Emily Roberson

Greek mythology meets the Kardashians in Emily Roberson's Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters, a fresh, fast-paced debut young adult novel about celebrity culture, family dynamics, and finding love amidst it all. Sixteen-year-old Ariadne’s whole life is curated and shared with the world. Her royal family’s entertainment empire is beloved by the tabloids, all over social media, and the hottest thing on television. The biggest moneymaker? The Labyrinth Contest, a TV extravaganza in which Ariadne leads fourteen teens into a maze to kill a monster. To win means endless glory; to lose means death. In ten seasons, no one has ever won. When the gorgeous, mysterious Theseus arrives at the competition and asks Ariadne to help him to victory, she doesn’t expect to fall for him. He might be acting interested in her just to boost ratings. Their chemistry is undeniable, though, and she can help him survive. If he wins, the contest would end for good. But if she helps him, she doesn’t just endanger her family’s empire—the monster would have to die. And for Ariadne, his life might be the only one worth saving. Ariadne’s every move is watched by the public and predestined by the gods, so how can she find a way to forge her own destiny and save the people she loves?

Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters

Nessa Luna

This story was both amazing and kind of weird. I loved the modern retelling of the Labyrinth story and I certainly enjoyed it. I think this would have been a great mixed media story as well, showing some of the tweets and articles that were published around this event. 

(view spoiler)[I just absolutely hated Ariadne's entire family oh my Gods. They were all awful and demanding and I guess only Acalle kind of grew on me towards the end. Also I found it kind of cringey that a seventeen-year-old calls her father 'daddy'. The internet has ruined that word for me. (hide spoiler)]

utsa

this was such a cool concept but i didn’t love the execution and the characters as much as i thought i would

Sixteen-year-old Ariadne’s whole life is curated and shared with the world. Her royal family’s entertainment empire is beloved by the tabloids, all over social media, and the hottest thing on television. The biggest moneymaker? The Labyrinth Contest, a TV extravaganza in which Ariadne leads fourteen teens into a maze to kill a monster. To win means endless glory; to lose means death. In ten seasons, no one has ever won. When the gorgeous, mysterious Theseus arrives at the competition and asks Ariadne to help him to victory, she doesn’t expect to fall for him. He might be acting interested in her just to boost ratings. Their chemistry is undeniable, though, and she can help him survive. If he wins, the contest would end for good. But if she helps him, she doesn’t just endanger her family’s empire—the monster would have to die. And for Ariadne, his life might be the only one worth saving. Ariadne’s every move is watched by the public and predestined by the gods, so how can she find a way to forge her own destiny and save the people she loves?

Heather Harrington

Sixteen-year-old Ariadne has spent her whole life begrudgingly in the spotlight. Not only is her family royal, but they've built an entertainment empire surrounding the bloodthirsty event called The Labyrinth Contest. Each year, fourteen teens are brought to Crete from Athens with hopes of beating the maze and slaying the Minotaur inside, bringing them fame and fortune. Out of the hundreds of players, not one has been successful. When the new competitors come, one stands out to Ariadne the most. Theseus is mysterious, charming, and just so happens to be the newly crowned prince of Athens. Ariadne knows she shouldn't be consorting with the enemy, but she can't deny the attraction she feels. When Theseus begs her to help him win the contest, she's more conflicted than ever. She's never been a fan of the competition and hates being forced to be a part of it, but if Theseus wins that would mean the Minotaur is dead, and that's the last thing Ariadne wants.

Ok, listen, did this have the greatest writing I've ever read? Not in the slightest. Did I have fun reading it? Absolutely. Roberson's writing felt very reminiscent of early 2000s YA that tended to skew more toward the younger side. It was a lot like if you were to take Percy Jackson, The Hunger Games, and a trashy reality show and mix it all in a blender. Ariadne was a young girl trying to make the most of a crummy situation. She seems to be the only one in her family with some sense. Her sisters are vapid and her parents are cold and manipulative, constantly making Ariadne do things she doesn't want to. The only sort of light in her life is her relationship with the Minotaur, and I loved how Roberson connected them. It added such a layer of vulnerability to this and made for some really sad, tender moments that I wasn't necessarily expecting. She and Theseus did have that insta-love connection, but seeing as how this is based on Greek mythology where people would fall in love with the first person who breathed on them, it didn't bother me as much. While the writing wasn't the strongest, it was a fresh and modern take on this story that was unique to itself and kept me entertained the whole time.

Emily C Peterson

Definitely reads like a debut. Unique idea though, and excited to see what else this author dreams up

Leelynn Brady

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, and RockStar Book Tours for this free copy.

Wasn’t I just talking about how I needed some contemporary novels mixed in with some gods and goddesses involved? This is literally what this book gave me, and I’m all for it.


I usually don’t really pay much attention to Ariadne and her story, but I liked this little twist on the usual mythology surrounding her. She actually became someone that I may end up liking more than their source material. And Theseus, although I do kind of wish that it could have been another person that wasn’t in the original myth that was involved more. But it’s okay, really. I still enjoyed the story.

Something about having the gods involved in a reality show type of thing… is super intriguing because I usually don’t get into reality shows! So reading it in a book was one that I didn’t think I’d actually be able to enjoy, but this proved me wrong. Although, I really think that having them be mythical gods made it cool enough? It’s kind of hard to explain but, seeing them in such a human type of concept makes them seem so much more approachable.

Although I don’t know how I would feel if I had to watch kids try to kill a monster but are the ones that end up getting killed or whatever. It’s almost like Battle Royale and The Hunger Games but with deities, you know?

Of course, we know that Ariadne and Theseus are supposed to be endgame, because if we follow the actual story that’s kind of what happens – but then again I don’t really remember the story – so I wasn’t really expecting anything else, but I thought the whole falling for Theseus thing was kind of cute!

But yeah! I know this review was all over the place but I liked it! I think you should definitely give it a try. Have fun with it, be wary of some people acting very… demanding so yeah. Just be on the lookout for that.

sam worley

Okay so this was ... weird lol. 

Based solely on plot and writing style then I would probably give this a 2 stars BUT Ariadne is so likable (even despite the 'I'm not like other girls trope' which is saying something) and it was a very interesting story. I was never bored whilst reading this and I think that is a big deal! Plus a modern Greek re-telling that actually includes modern aspects was nice. I will say the dialogue between characters is really lacking and very juvenile at times but the character development and plots twists is still quite entertaining (and even made me tear up at some points!). 

Overall, yes this story is lacking in -many- aspects but it's fun! And sometimes that is just what you need - a fun, over-the-top story that also pulls at your heart strings! 2.5 Stars :)

Lifestyles of Gods and Monsters

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