"Beautifully clever."
--Weekend Edition Saturday "Razor-sharp rhyme schemes and sly, vicious humor make Bull a bawdy yet sophisticated romp, a literary feast fit for the gods." - Shelf Awareness, starred review
"Elliott contemporizes the ancient story of blackmail, betrayal, and revenge with humor, poignancy, and profanity . . . . the personalities and voices Elliott brings to these mythical characters make this powerful and engrossing book a genre of its own." --Publishers Weekly, starred review
"...Elliott's clever verse version of the classical story of the Minotaur: its title, Bull, is topically and colloquially apt." --Horn Book, starred review
"There's nothing half-blooded or Disneyfied in David Elliott's energetic, multi- voiced verse novel retelling . . . . Brief, useful notes explain both the liberties taken with the myth and choices of form for each character. Nods to Hamilton are inevitable, but whether or not Lin-Manuel Miranda had anything to do with inspiring what we hope will be a trend of transforming old stories into hip-hop gold, all readers and educators can say at this point is keep 'em coming." --Bulletin, starred review
"Elliott's absolutely magnetic rhythms will wake up any high school class, and the book could also work as a play. Irresistible, slick, and sharp (no bull!)--with plenty of bull to dissect." --Kirkus, starred review
"This striking reexamination of the Greek myth Theseus and the Minotaur [is] a conceit that easily could have floundered; in Elliott's capable hands, it soars."
-- Booklist, starred review
"Elliott's contemporary take on the classic myth incorporates modern slang, profanity, and a bawdy sense of humor into an accessible, highly entertaining, and original novel... Recommended for most large collections, particularly those in need of engaging interpretations of classic myths." --School Library Journal
"It's rude, it's crude, and it's a whole bunch of fun."--BookPage
"David Elliott's Bull does for mythology what Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton has done for U.S. history. Teens of all genders and reading levels will devour this salty, quick-witted retelling and the timely truth of this story: It takes a god to make a boy into a beast, but it is us humans who turn him into a monster. I loved this book." --Allan Wolf, author of The Watch That Ends the Night and New Found Land
"Stunning, explosive, and brilliantly-crafted. BULL is a perfect addition to the new canon of classics." --Liz Wright, Brazo Books
"Dark, disturbing, and devastatingly good." --Elana K. Arnold, author of Infandous and Sacred
"What an extraordinary book! Saucy and thoroughly modern, Bull feels both ageless and of our time, and is, above all, a bracing, unforgettable read." --Jane Brox, author of Brilliant: The Evolution of Artificial Light
"The voices in this poem--as much hip hop as epic--taunt in a spirit that is at once modern ghetto and ancient philosopher. As a lover of the Greek tales, I'm so grateful for this dizzying ride." --Donna Jo Napoli, author of Sirena, Bound, and Beast
"Irreverent and witty, the book is a fantastic labyrinth of its own, with new turns and twists that deliver us to the wisdom at its center." --Kyoko Mori, author of One Bird and Shizuko's Daughter
"A remix told in striking and affecting verse, BULL offers a modern, haunting look at this story of power, lust, love, and revenge" --Sara Grochowski, Brilliant Books
"An entirely refreshing twist on the indelicate undercurrents of Greek Mythology, BULL will inspire today's readers to rediscover the classics." --Sara Hines, Eight Cousins Books
