A slight step above a beach read. The elements of magical realism could have been a lot stronger. Some of the characters and their actions seemed a bit forced. But there was something truly unique and refreshing in the depiction of female friendship. And something cathartic in the romantic breakups.

A slow start that had me wondering what all the fuss about this book was. But worth getting through - the second half of the book picks up the pace. And the best ending I’ve read in a long time.

It was unfortunate that this came out around the same time as Circe by Madeline Miller, which took up a lot of the "reimagined mythology from the woman's perspective" space. So to my chagrin Silence of the Girls sat on my nightstand untouched for too long. Once I finally picked it up, I was blown away by the imaginative choices Barker made to bring these overlooked women's voices to life, and I finished it in two days. Highly recommend for anyone with any interest in mythology or ancient history!