Iris, Messenger by Sarah Deming (3 out of 4 stars)--
As soon as I saw Iris, Messenger, the first novel from New Yorker Sarah Deming, I loved the premise: What if the Greek gods really did exist and all of the myths and stories were history, not folklore? What if they were still alive and living in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, but they had diminished in strength and influence because nobody cared about them anymore? What if one young lady could rekindle their fire, Karate Kid-like, and everyone could grow and prosper in the experience? OK, it gets a little clichéd, but the point is that I wanted to like the novel. Much of the time, especially when I chuckled, I did.
Iris Greenwold is miserable. She attends Erebus Middle School, a literal and figurative living hell, in which she is humiliated and uninspired by her sadistic teachers. Iris suffers for the crime of being a dreamer: “This made her unpopular, for the teachers at Erebus did not like imagination; they liked neat handwriting” (2). Iris lives with her mother, an agnostic soybean expert; her Jewish father lives in Wisconsin with his sickly wife. Her life is changed on her twelfth birthday when she receives a copy of Bulfinch’s Mythology from a mysterious messenger on a skateboard. The book contains margin comments personally directed to Iris and her fascination with legendary and heroic figures. One of them, “SEEK POSEIDON AT THE GATE OF THE SEA” (16), directs her to Margate, NJ, (“mar” means “sea” in Spanish, Iris realizes) to find the original Aquaman, the sea king Poseidon. However, like many of the gods nowadays, Poseidon is despondent and depressed, because as he puts it, “Immortality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The world moves on and leaves you behind” (22). Iris believes she can help Poseidon, but it will involve enlisting the aid of many of the other gods. With the help of a magic rainbow that will take her anywhere, Iris goes off in search of the gods and her destiny. Along the way, Iris’s mother loses her job, but Ares, who has turned to law as a more satisfying form of warfare, agrees to help. Through her enthusiasm and her belief that she is not only psychologically drawn to, but also genetically connected to the Olympians, Iris attempts to inspire the gods and goddesses and help Poseidon reunite with his love, Amphitrite.
In many ways, this cleverly written novel is an enjoyable read, and may be a good summer choice. However, it will help if you are already familiar with the myths to ensure the best experience. The gods and goddesses each tell rather long stories to Iris, and they can get a bit confusing if you don't have a background in mythology. The portrayal of the characters is very funny and imbued with a humorous modern sensibility, i.e. Aphrodite runs a beauty salon, and Artemis and Athena are private detectives. However, the joke is diminished if the reader is previously unfamiliar with the history and background of the god or goddess. Despite those minor shortcomings, and an ending that seems a little too much deus ex machina (god of the machine; it means an unrealistic ending or one that is too easy), Iris, Messenger is a good first attempt from Sarah Deming. Mythology fans will like it; others may need some coaxing. Fantasy lovers, take note: like the Harry Potter series (and others), this novel contains a secret world known only to a few, and it has a protagonist who thinks she is special, then finds out she is right.