GoblinReads reviewed This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
Review of 'This Poison Heart' on 'Storygraph'
3 stars
<rant>
If you're going to write a book focusing on toxic plants at least read the Wikipedia pages about how the plants work. The poison icy scene was ridiculous; it takes 24-48 for a rash to develop from contact with poison ivy you don't immediately break out in blisters when you touch it. Oleander poisoning would require injecting a SIGNIFICANT amount and 1-3 days without treatment to be fatal, you wouldn't die in under a minute. Like fuck, I can suspend disbelief for good fantasy but these real life plants are major plot points in a book about checks notes BOTANY! It's not difficult to get some basic knowledge of how the plants your writing about work.
</end rant>
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Briseis was a good and likable character even if she continued to make poor decisions that put her and her …
If you're going to write a book focusing on toxic plants at least read the Wikipedia pages about how the plants work. The poison icy scene was ridiculous; it takes 24-48 for a rash to develop from contact with poison ivy you don't immediately break out in blisters when you touch it. Oleander poisoning would require injecting a SIGNIFICANT amount and 1-3 days without treatment to be fatal, you wouldn't die in under a minute. Like fuck, I can suspend disbelief for good fantasy but these real life plants are major plot points in a book about *checks notes* BOTANY! It's not difficult to get some basic knowledge of how the plants your writing about work.
</end rant>
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Briseis was a good and likable character even if she continued to make poor decisions that put her and her friends in danger. I enjoyed seeing her grow more comfortable with her powers and her friendships. And the family dynamic was cute and just the right amount of cheesy.
The plot moved along nicely, I never felt bored or like things were too slow. I'm not sure how much time passed from the start to the end and sometimes it feels like they were only there for a few days and others like weeks had passed and I think more clear time passing over the course of the summer would have made decisions seem more thought out and relationships feel deeper.
Unfortunately it felt very predictable and that kept me from getting too invested. <spoiler> I saw other reviews mention the "twist" ending but I'm note sure what they're referring too. Karter's betrayal had been steadily hinted at throughout the book. Hecate's deus ex machina wasn't a surprise after they discovered and relit the alter (and frankly how did it take Briseis 5 minutes to figure out that the 10ft tall woman with a massive black hound was the goddess of that description that she'd been studying since she arrived at the house?). And Circe returning with two more pieces of the heart, while unexpected, wasn't exactly surprising with how many times we were reminded that she "was declared dead" after disappearing. </spoiler>
Not a bad read but I'm not drawn to the sequel. I'll add it to my background audio book list and listen when it's available on Libby.
5/10
