Fans of retellings will enjoy this modern tale that reimagines stories of Greek gods and goddesses. Readers will share the protagonist’s curiosity about her powers and eagerness to uncover her history. In this intriguing and well-paced novel, Bayron conjures a world filled with magic and mystery. Bri quickly grasps that her new home and the biological family she never knew have many more secrets in store for her-and in those secrets may lie answers to questions that she has had all her life. When she is surprised by news of an extensive estate near Rhinebeck that she has inherited from the recently deceased Circe Colchis, her late birth mother’s sister and someone whose existence she was previously unaware of, the three of them move from Brooklyn to upstate New York.

Bri is curious about the source and extent of her powers, but after some mishaps, she is more fearful of the potential harm she could bring by tapping into them, so she refrains from exploring further.

She has an innate connection to plants and is even able to grow them from seeds using just her mind and hands. Parents and teachers may wish to note that This Poison Heart does include some limited swearing.A teenager explores her magical connections to greenery and gods.īriseis Greene is a Black high schooler with magical powers that she hides from most people save her adoptive mothers, Thandie and Angie. But be warned that the heart-stopping climax will leave you desperate for book two. Weaving in a thrilling reimagining of Greek mythology, the story has an epic feel, but also tackles relatable issues of identity and coming of age. This Poison Heart is a dark and mysterious tale which is also full of warmth, thanks to the supportive relationship between Briseis and her mothers – and it's fantastic to see such a naturally inclusive book, featuring a same-sex family set-up and a Black, bisexual teenager. So when she discovers that she's inherited an old house from her birth family, she and her adoptive mothers agree that it might just be the fresh start they need.īut there are some very weird things about their new house – from the locked garden surrounded by poisonous plants to the dusty apothecary and the fact that strange people keep turning up on the grounds.Īs Briseis uncovers the truth about the house and her family history, things begin to take even more of a dangerous and sinister turn. But she's struggling to keep her gift under wraps, and it's starting to alienate her friends. Briseis has a very unusual power – she can control the plants and flowers around her.

This poison heart series