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Elektra's Adventures in Tragedy
Sixteen-year-old Elektra Kamenides is well on her way to becoming a proper southern belle in the small Mississippi college town she calls home. That is, until her mother decides to uproot her and her kid sister Thalia and start over in California. They leave behind Elektra's father—a professor and leading expert on Greek mythology, and Elektra can't understand why. For her, life is tragedy, and all signs point to her family being cursed.
Their journey ends in Guadalupe Slough, a community of old Chicano families and oddball drifters sandwiched between San José and the southern shores of San Francisco Bay. The houseboat that her mother has bought, sight unseen, is really just an ancient trailer parked on a barge and sunk into a mudflat.
What would Odysseus do? Elektra asks herself. Determined to get back to Mississippi at all costs, she'll beg, cheat, and steal to get there. But things are not always what they seem, and home is wherever you decide to make it.
Their journey ends in Guadalupe Slough, a community of old Chicano families and oddball drifters sandwiched between San José and the southern shores of San Francisco Bay. The houseboat that her mother has bought, sight unseen, is really just an ancient trailer parked on a barge and sunk into a mudflat.
What would Odysseus do? Elektra asks herself. Determined to get back to Mississippi at all costs, she'll beg, cheat, and steal to get there. But things are not always what they seem, and home is wherever you decide to make it.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 8, 2018
About the author
Douglas Rees
20 books66 followersI was born on October 19th, 1947 in the hospital at March Air Force Base just outside Riverside, California. My father, Norman, was a career sergeant who'd served as an aircraft mechanic and infantryman in the Philippines campaign early in the war and was taken prisoner on Bataan. My mother, Agnes, was a nurse at the hospital where he was sent to recuperate after the war was over.
Until I was fifteen, I lived on or near a number of Air Force bases in this country and in Germany. My sister, Patricia, was born in 1950 at Travis AFB.
Until I was six, I wanted to be a fireman. Between six and twelve, I wanted to be a paleontologist. When I was twelve, I decided I wanted to be a writer. I still haven't outgrown that.
I made some occasional stabs at writing and submitting manuscripts in my twenties and thirties. When I turned forty-seven, I decided to start writing things more regularly. I've been doing so ever since.
Until I was fifteen, I lived on or near a number of Air Force bases in this country and in Germany. My sister, Patricia, was born in 1950 at Travis AFB.
Until I was six, I wanted to be a fireman. Between six and twelve, I wanted to be a paleontologist. When I was twelve, I decided I wanted to be a writer. I still haven't outgrown that.
I made some occasional stabs at writing and submitting manuscripts in my twenties and thirties. When I turned forty-seven, I decided to start writing things more regularly. I've been doing so ever since.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 14, 2018
This review can also be found on A Thousand Lives Lived, check it out for more!
Elektra's Adventures in Tragedy was going to be one of the most interesting contemporary YA fiction stories I've read this year. The story literally screams out "summer," and appears to be a story that is about revival and coming-of-age. Of course, the protagonist, Elektra, is the one who is "coming of age" and is learning about who she is and what she can do to change the flaws in her personality. Because, let's face it: there are tons of flaws in this character's personality, which is one of the reasons why I was disappointed with this story. While it initially turned out to be promising and interesting, the story plummeted into disappointment, especially in the ending where I felt that there was no kind of purpose or closure to Elektra's story except for audiences to witness her growth. Honestly, we can all witness growth and development in any protagonist in any story. Why should we read a story about this basic angsty teenage development if some other books actually have some kind of purpose?
For the most part, I've sounded quite blunt and disappointed with Rees' story. However, it did have its perks. As this story is about a sixteen-year-old girl named Elektra who is forced to move to a grungy little town in California from Mississippi with her mother and sister, it surely did have a cool group of secondary characters. There were many of them (who live in the fictional town of Guadalupe Slough), and each had a distinctive personality that made the book more entertaining. Unlike other reviews, I felt that each of them had depth and were well-described, causing no bookish problems for me. HOWEVER. (There is always a "however") Elektra's character is the definition of angst and bratty. It is always very difficult for me to comprehend why an author decides to create a dislikable character, let alone a dislikable protagonist. A protagonist is the character readers will spend the most time with, and I just cannot understand why some of them have to be so... ew? I can definitely say that the different environment of Guadalupe Slough shaped Elektra into a different person, however, throughout her "development," I couldn't stand her and found her to be a bad influence. She did not appreciate people's sacrifices made for her, and the fact that her younger thirteen-year-old sister was smarter really made me cringe.
As for the pacing of the story, it was a quick read I completed in a span of two days, and was pretty intriguing for the most part until the uneventful ending came. I expected there to be a big BOOM of surprise and interesting events, but I did not receive anything from the plot that was out of my expectations or that triggered emotions. For myself, that's always a thumbs down for a story.
Elektra's Adventures in Tragedy was a refreshing read, but one that turned out to be a little misleading. I really enjoyed reading about the characters' situations and stories, however, our protagonist, Elektra, caused me to give this book a 3 star rating. Would I recommend this to future readers? If you're desperate for a contemporary summery read, sure. If you're seeking a gorgeous well-written story, maybe not.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*
Elektra's Adventures in Tragedy was going to be one of the most interesting contemporary YA fiction stories I've read this year. The story literally screams out "summer," and appears to be a story that is about revival and coming-of-age. Of course, the protagonist, Elektra, is the one who is "coming of age" and is learning about who she is and what she can do to change the flaws in her personality. Because, let's face it: there are tons of flaws in this character's personality, which is one of the reasons why I was disappointed with this story. While it initially turned out to be promising and interesting, the story plummeted into disappointment, especially in the ending where I felt that there was no kind of purpose or closure to Elektra's story except for audiences to witness her growth. Honestly, we can all witness growth and development in any protagonist in any story. Why should we read a story about this basic angsty teenage development if some other books actually have some kind of purpose?
For the most part, I've sounded quite blunt and disappointed with Rees' story. However, it did have its perks. As this story is about a sixteen-year-old girl named Elektra who is forced to move to a grungy little town in California from Mississippi with her mother and sister, it surely did have a cool group of secondary characters. There were many of them (who live in the fictional town of Guadalupe Slough), and each had a distinctive personality that made the book more entertaining. Unlike other reviews, I felt that each of them had depth and were well-described, causing no bookish problems for me. HOWEVER. (There is always a "however") Elektra's character is the definition of angst and bratty. It is always very difficult for me to comprehend why an author decides to create a dislikable character, let alone a dislikable protagonist. A protagonist is the character readers will spend the most time with, and I just cannot understand why some of them have to be so... ew? I can definitely say that the different environment of Guadalupe Slough shaped Elektra into a different person, however, throughout her "development," I couldn't stand her and found her to be a bad influence. She did not appreciate people's sacrifices made for her, and the fact that her younger thirteen-year-old sister was smarter really made me cringe.
As for the pacing of the story, it was a quick read I completed in a span of two days, and was pretty intriguing for the most part until the uneventful ending came. I expected there to be a big BOOM of surprise and interesting events, but I did not receive anything from the plot that was out of my expectations or that triggered emotions. For myself, that's always a thumbs down for a story.
Elektra's Adventures in Tragedy was a refreshing read, but one that turned out to be a little misleading. I really enjoyed reading about the characters' situations and stories, however, our protagonist, Elektra, caused me to give this book a 3 star rating. Would I recommend this to future readers? If you're desperate for a contemporary summery read, sure. If you're seeking a gorgeous well-written story, maybe not.
*A review copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Thank you so much!*
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June 30, 2018School Library Journal review -stay tuned to that publication for my review!
May 14, 2018
Rating: 3/5
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 14+ (bigotry and trigger warnings for suicide)
Pages: 285
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through KidLitExchange. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Elektra Kamenides is well on her way to becoming a proper southern belle in the small Mississippi college town she calls home. That is, until her mother decides to uproot her and her kid sister Thalia and start over in California. They leave behind Elektra's father—a professor and leading expert on Greek mythology, and Elektra can't understand why. For her, life is tragedy, and all signs point to her family being cursed.
Their journey ends in Guadalupe Slough, a community of old Chicano families and oddball drifters sandwiched between San José and the southern shores of San Francisco Bay. The houseboat that her mother has bought, sight unseen, is really just an ancient trailer parked on a barge and sunk into a mudflat.
What would Odysseus do? Elektra asks herself. Determined to get back to Mississippi at all costs, she'll beg, cheat, and steal to get there. But things are not always what they seem, and home is wherever you decide to make it.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that was from the Greek American perspective nor one that relied so much on Greek mythology and culture (barring Percy Jackson because that’s on a level of its own). I really liked this contemporary look at a broken family and I feel that not a lot of books explore this topic. I also liked how well developed all of the main characters were. I found the story was very interesting and if you have a younger reader who is looking for an “adult” book this would be a good one to start them out on.
However, I personally feel there’s a lot of problems with this book. The side characters are very forgettable and the world building wasn’t that extensive. The writing was very choppy in parts and the book jumped timelines a lot, which made for an aggravating read. The ending was not full circle and it didn’t feel complete. The events in this book, while plausible, played very well for the many plot holes it contained and I felt that there were things that happened in the book that weren’t that well explained. I also didn’t like how suicide was kind of made of fun in this book. Suicide is a very serious issue and for someone to make a character who wanted to commit suicide, then on a dime change his mind and throw a party is a bit out of line in my opinion.
Verdict: A promising Greek tragedy that Homer shakes his head at.
Genre: YA Contemporary
Recommended Age: 14+ (bigotry and trigger warnings for suicide)
Pages: 285
Author Website
Amazon Link
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book through KidLitExchange. Thanks! All opinions are my own.
Synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Elektra Kamenides is well on her way to becoming a proper southern belle in the small Mississippi college town she calls home. That is, until her mother decides to uproot her and her kid sister Thalia and start over in California. They leave behind Elektra's father—a professor and leading expert on Greek mythology, and Elektra can't understand why. For her, life is tragedy, and all signs point to her family being cursed.
Their journey ends in Guadalupe Slough, a community of old Chicano families and oddball drifters sandwiched between San José and the southern shores of San Francisco Bay. The houseboat that her mother has bought, sight unseen, is really just an ancient trailer parked on a barge and sunk into a mudflat.
What would Odysseus do? Elektra asks herself. Determined to get back to Mississippi at all costs, she'll beg, cheat, and steal to get there. But things are not always what they seem, and home is wherever you decide to make it.
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that was from the Greek American perspective nor one that relied so much on Greek mythology and culture (barring Percy Jackson because that’s on a level of its own). I really liked this contemporary look at a broken family and I feel that not a lot of books explore this topic. I also liked how well developed all of the main characters were. I found the story was very interesting and if you have a younger reader who is looking for an “adult” book this would be a good one to start them out on.
However, I personally feel there’s a lot of problems with this book. The side characters are very forgettable and the world building wasn’t that extensive. The writing was very choppy in parts and the book jumped timelines a lot, which made for an aggravating read. The ending was not full circle and it didn’t feel complete. The events in this book, while plausible, played very well for the many plot holes it contained and I felt that there were things that happened in the book that weren’t that well explained. I also didn’t like how suicide was kind of made of fun in this book. Suicide is a very serious issue and for someone to make a character who wanted to commit suicide, then on a dime change his mind and throw a party is a bit out of line in my opinion.
Verdict: A promising Greek tragedy that Homer shakes his head at.
May 15, 2018
Title: Elektra’s Adventures in Tragedy
Author: Douglas Rees
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5
Elektra is happily becoming a Southern belle in a small Mississippi college town where here father is a professor—and an expert on Greek mythology—and her mother is a struggling wannabe writer. Then, without warning, her mom packs
Elektra and her sister in the car to move to California.
They end up in Guadalupe Slough, a tiny community outside of San Jose that’s filled with a lot of colorful people. Home is a decrepit houseboat on a mudflat, complete with a pet tarantula. Elektra will do anything to get back to Mississippi and her father, even if it means stealing, but she soon finds out there’s more to what’s going on than meets the eye.
So…I enjoyed this book. For one thing, because it’s one of the few YA books I’ve read without a strong romance plot. Elektra is an interesting character. She starts off pretty self-centered and kind of a spoiled brat but being in a different environment and learning new things is good for her, as are the interesting people she meets. She ends up being much more aware of what’s going on around her, and much more caring as well.
The setting and secondary characters are a little flat, without a lot of details or description. I never had a clear picture of Guadalupe Slough apart from dusty and dry. There’s an interesting mix of secondary characters, but they’re a little one-dimensional. Even so, this was a quick, pleasant read.
(Galley provided by Running Press Kids in exchange for an honest review.)
More reviews at Tomorrow is Another Day
Author: Douglas Rees
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5
Elektra is happily becoming a Southern belle in a small Mississippi college town where here father is a professor—and an expert on Greek mythology—and her mother is a struggling wannabe writer. Then, without warning, her mom packs
Elektra and her sister in the car to move to California.
They end up in Guadalupe Slough, a tiny community outside of San Jose that’s filled with a lot of colorful people. Home is a decrepit houseboat on a mudflat, complete with a pet tarantula. Elektra will do anything to get back to Mississippi and her father, even if it means stealing, but she soon finds out there’s more to what’s going on than meets the eye.
So…I enjoyed this book. For one thing, because it’s one of the few YA books I’ve read without a strong romance plot. Elektra is an interesting character. She starts off pretty self-centered and kind of a spoiled brat but being in a different environment and learning new things is good for her, as are the interesting people she meets. She ends up being much more aware of what’s going on around her, and much more caring as well.
The setting and secondary characters are a little flat, without a lot of details or description. I never had a clear picture of Guadalupe Slough apart from dusty and dry. There’s an interesting mix of secondary characters, but they’re a little one-dimensional. Even so, this was a quick, pleasant read.
(Galley provided by Running Press Kids in exchange for an honest review.)
More reviews at Tomorrow is Another Day
May 15, 2021
Book 27 of 2021;
Elektras Adventures in Tragedy
-Douglas Rees
So…I enjoyed this book. For one thing, because it’s one of the few YA books I’ve read without a strong romance plot. Elektra is an interesting character. She starts off pretty self-centered and bratty but being in a different environment and learning new things is good for her, as are the interesting people she meets. She ends up being much more aware of what’s going on around her, and much more caring as well.
This is a cute coming of age story.
The characters are very quirky, but almost every character in the book has a heart of gold, albeit behind some very strange exteriors.
Elektra starts out as pretty angry, though with reason. Her parents have uprooted her (she doesn't really know why), she's living in a place with cockroaches as its best feature, her friends seem to be ghosting her, and her father is avoiding her calls. However, below her angry, angsty exterior is a girl with a lot of love and a lot of heart. Once we get to know her, we really like her.
I loved her little sister. Such an awesome kid.
The book has a little heartbreak, but mostly it made me smile. I'm not ready to live in Guadalupe Slough, but I love the community our girls found there.
A fast and pleasant read!
4/5⭐️
Happy Reading x
Elektras Adventures in Tragedy
-Douglas Rees
So…I enjoyed this book. For one thing, because it’s one of the few YA books I’ve read without a strong romance plot. Elektra is an interesting character. She starts off pretty self-centered and bratty but being in a different environment and learning new things is good for her, as are the interesting people she meets. She ends up being much more aware of what’s going on around her, and much more caring as well.
This is a cute coming of age story.
The characters are very quirky, but almost every character in the book has a heart of gold, albeit behind some very strange exteriors.
Elektra starts out as pretty angry, though with reason. Her parents have uprooted her (she doesn't really know why), she's living in a place with cockroaches as its best feature, her friends seem to be ghosting her, and her father is avoiding her calls. However, below her angry, angsty exterior is a girl with a lot of love and a lot of heart. Once we get to know her, we really like her.
I loved her little sister. Such an awesome kid.
The book has a little heartbreak, but mostly it made me smile. I'm not ready to live in Guadalupe Slough, but I love the community our girls found there.
A fast and pleasant read!
4/5⭐️
Happy Reading x
October 22, 2020
Full review on thegraduatedbookworm.com
First, I would like to thank Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Honestly I don't even know what to say about this book. It was good but at the same time the entire thing felt so weird to read! Right from the beginning you dive into this story of Elektra and her family who suddenly move away to a grungy area that is now supposed to be their home, without any explanation and I just felt so odd about it all.
This was a fast paced read, and I was curious what was going to happen next, but I felt like this book missed the mark for me.
You do see Elektra grow by the end of the book and you see the way she views the new neighbours differently as time goes on, but I feel like it could've been stronger.
Overall, this wasn't my favourite. I think this book was meant for a younger audience for sure, but I also feel like there could have been more to the story. Something to really pull me to one of the many characters in the novel.
First, I would like to thank Hachette Book Group Canada for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!
Honestly I don't even know what to say about this book. It was good but at the same time the entire thing felt so weird to read! Right from the beginning you dive into this story of Elektra and her family who suddenly move away to a grungy area that is now supposed to be their home, without any explanation and I just felt so odd about it all.
This was a fast paced read, and I was curious what was going to happen next, but I felt like this book missed the mark for me.
You do see Elektra grow by the end of the book and you see the way she views the new neighbours differently as time goes on, but I feel like it could've been stronger.
Overall, this wasn't my favourite. I think this book was meant for a younger audience for sure, but I also feel like there could have been more to the story. Something to really pull me to one of the many characters in the novel.
September 9, 2018
Some YA books translate well to the older reader and some do not. This is the latter. I would say this book would be most appealing to ages 10-14. It is a typical sudden poverty awesome quirky poor neighborhood book and unfortunately, these aren't very realistic and when you have read one, you've read them all. Elektra's mom handles everything poorly about her failed marriage, purchasing a boat unseen, which is truly crazy and everything else. The way the characters spoke and acted made them seem like it was decades ago rather than now. It would have been better to set the story in the 50s/60s as the characters and situations would have been more believable.
May 3, 2024
Well this is not at all what I expected. I really thought this was going to be more of a murder mystery type book especially after the first line. I guess that would be too dark for a YA book. To be honest, I wish this was written from the perspective of the little sister Thalia. I’m sure more teens resonate with Elektra, so I understand, but she was so dry. I feel like you could tell she was written by a man. I did like some of the other characters, but I truly hated the conflict. It is however realistic. Teens could definitely relate to this book, I know I do and maybe that’s partly why I hate it.
December 6, 2017
Received as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I struggled with this one. I forced myself to finish. I just felt like this was missing something.
I didn't find myself really liking any of the characters. Nor did I feel like any of their actions were all that believable. I think I get the author was going for, but it was just off-the-mark. Elektra was a little too snobby and into herself in Mississippi. So much so that she missed her parents failing marriage. Too much of this just seemed too unrealistic.
I struggled with this one. I forced myself to finish. I just felt like this was missing something.
I didn't find myself really liking any of the characters. Nor did I feel like any of their actions were all that believable. I think I get the author was going for, but it was just off-the-mark. Elektra was a little too snobby and into herself in Mississippi. So much so that she missed her parents failing marriage. Too much of this just seemed too unrealistic.
June 1, 2018
I think young readers are going to love this story, with both comedy and tragedy mixed to make a heart-warming adventure.
For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...
For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...
July 5, 2018
Really likes Doug's Vampire books so I picked this up. It was a bit of a slog- The characters not real likable but as someone else said, it picks up steam in the last third and crosses the finish line with a satisfying ending.
January 9, 2023
I loved the plot line, the realism & the characters! It just left me unsatisfied, wanting more. Also the sense of community? Perfect. I just wanted to live in this story forever. It’s a comfort one, for sure.
December 21, 2023
I started this book fall of 2018, I finished it in winter of 2023. While i can tell he put a lot of thought in it, Douglas doesn't seem to understand teenage girls. It was kind of boring.
January 16, 2021
I didn’t bother with a review after I finished this one—it takes me a long time to peck one out on my phone, but It keeps cropping up in my memories. There are funny, stubbornly anachronistic characters that keep floating to the top of my brain’s pond. That’s enough to change my rating to 3.75.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews