Lifestyles of Gods & Monsters by Emily Roberson (review)

As the daughter of the king of Crete, sixteen-year-old Ariadne has spent her entire life literally in front of cameras, a reluctant player in Crete's most popular reality television show. Unlike her attention-loving sisters, Ariadne tries to stay out of the spotlight as much as possible, but she's annually forced to play the Keeper of the Maze during The Labyrinth Contest, in which fourteen young Athenians attempt to slay Crete's infamous Minotaur. Somehow, Ariadne has caught the attention of one of this year's warriors, Theseus, and the show runners see ratings gold when their relationship heats up; any storyline they give her, however, will end up in betrayal—either of Theseus or her monstrous half-brother, whom he seeks to kill. This is a smart mix of wit and myth, and Roberson offers up some insightful commentary on reality TV, celebrity, and the idea that our obsession with fame is more than just a recent trend. Ariadne is particularly interesting as a girl who thinks she knows the ins and outs of the behind the scenes of her family's life but who turns out to be clueless, in large part because of her own sense of entitlement and angst. Readers familiar with the myth will appreciate updated revisions to old characters and the book's empowering twist in Ariadne's heartbreak. David Elliott's poetic Bull (BCCB 2/17) is an earthier take on the Minotaur, but this also brings a modern, engaging humor to the ancient classic.