Book Review: Destined by Jessie Harrell

Title: Destined

Author: Jessie Harrell

Release Date: November 15th, 2011

Publisher: Mae Day Publishing

Age: Young Adult

When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Destined is a fresh and heartachingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

I'm familiar with the Greek mythology story of Psyche and Eros, so Destined was on my radar from some time ago. Finally I read it, and it's definitely recommended.

Psyche is a young lady who is 'cursed' with being the most beautiful girl in Greece. Her family is happy and is looking for a husband for her, but her beauty may not be enough. It isn't enough to save her from an horrible destiny.

It's has been a while since I read YA, and at first Psyche seemed  a little bit immature to me. But she's sweet and very confused, and she doesn't want her life to be chosen for her. I loved to see her change from that young girl into a brave woman.

Eros, or Cupid, is an entirely different character. I wasn't very attracted to him, he was mean and it was a mistake that he fall in love with Psyche at first. I wanted him to fight more for her, to give a little bit more of himself, specially in the ending. But it worked for both of them.

Overall, Destined is a must if you like Greek Mythology. It's a sweet retelling of Psyche and Eros, and I was glad to find a protagonist who was capable of saving herself and her love, and her beauty was forgotten in the middle of it.

More about this book at www.jessieharrell.com, Goodreads, Amazon.