This book is not a traditional retelluing but more inspired by the story of Hades and Persephone. It was different than I expected but in a good way as there was more depth than the typical Hades and Persephone retellings tend to have. We follow Corey as she deals with the betrayal and unexpedted death of her best friend. The Island where she lives has some connection to greek mythology and the people do believe in the gods and celebrate them. Corey lives with her father and stepmother but like her mother has a gift with plants and gardening. Since the betrayal she has a hard time coming to terms with her life and the relationship to her former best friend Bree. Her journey unexpectedly takes her to the Underworld and most of the book is her interaction with the furies and Hades as she tries to figure out who she is and wants to be. I really enjoyed how Melinda Salisbury focussed as much on the furies as characters as she did on Hades, which gave the story a nice variation. You shouldn't expect a love story as is is more a story about Corey's development that just so happens to be in the Underworld. I really enjoyed the overall story and though it wasn't perfect and there were still some things left open (like the fact that we never really learn who her mother is), that did not take away from my enjoyment. The one thing I would criticize is that I think the book would have benefited from a map of both the Island and the Underworld to make it easier to follow as Corey moves between both settings.

I absolutely loved the writing style. It was just beautiful, Melinda Salisbury really knows her way with words. It took a long while for me to get into this book though. And I really thought I was not going to like it because I read other people’s reviews. And then I kind of didn’t at first because there was nothing really happening. I mean the beginning of the book was still kind of interesting but then when I thought I was really getting good it was kind of rushed but also stretched at the same time. For a long time nothing much happened. Although that part had good parts too because the scenery was described very well and Corey’s feelings too. The end was what really caught my attention though because then the book got really good. I loved how it played out and it was honestly just an emotional roller coaster. We got answers and really saw how Corey’s character developed during the story which I loved. It was a bit sad that we didn’t get all questions answered and personally I was a bit disappointed with how rarely Hades was mentioned or actually present in the story. However I did love how he was overall portrayed.All in all, it was a good story that was well written and had a very good character development. Personally I would’ve loved a bit more romance but I loved how it focused on Corey’s growth and working through her trauma, anger and sadness.