Call Me Athena: Girl From Detroit ~ Colby Cedar Smith

Call Me Athena: Girl From Detroit is my first ARC from NetGalley of the year. Colby Cedar Smith’s debut novel is due to be released later this year in August and what an incredible book it is.

Written entirely in verse, Call Me Athena is loosely based on the authors own great-grandparents who fled their individual countries to start a new life in America. With the main setting of 1930s Detroit, we also see flashbacks of their lives in both France and Greece during World War One. Mary yearns to be an independent American woman but having to battle with life as an immigrant during the Great Depression she has the constant ‘good Greek girl’ image to live up to. Having narration from three beautifully written perspectives we gain such a wide understanding of the book’s message, that it is a hard balance to not disrespect your heritage but want your own freedom at the same time. 

This book is honestly written so beautifully and I was hooked from the first few pages. The way in which Cedar Smith writes her characters is breathtaking, you feel like you know the characters which make your reading experience even more heartfelt. My heart ached for the family at times, something that doesn’t often happen.

Going into this read I thought, due to being written in verse, it would be hard to convey a very in-depth story due to there being less text than an average book. But the world being depicted is so vast and detailed that you are transported into their lives. At times I had to make myself put it down to stop myself from reading it too quickly. 

I would honestly recommend this book to anyone who is in need of a heartwarming yet eye-opening read and I am beyond excited to read anything that Cedar Smith may release in the future. That being said Call Me Athena: Girl From Detroit gets a 5⭐️ rating from me.

M🌸