2.5*
This was OK. It wasn't the best, but I think I just don't really get on with Kalynn Bayron's style, so thats on me.
I found it very slow to get into, nothing really happened for the first 90%. The Characters were pretty 2 dimensional to me, the atmosphere was OK, again, not much happened. Plot could have been interesting, I love the premise. This is the same issue I had with Cinderella is Dead- amazing premise that sounds fascinating, but the execution just wasn't it for me. Personal preference- as I said I don't think I get on with Bayron's style. Logic was the biggest let down for me. I didn't understand the magic- there was no explanation of how it works and why. Bresis could make things grow and this power came from Medea. No explanation as to why Medea had this power way back when. No explanation as to how it works, what else it can do other than make things grow. Just a bit confusing and therefore it all fell flat for me.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bloomsbury Publishing & Kalynn Baron for my arc of This Poison Heart in exchange for an honest review.

Out now!

From the author of Cinderella is Dead, one of my favourite 2020 reads comes a Greek mythology retelling, how could I resist?

This Poison Heart sees Briseis, stuck in New York City with no friends except her mums and their flower shop, and amazing power which allows her to grow flowers and plants with a single touch, suddenly whisked away to a sleepy country Town and her birth mothers old mansion, complete with apothecary and poison garden. And the more people Bri meets, the more secrets she discovers, some of them more deadly than any of the poisons in her garden.

This was a mixed bag for me. I loved Cinderella is Dead and I love greek mythology so I was really excited for this one.

First up I absolutely loved the characters. Bri is a great girl, fun, smart, fierce. She is also polite, respectful and generous. Her mom’s seriously steal the show though, they’re the best kind of parents, they laugh and joke, make life fun for Bri and her friends but also take care of her and love her. It’s not often that I enjoy all of the characters in a book but this was definitely one of those times.

The storyline itself is really interesting. I studied Medea during my degree and it’s definitely one of the lesser known myths so I really liked how it was centred around that particular myth. But I do feel something was lacking in the execution. There were a lot of interesting threads that I felt didn’t quite get explored to their fullest potential. Some events towards the end also fell a bit flat due to feeling far fetched and rushed. At times I also felt the book read younger than YA even though the MC is 17 she reads like a much younger girl at times especially when her moms become overprotective.

Overall I enjoyed the story but don’t think I would read the second one. I adored the characters and a lot of the historical / mythology elements of the story but I didn’t feel that the plot really grabbed me enough to want to read the second book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

I LOVED this book and cannot wait for the second part to complete the story! Bri and her family were such great charatcers and so well realised, and while I did see some of the twists coming there was always something I missed. The plot was a breath of fresh air and I'm so excited to see where the next book goes with it!

As I write this review I have literally just finished this book and I am reeling. That was one of the best (and worst because I now need more) cliff-hangers I have ever read - who saw that coming!?

Briseies has an affinity with plants and I don't mean she is simply a good gardener. When around her the plants come alive, they respond to her and move to be physically near her. She spends all of her time and energy ignoring her gift and desperately trying to fit in. But when a mysterious lawyer turns up with the news that she has been left a huge estate by her birth family she finally feels like she has the space to breathe and let her power loose. With her mums, she relocates but quickly realises that she has been left a lot more than just a house...

This book was just a breath of fresh air. It has nature, brilliant family relationships, a hint of romance and a healthy dose of Greek mythology - what more could you ask for? And I didn't realise until the last paragraph that it is going to be a series (or at least I very hope so because it would just be cruel to leave it there). I fell in love with Kaylnn's writing in Cinderella is Dead but this book was even better! I cannot wait for more information on the next one!

4.5/ 5 Stars

This was such a refreshing read. I loved the characters and the character dynamics. Brie being adopted and having 2 moms made the whole book better from the beginning. The humor was amazing, and the story line very interesting. The combination of contemporary and fantasy is perfect, and I will definitely be waiting longingly for book 2.
I really enjoyed the greek mythology part, that became more and more prominent the further you got into the book. There were several interesting topics throughout the book in general, and the amazing writing made it an effortless read.

This Poison Heart was such a great read! It had magic, poisonous plants, banter and twists and turns!

Can I just say it was so refreshing to see a positive and supportive parent relationship in a YA novel! Most of the time they're not in the picture and this made a really great change. There's queer rep with the parents as well as the MC which was great! Speaking of the MC, she's such a badass and so sassy - I loved her!

The plot was great, plenty of twists and turns which were exciting and kept me hooked. Some of the twists were predictable and I guessed them early on but I didn't mind much. One of the twists came out of nowhere though and that was definitely a shocker! Don't trust anyoneeeee basically lol.

All of the plant and botany knowledge was fantastic and the descriptions were lush, I felt like I had to hold my breath sometimes going into the poison garden! I was googling all of these poisonous plants to learn more and nature is scaryyyyy!

I was a big fan of the mythology aspect interwoven throughout the story, this was a nice element that I appreciated. I would have liked to learn more though! I suppose it's tough though as she was adopted and didn't have any knowledge of the mythology before she arrived at the house so. In the next one, I'm hoping for things to develop even more!

The romance wasn't a major part of the narrative which was also refreshing, as in YA fantasy, this can sometimes overtake the plot. Things were wrapped up nicely in anticipation for the next instalment, which I'm definitely looking forward to!

I would definitely recommend this!

5/5 stars overall.

CW/TWs:
•death of a parent
•violence
•gore
•blood
•vomit
•body horror
•stalking
•death/murder

This Poison Heart is a fascinating YA fantasy that mixes modern life with ancient mythology so beautifully, drawing you into a world of mystery and leaving you constantly guessing what will happen next. It follows Briseis, a teenage girl who has a hidden power - she can bring plants back to life or grow new ones from the smallest bit of plant matter. Shortly after the book begins we find out that she has inherited a house and some land from her birth family, and this is when everything begins to change.

Briseis and her adoptive mothers travel from the city to a more rural town called Rhinebeck. Here they discover a house full of mysteries and a range of characters who are not all they seem to be. Throughout the book we are given little snippets of information and Briseis begins to piece the puzzle together, but with every clue she finds new questions are posed. Will she ever discover the true story of her ancestors, who they are, what their connection to a mysterious woman named Medea is, and why they have the power they do?

Just when you think Briseis is finally closing in on the answer to all of these questions things are turned completely upside down. The final couple of chapters of the book are brutal, as people's true identities are revealed and the real reason Briseis was brought to Rhinebeck is explained. And then the book ends, on a major cliffhanger... be prepared to be left wanting so much more and hoping that the sequel comes out soon!

I really enjoyed This Poison Heart, especially how Kalynn Bayron masterfully takes ancient mythology and weaves it into a modern day story with mystery and intrigue. The characters are all beautifully developed, to the point where my own heart felt broken when Briseis finds out who has been playing her all along. I cannot wait to read more.

I absolutely adored Cinderella is Dead last year, so I’ve been excited about This Poison Heart since I first heard about it. Even though it wasn’t exactly what I expected it to be, this was definitely one of my most anticipated books. I was actually debating buying the Fairyloot special edition, but I didn’t have the money. So I guess I’ll be grabbing a normal paperback edition at some point.

Where I usually try to keep my reviews spoiler-free – this one will have some spoilers. There’s something I want to talk about, so be warned. I was lucky enough to receive this as an e-ARC through Netgalley.

This Poison Heart is being promoted as a sapphic retelling of The Secret Garden. To me, it didn’t really scream The Secret Garden apart from the whole walled garden and family secrets. Briseis has power over plants, a power that she’s tried to keep hidden. One day her family gets a call saying that she has inherited a home from her birth mother’s family. As they move into the house, she discovers; hidden alters, a lineage of witches and a garden filled with poisons. Briseis doesn’t know what to do, but her ancestors won’t leave her alone until she accepts her fate.

I fell in love with this book from the first page. I was grabbed by the story and the characters. I was interested in Briseis’s magic, and though I was surprised by the ties to Greek mythology, it fascinated me. It wasn’t what I expected, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. I wasn’t a huge fan of the way it was written and handled, but I am curious about how all these Greek myths have blended with our time now. I also liked getting the chance to read more on Medea and Hecate. Mythical women that I don’t tend to see so much on. The way these myths have been blended with family history and plants was really well done. Kalynn Bayron is an expert when it comes to clever retellings.

As clever as the story is, and as much as I loved this book for the first 70%… I didn’t like it so much after that. I found the whole story kind of ridiculous and predictable in places. Plus, I didn’t really like the romance. It was fine to start with. Briseis and Marie did seem a little bit insta-romance for me, but Marie seemed sweet if kind of odd. And I loved Briseis’s clearly crushing behaviour. Sadly, there were then there were other issues too. That issue being that Marie is immortal and a few hundred years old. Whereas Briseis is only 17. Now, as a teenager myself, that wasn’t something that bothered me. And since this book is for teens, that might not be a problem for most readers. But I don’t know as an adult. It’s kinda gross that someone who, whether stuck in a teenager’s body or not, is technically still an adult, and they’re getting with an actual teenager. Yeah, I’m not really a fan. But sadly, that was only the beginning of my issues.

This book went from being one I adored to one that I thought was kind of ridiculous and rolled my eyes at. The change happened pretty quickly. Which is a complete disappointment. I was so excited for this book, and I’m unsure as to whether I’ll pick up book 2 or not since the end really didn’t do much for me.

But the worldbuilding hooked me so much. I want to know more about these mythical families. I wanna see what’s happened to the other gods and their descendants. I also loved the queer rep. Not only is Briseis bi or pan – not sure which -but her adopted parents are an adorable lesbian couple. There were also brief mentions of other queer characters, and I really loved that. Certain aspects of this book were completely perfect, and it was so easy to read.

Kalynn Bayron really does write so well.

But something about it just didn’t work for me as much as I’d wanted it to.

A book about a black teen who has magic botany gifts? Sign me up!

This Poison Heart did not let me down. A retelling of The Secret Garden with elements of greek mythology made for a mysterious witchy atmosphere that I really enjoyed.

At times the pacing felt a bit jumpy with a slightly rushed ending due to the first person narration, and to me the twist seemed a little obvious, however these only minorly affected my enjoyment.

The diversity of the characters was fantastic and the discussions around Bri's adoption were very refreshing in how well they were explored. The family dynamic between Bri and her mums was truely lovely to read.

Throw in an inherited large old estate, a brilliant main character and fascinating insights into botany and you've got a book I cannot wait for a sequel to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me with an advanced reader's copy.

I had previously read and LOVED Cinderella is dead and so I was pretty excited to see what was next from Kalynn Bayron - I'm delighted to say that This Poison Heart absolutely lived up to my expectations. This is an utterly fantastic YA adventure with an incredibly compelling main character, a great plot and a hefty dose of nature magic for good measure.
Our main character featured here on the cover is Briseis, who is living life in Brooklyn in her moms' (yes she has two of them) flower shop which is struggling to make ends meet. Life isn’t super easy for Briseis since she’s having to deal with the fact that, like it or not, she has a magical affinity for plants. No one can explain it, she’s getting very weary of hiding it and everything feels like it’s falling apart. But then a solicitor turns up to inform them that Briseis’ birth mother has left her a big house in Rhinebeck after her death and the death of her sister. Is heading out there the solution to all their problems or do the mysteries just deepen from there?

This book was incredibly engaging. I loved the writing, the voice is just right and I got totally swept up in the plot and the various goings-on. I think even if it hadn’t been a part of my ‘book a day in June’ challenge I would have read this SUPER fast because I was just so caught up in it. Unputdownable - it’s one of the highest compliments I give a book.

Casually LGBTQIA+! I’ve mentioned Briseis’ moms who are included in the book as no big deal which I obviously love but add on top of that Briseis going on a date with a woman within the story like that’s no big deal either and you’ve got me hooked. As far as I recall we never get a definitive label said within the story but I almost prefer it that way, we don’t need the Disney channel original movie opening of ‘hi I’m Briseis I like flowers and by the way, I’m [insert sexuality here], bet you’re wondering how I got here huh?
I was interested as to whether sexuality would come up as an issue in the ‘we’ve just moved to a small town' kind of way but for the most part, this town is, for many reasons, quite open-minded.

The setting, this town is one that has defunded its police force and put those resources into other systems. I loved that this was explored within the context of a YA novel because somehow even though this book is fiction and fantasy, the fact that this real-world setting had that in it made it feel normal, more possible as a reality. As with the character’s sexualities, this is just a thing, it’s explained as much as it needs to be and we get on with the magical gardening. I loved that.

The magic is great, it’s just what it needed to be within the story. Rather than going on a deep dive into a hard magic system this book just sets off and explains things where it needs to. Don’t get me wrong I appreciate a hard system but there’s something very freeing about ‘I’ll find out why this is happening when the book tells me’.

I tried to think of things I didn’t like about this book and I’m coming up empty? I’ll need to consume some other people’s reviews to see if I missed anything obvious when I totally devoured it over a couple of days. I think this was absolutely a perfect book for me to read this year it just did everything I wanted it to and more. The mystery is fantastic, the characters are great - yes.

My rating: 5/5 stars
I received a free digital review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved the concept of this book. A strong black female main character who has plant-based powers, that can also withstand even the deadliest of poison plants, hell yes. Mix that with the tie in of Greek mythology, double hell yes. I had no idea before reading this that it had greek mythology intertwined and oh my was I excited when I found out it did.

The style and inclusion of the mythology lore and how it was woven into the story reminded me a lot of Legendborn by Tracy Deonn, so if you enjoyed that book you will love This Poison Heart.

Our main character Briseis was extremely interesting whilst still acting like a normal teenager, well other than the fact that flowers would bloom when she is nearby. There are so many intricacies and layers to her character that develops over time that you can’t help but want to know more about her family’s past and how it was lead to where the story is today.

Briseis was a perfect example of a character that makes you feel empathy. When they arrive at the estate and begin to meet the people in town you can’t help but feel frustrated along with Briseis when everyone seems to know more about her birth family than she does. It becomes even more frustrating when they aren’t willing to tell her what they know.

Basically, she’s really cool and I really like her character.

Learning about the different plants that Briseis is growing in both her normal and poison garden was really interesting. I’ve never really been that interested in plants and gardening, but this book has definitely piqued my interest. I found myself googling what most of the plants looked like as Kalynn descriptions were so intriguing and honestly this concept was such a good idea. I will continue to say this constantly as it is definitely one of my favourites so far this year.

It was amazing just how casually sexuality was brought up in this book. Briseis appears to be bisexual and when she displayed romantic feelings towards a female character there wasn’t a big song and dance about it. She has two moms which I didn’t even think twice about as it wasn’t a big deal, which is exactly how you should feel about it. - I hope that makes sense and is in no way ignorant or offensive, I wasn’t entirely sure how to make the point I wanted.

This Poison Heart was a really creative and interesting story that had me hooked from start to finish. If you are looking for a dark read with family mysterious and a blossoming sapphic romance then you will love This Poison Heart.

After reading Kalynn Bayron's 'Cinderella Is Dead' last summer I was super exciting for this book.

I fear this book is going to be difficult to review. This book has so much going on - a little too much at times.
It took a good while for me to get into this book, I think this is because I was unsure where it was going.
I really liked the premise, and from reading the blurb was intrigued how this idea would transfer into the plot of the book. The blurb doesn't mention anything about the Greek Myth/Gods/Goddesses so it came as a surprise - but a good surprise. (I don't know why it wasn't referenced in the blurb as it doesn't spoil the plot as such)

At times the pacing was quite slow, and it constantly went up and down pacing. Super fast and intriguing to super slow etc. It made me feel a little unsettled at times.

Overall, I did enjoy this book - it was nice enough but I'm not gagging for a the sequel. I don't feel that attached. However, a sequel to 'Cinderella Is Dead' - now THAT is what I need!

I received a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing.

Holy shit I need the next book now!!

I didn’t realise this would be part of a series but the way this book ended indicates that there is more to come.

I honestly cannot put into words how much I loved this book!

I am 100% getting a physical copy of it!

Full review available on my blog June 28th.

Thanks to Bloomsbury YA for the eARC of this book. It has not affected my honest review.

Content Warnings: murder, death of a parent, threat, violence, body horror.

I absolutely devoured this book. I didn’t really know what to expect, going into it. I’d picked it up mostly blind, relying on the fact that I adored CINDERELLA IS DEAD from Kalynn Bayron and the fact that the cover for THIS POISON HEART is beyond gorgeous. That was a great way to read this book as I was utterly blindsided by every twist and turn in this contemporary fantasy plot. I didn’t realise this was going to be a series until I got 90% of the way through and had a dawning sense of horror that this wouldn’t be neatly resolved in the pages I had left. And I was right. The ending was spectacular, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.

The Greek mythology elements threaded throughout! My little Hellenic polytheist heart leapt when I realised the main character was called Briseis, and when Circe and Selene were mentioned? My ears pricked up. I loved the way the mythology was used to support this story. It wasn’t a huge facet of the story, but the inspirations were clear and excellently used. I loved the Medea and Hecate mentions, and it was used in a really clever way.

The gothic atmosphere of this book was glorious. In true gothic thrillery style, it felt like the house and the poison garden were characters all of their own and it built so much suspense and tension throughout the story. The whole novel had big Little Shop of Horrors energy, which is something I didn’t realise I desperately needed in a book. The plant magic was so, so fun. I loved the way it was done, and the way it actually made Briseis’s life difficult rather than just being a gift.

All of the characters were fantastic and the sapphic romance made me squeal but I have a particular soft spot for the family relationships in this book. I adored Briseis and her moms. Their family loyalty was incredible and made my heart grow three sizes. The love between them felt so strong and real that it jumped off the page, and I really loved that Briseis investigating her birth mother didn’t cause conflict between her and her moms.

The plant based magic is something that grasped by attention in this novel. The black representation, as well as the LGBTQIA was phenomenal.
I enjoyed the light hearted breezy feel of this book. like many YA, which is just what is needed. It is something you crave.
It was one of those books that I was just simply flipping pages. A very quick read which had me hooked from the beginning.

Thank you so much Bloomsbury Publishing UK for an e-copy of this book. The opinions below are my own.


First of all, I’m going to say this book helped me to come out of a bad reading slump and for that only, I am so thankful to the writer.

It was such a great read, with a more unexpected story. Briseis has always demonstrated she has a special gift. All the plants around her bow to her and grow to her touch, she would be able to make flowers bloom just from nothing. Her adoptive moms know about this gift and they have always demonstrated full support. One day when a lawyer tells Briseis and her moms she is the heir of a mansion from her birth mother’s sister, Briseis sees this not only as an opportunity to help her family financially but also to discover more about her past and her mysterious gift.

I loved Cinderella is Dead, it was such a refreshing retelling of the beloved fairy tale, so I started this story with high expectations. I am so glad that they were all met. From the beginning you have no idea where this story is going, the plot was so intriguing and gripping, you can feel the tension building up. While the dialogues between Briseis and her moms can light up the mood of the story, there are still lots of dark events happening around them and lots of mysteries to unravel. I was in complete awe of the depth of research about plants, but I loved how the writer was able to connect everything with layers of Greek Mythology.

It offers a great array of characters, I loved Marie (but I also loved Lucifer!), and they were all well developed. The ending left me with so many questions unanswered and I can’t wait to read book two.

Bayron has a great talent in offering the readers original intakes of well known and navigated tropes. This book has it all - secret gardens, Greek mythology, LGBT representation and poisonous plants. You can’t miss it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

This Poison Heart is a refreshing novel centred around magical plants with many modern day references. An intriguing story is told where Briseis has an uncanny ability to communicate with plants and flowers of all type; petals blooming at her touch, leaves unfurling from her presence and tree limbs extending from her emotions. I was immediately drawn in from the very first sentence, the simple and easy writing style making it easy to flow through the novel quickly.

I dove into this book not knowing much about it, or what it was about, so it was a pleasant surprise, especially the LGBQT rep. Briseis lives with her two mum's who she has a lovely and engaging relationship with and it was honestly a delight to read about.

Briseis inherits a mysterious, spooky old house that has been a part of her generation for a lot longer than she could remember. With acres of land, there is a locked, peculiar garden with poisonous plants Briseis seeks out. Little does she know, this strange garden filled with plants poisonous to humans holds the key and answers to her family's and birth mother's history.

I enjoyed the paranormal vibes, particularly questioning everything Briseis was stumbling upon in the house as it kept me slightly on the edge of my seat. Greek myths was interweaved into the storyline, although I felt it was thrown in there without a lot of explanation leading up to it. The friendships also felt strange -- I understand the strangeness might have been intended but as the friendships were rushed, it did not feel thrilling. The reveal at the end also felt somewhat rushed as there wasn't much questioning that led up to this specific moment.

THIS POISON HEART is not quite a retelling, just like CINDERELLA IS DEAD wasn't quite a Cinderella retelling but a re-imagining. In this second novel, we get <em>The Secret Garden</em> and Greek Mythology as the genesis for a contemporary fantasy that takes full advantage of the creepy woods set around the crumbling, dilapidated house.

You couldn't really have any sort of <em>The Secret Garden</em>-inspired story without a lot of plants, and a walled garden. The garden here (with secret bits within secret bits) mixes the magical escape of Bri being able to use her abilities without fear alongside the creeping unease of "why are there all these deadly plants?"

An overgrown garden, full of vines that Bri can't exactly control, a small town full of secrets, attacks by a shadowy group of men, and a hidden family past help to keep building the atmosphere. Given that contemporary fantasy is usually not my thing, I think the atmosphere and more rural setting is what really made this book work for me. It is deliciously dripping with vibes and the feeling that there is a lot under the surface for Bri to unpack and discover, though it might not be the answers she wants to hear.

feel asleep in the last 75%. It was not at all the book's fault, but rather tiredness and stress. However, falling asleep in the middle of day completely disorientated me and I did struggle to follow the ending. While there was nothing wrong with the book, it does make it quite hard to talk about - or really process what I think about the various twists and betrayals. What I can say is that I didn't predict the exact twist (a rarity for me.) I knew one was coming (wouldn't be a YA fantasy without one at the end) and it did lead to some high-stakes action.

The plot is wrapped up well by the ending, but the next book is kicked off in style with a quest and a heart-wrenching act. Definitely need to read the second book now!

This book is about Briseis who has an unusual give; she can grow any plant from seed with just a touch. When her aunt dies, leaving her estate to Briseis, this gives her the chance to get out of the city and learn how to control her gift. However the house comes with a lot of family secrets that start to unravel the more Briseis investigates.

This is Kalynn Bayron's second book. I want to start by saying that Kalynn Bayron seems to have such interesting unique concepts. I really like how she has woven Greek mythology into this book. Again that has been done in a interesting way.

The way this book ends suggest there will be a sequel so I cannot wait to read that.

Kalynn does it again!! Another fabulous retelling with a twist!! This is a cross between The Secret Garden and a Persephone retelling (in my opinion) and I loved every minute of it!!

If you need something light and easy to read and get lost in, then this is the YA novel for you! Just be prepared for pain in the last quarter.

Fairytales, mythology, fast paced insta love and LGBTQ+ rep - what more could you want?!