Council of Peacocks: Review - Mythology by Helen Boswell

I first met Helen on Twitter (@HelenBozz ). I admired her sense of humor and genuineness long before I read her book. At the time I met her I had a string of 10 other books to get through, mostly indie authors who gave free books in exchange for review. I purchased Mythology 3 months before I finally got around to reading it.

It was well worth the wait.

I read Mythology right after reading Divergent and Insurgent by @VeronicaRoth. In comparison, I found Mythology significantly better written and more interesting than Divergent. No disrespect to Veronica Roth. It’s simply a sign of how well-constructed and entertaining this book is.

On Boswell’s website, she lists the following synopsis for Mythology:

Born with an unusual power to see the dark memories of those around her, Hope just wants to be a normal teenager. But on the first day of her senior year of high school, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to a transfer student named Micah Condie. At first glance, Micah seems like a boy that most girls would dream about. But when Hope's powers allow her to discover Micah's darkest secret, she quickly becomes entangled in the lives of mythical entities she never dreamed existed.

It sounds like typical YA subject matter. However, this is not your typical high school paranormal romance novel. Hope is a perfectly flawed and genuine young woman. There is nothing idealized about her. She makes cringe-worthy mistakes and deals with real-life problems with a believable mixture of strength and fragility. Ten pages in, Hope feels like a real person rather than a caricature.

I had a similar experience reading Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison. The main character of that book, Rachel Morgan, is a perfect character because she is so far from perfect. She makes mistakes. When she fails, it makes you root for her all the more. The same goes for Hope Gentry. Near the middle of the book, you learn she has survived a horrendous experience. It is refreshing to see the topic deal with in such empowering honesty in a YA novel. Judy Blume would be proud.