My Thoughts On: Destined by Jessie Harrell

Posted November 17, 2011 by Asheley in Uncategorized / 5 Comments


Destined by Jessie Harrell
Published by Mae Day Publishing
Publish Date:  November 17, 2011

My Source:  review copy from the author

Destined by Jessie Harrell

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear. 

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she’s come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined. 

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.  -(summary from Goodreads.com)

My Thoughts:   I stumbled upon Destined on Goodreads one day and was completely taken by its cover. IT IS STUNNING, no? After catching my breath and reading the story synopsis, I knew I just had to read this book because I’m such a huge fan of mythology and I enjoy a well-written mythology re-telling. When I settled in to read the story, I had no idea that I would fall so hard for it. 

WHY DID I FALL SO HARD FOR DESTINED?



1.  Mythology.  Destined is a mythology re-telling in the setting of ancient Greece…but with a modern flair! The places, customs, and characters are the same…but there is a definite nod to popular culture thrown in for good measure, particularly in the way the characters speak. The characters are fleshed out and interesting, which stands apart from the classical myths that we are used to. Regarding this particular myth, much of the story remains the same, but it is the parts that are changed – the parts that Jessie Harrell made her own – that make Destined amazing.

2. Modern. Speaking of the modern flair…I love the personalities of Psyche and Eros. I love the way they talk. I love they way they pine for each other when they are apart. I even love the way they share some of the same snack foods that I do (hooray cheesecake!). I love the way this overlays the ancient customs of speaking, acting, dressing, and dining. So fun! 


3. Eros. God of love, also known as Cupid. Determined not to fall in love with another human since the first one broke his heart, he rebelled heavily against his mother’s new choice for him: Psyche. After accidentally scratching himself with one of his own arrows and falling head-over-heels in an intoxicating one-sided love with Psyche, Eros spends an incredible amount of time and energy wooing her without letting her find out who he is (because of a prophecy Psyche is destined to fulfill), going so far as appearing to her only at night and under the covering of a dark cloud. 


4. Psyche. Beautiful, young, and human. Chosen to be Aphrodite’s daughter, and then chosen to marry her son Eros. Psyche and Eros didn’t hit it off well in the beginning – in fact, they both pretty much hated each other instantly. Psyche has qualities that I find endearing…she is strong and brave, but much like the young girl that she is, she is also rebellious and craves companionship and attention. Psyche is a strong yet flawed female main character and I adore her!

5. Drama & Betrayal …and there is plenty of it! It is an instance of this betrayal that tricks Psyche into trying to kill Eros. And what a horrible plan that turns out to be. After her failed murder attempt, Eros flees…leaving it up to Psyche to find him and win him back. To accomplish this huge task, she pays visits to several interesting gods & goddesses and is required to pass some nearly impossible tests – all in the name of love.


6. Romance. Oh, yes, the sweet sweet romance! I ADORED this story. I loved the romance that built slowly between Psyche and Eros. What started out as contempt that was almost (slightly humorously) painful to read became a sweetly passionate romance that had me holding my breath until the very last word. This author knows how to write a romance, and well. There is never a moment where the story felt too cheesy or silly, and I think I enjoy this version of the myth better than the original!

 Jessie Harrell has taken a piece of classical mythology and popularized it a bit, changing some parts and keeping others. It is exciting, it is romantic, it is perfection. It is breathtaking. When I finished it, I wanted to start reading it again immediately. If I had paper copies of Destined I would push them on you hand them out so I could share this story with as many people as possible. The story is that excellent. 


This story will appeal to people who love mythology, both young and older. I also think there is enough of the modern flair in Destined to appeal to lovers of contemporary YA romance. This is by far one of my favorite books of the year, and a very strong debut. I will be waiting to read anything that Jessie Harrell publishes in the (hopefully near) future and I’ll grab it as soon as I can get my hands on it. 


**I received a review copy from the author, Jessie Harrell, in exchange for an honest opinion and review. I received no compensation for my thoughts. Thank you SO MUCH, Jessie! 


Asheley

About Asheley

Asheley is a Southern girl. She loves Carolina blue skies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and NC craft beer. She loves all things history but prefers books over everything.

You can find her somewhere in North Carolina, daydreaming about the ocean.

Find Asheley on Litsy @intothehallofbooks!

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5 responses to “My Thoughts On: Destined by Jessie Harrell

  1. Well I already knew I wanted to read DESTINED, but then your review made me realize I have to read it AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE! Also, I skipped some parts of your review–sorry!–if they seemed to contain potential spoilers. Guess I'll have to come back and re-read after I'm finished with the book! Thanks for your comment on my review of DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE! You're right–the mythology is stunning. I envy Taylor's worldbuilding muchly, especially the part about–well, better stop there for sake of those who haven't read it yet. 😛

  2. This cover is BEAUTIFUL and I love mythology. Especially when the author doesn't mess with the original story too much. But then, it also makes me nervous 'cause I know how this one ends…I kinda want this book now too! Feel like showing a sister some love? lol

    And why does the fact that they bond over snack food really entice me? This is probably not saying flattering things that the height of their wooing for me may be seeing that Greek God fall prey to a love of cheesecake…

  3. Fantastic review Asheley! I finally did my review so I'm checking out others now 🙂 Psyche & Eros and their romance were my absolute favorite parts of this book. Loved both of their characters, so much. This book was excellent.

  4. Greek myth books seem to be really popular right now, but I haven't actually read very many of them. But this one sounds awesome! It sounds amazing and you are right- I love that cover! It's super pretty!

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