only real complaint is that it is a touch too long. Mostly, Bull is just a bit of a laugh, but particularly towards the end I get a lot more respect for the poetic decisions that Elliott made. The last dozen or so pages bleed emotion. The key to enjoying this is to be aware of what you are getting when you start; expecting a classic collection of poems is only going to ruin the pleasure you might have gotten out of Bull.
My thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of Bull
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
You just can't seem to learn:
If you play with fire, babies,
You're gonna get burned
* * * *
4 / 5
Bull was a wild ride. I am not an expert in the story of the Minotaur, so I went into this virtually blind and was rewarded with a hilarious, witty, and surprisingly sorrowful tale. Does Elliott do the original justice? I have no idea. What I do know is that I had fun.
So this Minos
This "king"
This two-faced
Turd.
The guy's all ego.
BUT I'M ALL ID.
Bull is guilty of the same crime that I bash Rick Riordan for: making a mockery of and not doing justice to divine figures. The difference here is that Elliot's characterisation is actually hilarious and not just cringey. I'm also reasonably sure it is satire, but to be honest I'm not really sure. Poseidon's first line, and indeed the first novel of the book, is "Whaddup, bitches?", which really sets the tone; Bull is not a delicate book, this is not a Mary Renault retelling but a humorous, often crass, and sassy version with a good dose of modern upholstering (language-wise, not setting). This is not to say that Bull is unsophisticated. There are lots of little homages to Homer, the poetry is reasonably fluid and has fairly decent rhyme, but I'm not a poetry critic.
She calls her calf Asterion. Asterion. Asterion.
That's my name - Asterion.
I'm Ruler of the Stars
Bull is split into different "books" each book is told by a variety of people: Poseidon, Daedalus, Pasiphae, Minos, Ariadne, and Theseus who each have their own unique voice. At the end of the book the author discusses the choice of form for each character, which was quite interesting to read about. For example, Daedalus has fairly standard quartets because he is a simple, straightforward engineer.
Minos says I'm nothing more than Nothing.
Can Nothing take a form and call it me?
But Nothing is ever what it seems
My favourite was by far and away Asterion - rather than amusing, Asterion's parts are sad and often beautiful. As the book progresses his verses become more and more broken to reflect his deteriorating mental state, and the pages becomes darker and darker as becomes less man and more minotaur. Ariadne is also a hit with me: she's snarky, bitter, sassy, and her language is not tame, but she's also compassionate and kind. In terms of sheer humour though, Poseidon's narrative definitely takes the grand prize; the book alternates between Poesidon as the overall narrator, and everyone else, so he gets the most page time. His parts are peppered with grave comments and a wagonload of banter.
Mother prefers to take refuge in madness
I don't blame her, I confess:
There's danger in sanity
There is a lot of adult humour and adult language, such that I wouldn't recommend to under sixteens. There's also a fair amount of misogyny going on, which wasn't exactly my favourite thing ever, but understandable given the story. Other than that, my only real complaint is that it is a touch too long. Mostly, Bull is just a bit of a laugh, but particularly towards the end I get a lot more respect for the poetic decisions that Elliott made. The last dozen or so pages bleed emotion. The key to enjoying this is to be aware of what you are getting when you start; expecting a classic collection of poems is only going to ruin the pleasure you might have gotten out of Bull.
My thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of Bull
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
May 7, 2017
POSEIDON
Whaddup, bitches?
3.5 stars. This was awesome, basically.
Bull is a dramatic retelling of the Theseus and Minotaur legend, with a hint of parody and a hint of interesting expansion on the myth. It's told partially from the point of view of the Minotaur himself.
My favorite thing about this is the difference in voices throughout! Asterion’s voice is tortured yet uplifting. Poseidon’s voice is more amusing and fun. Elliot writes in multiple verse styles, using one per character and varying styles to indicate state of mind. It’s all very clever.
Honestly, the only letdown was the length. This book is way too short; I really wanted more out of it.
VERDICT: An engaging and fun short read, but with a little more length and nuance, it could've been even better.
April 25, 2020
3.25 stars
Not as good as I thought it'd be but still enjoyable. Some of the verses felt awkward too at times.
Poseidon was my favorite of the bunch.
Not as good as I thought it'd be but still enjoyable. Some of the verses felt awkward too at times.
Poseidon was my favorite of the bunch.
March 15, 2020
Okay, I kind of loved this. It's a verse novel retelling the Minotaur legend. A couple of months back I had the absolute delight of reading Kyla Stone's brilliant retelling of this story, Labyrinth of Shadows, so I was interested to see what another take on the story would be like. While both retellings have some similarities (if you loved this one, read Kyla's!!!), this one focuses more on Asterion than on Ariadne, and very much has the tone of a classical tragedy (by way of, I am informed by those who know, Hamilton). The use of poetry is brilliant, and each of the characters comes to life with a strong narrative voice and unique poetic style.
Rating: soft R for language, sexual references (kind of unavoidable given the original myth).
Rating: soft R for language, sexual references (kind of unavoidable given the original myth).
April 12, 2017
A laugh out loud modernization of the myth of the minotaur. It's a nice quick read told through verse. Poseidon is literally the king of sass in this which just makes everything even better than it already is.
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own.
April 2, 2021
An interesting retelling of Theseus and the Minotaur told in verse.
Poseidon acts as a smart-alec narrator watching over the characters in his play.
Each character had their own poetry style to help differentiate which I think added to the story.
Definitely a unique story to check out.
Poseidon acts as a smart-alec narrator watching over the characters in his play.
Each character had their own poetry style to help differentiate which I think added to the story.
Definitely a unique story to check out.
August 14, 2017
A sort of Hamilton flavored take on the myth of Theseus and the minotaur, told largely without Theseus at all. It's much more about the minotaur himself, Asterion. And this is going to be a tough one for a lot of people to get into, much less love. There's a lot to like in here, when the focus is on the "onstage" characters. Watching Pasiphae and, later, Asterion deteriorate is heart breaking. Ariadne's devotion to her brother and contempt for her father are nicely written. And Minos himself is an appropriately complex villain. But all that complexity goes right out the window with Poseidon himself. I could see what Elliott was going for, but I just couldn't connect with it. It just never quite felt right to me, which may well be a failure of imagination on my part.
June 16, 2017
This retelling is so imaginative that it makes me angry.
March 14, 2018
Ask the Minotaur. Who is crueler: god or man?
February 16, 2018
This book is a retelling of the Greek Minotaur in the Labyrinth story - and i think it was executed so effectively. It’s written in verse (with more modern language) that I think would draw in more contemporary readers.
Besides the retelling, I appreciated the discussion at the end regarding poetry form and why certain forms were used for specific characters. Quite telling and fascinating.
Besides the retelling, I appreciated the discussion at the end regarding poetry form and why certain forms were used for specific characters. Quite telling and fascinating.
November 21, 2018
A short, modern retelling of the Minotaur myth. It was pretty hilarious, I admit.
April 28, 2017
Creative and entertaining re-telling of the Greek mythology of the Minotaur. I enjoyed the author's use of prose and felt it was an easy read.
July 8, 2023
I'm not particularly well-versed (teehee) with Greek mythology, but when I saw Marquise's review which likens this book to a rap battle, I knew I had to give this a chance.
Let's just say I'm glad I went into this expecting something silly like a rap battle and not something serious or profound. Reading it in the flow of music kept me amused and entertained where I'm certain I would have ended up abandoning this book otherwise. The rhymes are often weak and the poetry flow sometimes questionable, but viewed through the lens of amateur rappers coming up with lines on the spot it's actually quite amusing and slightly inventive.
That's also the only way I could get past the (rather cringe-inducing) modern slang scattered throughout. I mean, Greek gods are over here using phrases like "LMAO" and "LOL" and "whatevs" while speaking in verse and the 'jokes' about Asterion's conception get old and unsavoury very quickly. Also, there's a "little blue pill" reference when referring to someone being a dick and how "all dicks deflate"...? Idk. It's quite juvenile and immature most of the time. Which, again, works perfectly fine for perceiving it as if the transcript of a rap battle. But as literature itself... meh.
While I had a little fun and found this book amusing, I also thought the novelty wore off before it was even halfway over and the actual quality of the writing left much to be desired. It's inventive, and it's unique, but it's very much not my cup of tea.
But do keep in mind that I am not particularly fond of poetry in general, so I'm almost certainly not the target demographic. I'm sure there are plenty of clever or possibly even inventive poetic forms used here - the flows vary from chapter to chapter - but it just didn't work much for me and I don't know (or care) enough about poetry to look past the wording choices and appreciate the poetic form instead. It's a shame, because I quite liked the portions covering Asterion's POV, but they felt few and far between and got a bit heavy-handed as his mental health spiraled.
Lovely cover, though.
Let's just say I'm glad I went into this expecting something silly like a rap battle and not something serious or profound. Reading it in the flow of music kept me amused and entertained where I'm certain I would have ended up abandoning this book otherwise. The rhymes are often weak and the poetry flow sometimes questionable, but viewed through the lens of amateur rappers coming up with lines on the spot it's actually quite amusing and slightly inventive.
That's also the only way I could get past the (rather cringe-inducing) modern slang scattered throughout. I mean, Greek gods are over here using phrases like "LMAO" and "LOL" and "whatevs" while speaking in verse and the 'jokes' about Asterion's conception get old and unsavoury very quickly. Also, there's a "little blue pill" reference when referring to someone being a dick and how "all dicks deflate"...? Idk. It's quite juvenile and immature most of the time. Which, again, works perfectly fine for perceiving it as if the transcript of a rap battle. But as literature itself... meh.
While I had a little fun and found this book amusing, I also thought the novelty wore off before it was even halfway over and the actual quality of the writing left much to be desired. It's inventive, and it's unique, but it's very much not my cup of tea.
But do keep in mind that I am not particularly fond of poetry in general, so I'm almost certainly not the target demographic. I'm sure there are plenty of clever or possibly even inventive poetic forms used here - the flows vary from chapter to chapter - but it just didn't work much for me and I don't know (or care) enough about poetry to look past the wording choices and appreciate the poetic form instead. It's a shame, because I quite liked the portions covering Asterion's POV, but they felt few and far between and got a bit heavy-handed as his mental health spiraled.
Lovely cover, though.
October 15, 2020
“Lightning flashes. Thunder rumbles. That’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
This book proves that not everyone can effectively tell a story in poetry/verse. LOVE the idea. Hate the execution. The poetry itself is cheesy and cringe-inducing. If you can get past the writing, then it’s a very original modernization of the classic Greek myth of King Minos and his minotaur son, Asterion. I just couldn’t get past the writing.
Positives & Negatives:
+ I grew to love Poseidon and that is what kept me from completely abandoning this book. Poseidon reminds me of Hades from the Disney Hercules movie: he’s brash and flamboyant and constantly breaks the fourth wall to make commentary.
+ I love the way the myths are revealed with the more unsavory bits being teased at and not completely erased. It felt like one of the most honest retellings of how gruesome things could be in Greek myths with incest and curses and deaths not detailed, but definitely referred to.
+ The foreshadowing is cheeky.
- The poetry is just bad. The line breaks are weird and seem unintentional. The rhyming seems overly forced in places so it just comes across like it’s trying too hard. The author clearly understands the structure of classic poetry, but the execution seems like he tried too hard to stick with that structure whether or not it sounded good.
- Some of the rhymes were son/done, glory/story, it/shit, king/nothing, win/javelin, fuss/Icarus, ghost/utmost….
- The language is inconsistent? The tone feels really cheesy and goofy but the author also includes inappropriate language and some of the more vulgar events of mythology (but, I mean… it’s Greek mythology, there’s only so much you can censor), so it’s hard to tell who the target audience is.
I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book proves that not everyone can effectively tell a story in poetry/verse. LOVE the idea. Hate the execution. The poetry itself is cheesy and cringe-inducing. If you can get past the writing, then it’s a very original modernization of the classic Greek myth of King Minos and his minotaur son, Asterion. I just couldn’t get past the writing.
Positives & Negatives:
+ I grew to love Poseidon and that is what kept me from completely abandoning this book. Poseidon reminds me of Hades from the Disney Hercules movie: he’s brash and flamboyant and constantly breaks the fourth wall to make commentary.
+ I love the way the myths are revealed with the more unsavory bits being teased at and not completely erased. It felt like one of the most honest retellings of how gruesome things could be in Greek myths with incest and curses and deaths not detailed, but definitely referred to.
+ The foreshadowing is cheeky.
- The poetry is just bad. The line breaks are weird and seem unintentional. The rhyming seems overly forced in places so it just comes across like it’s trying too hard. The author clearly understands the structure of classic poetry, but the execution seems like he tried too hard to stick with that structure whether or not it sounded good.
- Some of the rhymes were son/done, glory/story, it/shit, king/nothing, win/javelin, fuss/Icarus, ghost/utmost….
- The language is inconsistent? The tone feels really cheesy and goofy but the author also includes inappropriate language and some of the more vulgar events of mythology (but, I mean… it’s Greek mythology, there’s only so much you can censor), so it’s hard to tell who the target audience is.
I received a copy of this ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
January 26, 2018
Very well executed story of the Minotaur, with the voices of Poseidon, Minos, Ariadne, Daedelus, the Minotaur, and his mom. Oh and a few from Theseus. Each character had their own form of poetry which worked well. Unfortunately it's not a good fit for me, as I tend to dislike verse poems and found the hip-hop styles (especially of Poseidon) irritating (because I am old and cranky, not because they were poorly written).
But I'd comfortably offer it to anyone who was into Greek Mythology or Percy Jackson.
But I'd comfortably offer it to anyone who was into Greek Mythology or Percy Jackson.
March 1, 2021
It was everything I look for! Sarcastic, funny, about mythology! What else could I want?!
It's a well-known story and I think making it that fun to read without changing the original too much is requires another level of skill! I LOOOVE Poseidon's verses; he just seeks revenge and fun, naturally, his verses are full of sarcasm and his typical carefreeness!
If you like greek mythology but not a poetry person (like me) don't worry and just check it out!
It's a well-known story and I think making it that fun to read without changing the original too much is requires another level of skill! I LOOOVE Poseidon's verses; he just seeks revenge and fun, naturally, his verses are full of sarcasm and his typical carefreeness!
If you like greek mythology but not a poetry person (like me) don't worry and just check it out!
August 16, 2018
I did not expect to finish this is in a span of a few hours, and it's a testament to how entertaining this book is. Unfortunately, that is all it is for me: entertaining. Which is suh a shame because the story of Asterion could have gone a long way.
My main problems with this book are:
1. The use of popular lingo threw me off. Honestly, it sounded like my dad trying to "talk teen" with me.
2. The moral of the story kinda got lost along the way. I had a bit if a hard time trying to grasp what the author was trying to tell me with Asterion's story. I had to read his note about the myth to understand, but when i did, it struck home.
However, this book does have some incredibly good qualities, and most of it revolves around the books attention to detail.
1. The prose, which was a different form of poetry for every character, reflecting on their roles and development.
2. The pages for Asterion, which grew darker as his story progressed into its tragic demise.
I loved how i could feel Minos' anger, Pasiphae's fall into insanity, Asterion's own struggle with the darkness and Daedelus' calm, collected mind through the prose which perfectly reflected who they were as characters. And Asterion's pages getting darker as his story progressed added to the experience; it really made me feel the sadness and hopelessness of his life.
It's a creative book with a creative prose that felt just below the bar, but nonetheless good.
My main problems with this book are:
1. The use of popular lingo threw me off. Honestly, it sounded like my dad trying to "talk teen" with me.
2. The moral of the story kinda got lost along the way. I had a bit if a hard time trying to grasp what the author was trying to tell me with Asterion's story. I had to read his note about the myth to understand, but when i did, it struck home.
However, this book does have some incredibly good qualities, and most of it revolves around the books attention to detail.
1. The prose, which was a different form of poetry for every character, reflecting on their roles and development.
2. The pages for Asterion, which grew darker as his story progressed into its tragic demise.
I loved how i could feel Minos' anger, Pasiphae's fall into insanity, Asterion's own struggle with the darkness and Daedelus' calm, collected mind through the prose which perfectly reflected who they were as characters. And Asterion's pages getting darker as his story progressed added to the experience; it really made me feel the sadness and hopelessness of his life.
It's a creative book with a creative prose that felt just below the bar, but nonetheless good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2017
SAD.
I really enjoyed how every character's verses gave them a different feel. I REALLY enjoyed Asterion. It was also way too much fun to read out loud (I censored words :D). Also I butchered ALL of the verse when I read it out loud so. Sacrifices were made.
I really enjoyed how every character's verses gave them a different feel. I REALLY enjoyed Asterion. It was also way too much fun to read out loud (I censored words :D). Also I butchered ALL of the verse when I read it out loud so. Sacrifices were made.
February 9, 2024
This was so gooood. I love the way it tells the myth and keeps to the original story but tells it in a fun way. It was a fun read and I loved it!
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