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juliezantopoulos's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"But history is written by the winners. Or, more simply, history is written by men. ... The sad thing is I am not even surprised by these lies. I was not the first woman to be blamed for a man's flaws and I certainly will not be the last. ... I claimed earlier that beauty was my first curse, but perhaps it was actually being born a woman."
This book broke my heart. The cover claims Medusa as Gorgon. Killer. Monster. Victim. Survivor. Protector. Told from the POV of Medusa herself, we see her born to a mother who didn't love her, abandoned at a forgotten temple for Athena and raised by a Priestess in seclusion. Then we follow the harrowing events of her r*pe and subsequent cursing by the very Goddess she swore her life to. It's absolute bullshit.
"And how I wish this vile behavior had died out with our world, but I watch, outraged yet not entirely surprised, as the same tragedy echoes throughout generations, leaving an endless trail of broken victims and unscathed perpetrators."
I was so angry at times and at others bursting with respect for Medusa. Also, the Gods were assholes. There, I said it. I'm sure liberties were taken with the mythology of Medusa, but to be honest, I am not familiar with much of the original material or other retellings. What I do know is that this one resonated with me. It's powerful. It's raw. It reclaims things stolen from women, from victims, and it healed a part of me I didn't know was a bit broken. I highly recommend it for anyone who thinks they can handle the content. It's not an easy read but it's a beautiful one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Child death
jamieleepilk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Abandonment
rubybooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you so much to the author for contacting me and sending me a copy of Medusa to review! I love reading books to do with Greek mythology, and it's great to see that retellings are getting more popular. I knew straight away I wanted to read this because I've never read a book from Medusa's point of view before and I love her story - I definitely think her life is misunderstood and people often miss out a lot of context when discussing the myth.
Medusa is told from her point of view, and covers her entire life from birth to death and beyond. Medusa's narration allows for reflection and introspection, because she is discussing her life from the Underworld. This contrast really allows Medusa's development to shine through, and it highlights all the trauma she suffered. Rosie Hewlett builds the story around a moment of the myth not normally focused on as much. Instead of focusing on Perseus and her quest, she focuses on Medusa and why she was transformed.
I knew the story of how Medusa became a "monster", but I imagine a lot of people don't know the details so I'm glad this book discusses it. Medusa certainly does not have an easy life, and it was definitely difficult to read about all she experienced. The story is incredibly relevant because women are constantly demonised as well as blamed when they are victims of sexual assault. I was so frustrated seeing how she was treated!
I loved Medusa's characterisation. She is both strong and traumatised, and those two things do not contradict one another. I felt so much for her throughout, and I was definitely emotional at the end of the book. I loved the moments with Perseus too and he was always one of my favourite heroes to read about. I also really liked seeing how the gods were portrayed, especially Athena, although I wish we had seen more about her and her motives!
I just wish this book was longer! It was only 200 pages, so I flew through it, but I would have loved to see even more of Medusa's life, and more development in the second half of the book because I was so sucked in to the story. Sometimes I struggle with first person points of view, and occasionally the modern language did bring me out of the story, but overall I really liked the writing style and it fit the story well.
So thank you so much to Rosie for sending me a copy for review! I also study Classics at university so I was really excited. I'd definitely recommend this book, especially if you're interested in mythology retellings and character studies. Be aware of content warnings for discussion of rape, sexual assault, and murder, but nothing is graphic.
Medusa is told from her point of view, and covers her entire life from birth to death and beyond. Medusa's narration allows for reflection and introspection, because she is discussing her life from the Underworld. This contrast really allows Medusa's development to shine through, and it highlights all the trauma she suffered. Rosie Hewlett builds the story around a moment of the myth not normally focused on as much. Instead of focusing on Perseus and her quest, she focuses on Medusa and why she was transformed.
I knew the story of how Medusa became a "monster", but I imagine a lot of people don't know the details so I'm glad this book discusses it. Medusa certainly does not have an easy life, and it was definitely difficult to read about all she experienced. The story is incredibly relevant because women are constantly demonised as well as blamed when they are victims of sexual assault. I was so frustrated seeing how she was treated!
I loved Medusa's characterisation. She is both strong and traumatised, and those two things do not contradict one another. I felt so much for her throughout, and I was definitely emotional at the end of the book. I loved the moments with Perseus too and he was always one of my favourite heroes to read about. I also really liked seeing how the gods were portrayed, especially Athena, although I wish we had seen more about her and her motives!
I just wish this book was longer! It was only 200 pages, so I flew through it, but I would have loved to see even more of Medusa's life, and more development in the second half of the book because I was so sucked in to the story. Sometimes I struggle with first person points of view, and occasionally the modern language did bring me out of the story, but overall I really liked the writing style and it fit the story well.
So thank you so much to Rosie for sending me a copy for review! I also study Classics at university so I was really excited. I'd definitely recommend this book, especially if you're interested in mythology retellings and character studies. Be aware of content warnings for discussion of rape, sexual assault, and murder, but nothing is graphic.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Murder
yadirapb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A MUST for greek mythology lovers!
LOVED every second of this book! First of all: English is not my first language so sometimes reading in english I have to read pages 2-3 times to get it but this was such a quick and easy read!
Impossible to put down!
LOVED every second of this book! First of all: English is not my first language so sometimes reading in english I have to read pages 2-3 times to get it but this was such a quick and easy read!
Impossible to put down!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Child death
bigskynavygirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
You definitely get to see a different perspective in this retelling. Unfortunately the writing style just wasn’t for me but overall the story was great. I loved the different relationships and some of the stuff was definitely hard to read. Good mark of a great writer when they really make you feel the situation the character is in.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
storieswithbee's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Genre: mythology, feminist, retelling, NA fiction/ fantasy
Age range: 16+
Overall: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Writing and Setting: 5/5
Content warning: *rape, emotional abuse, family manipulation/ gaslighting, victim blaming
The gist of my review:
Although this is a retelling of the classic myth of Medusa, this book highlights very modern issues surrounding the female experience in a male dominated world. It challenges ignorant behaviour and doesn’t allow for rape culture to be swept under the rug.
This book is Medusa’s ‘Me Too’ moment and it highlights that sharing one’s experience about sexual and emotional abuse, rape, victim blaming is never easy, its never pretty, but it’s important for some women in cathartic sense and also so their narrative isn’t lots to the change of story or dulled in any fashion.
I really admire how Rosie Hewlett handled some very delicate and sensitive topics with the utmost respect and passion. This book is a testimony to her feministic strength and should serve as in inspiration to all women.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
Some of my favourite quotes…
“I also often wonder how different my life would have been if I were born a man. Would Athena have protected me then? Would Poseidon have respected me? I claimed earlier that beauty was my first curse, but perhaps it was actually being born a woman.”
“To this day I am still amazed that women all around the world are able to tear themselves apart to form life. And yet men still think that they are the stronger sex… I mean, honestly.”
Characters: 5/5
Medusa is our main character. She is a very relatable, strong willed, yet kind woman, who was relentlessly preyed on by the Gods. Throughout the entire book I felt a profound level of compassion and want for a better life and fate for her.
Throughout myth and history we see Medusa as being a crazed monster, hellbent on ruining the lives of people, but I believe that she strongly lives up to the meaning behind her name, ‘Protector’. The depiction of Medusa is, to this day, used as a way to identity women’s refuge shelters.
Plot: 5/5
The plot closely followed alongside the myth that has been passed down through the generations. Hewett added in her own spin on the narrative itself and this served to keep a storyline in which I already knew the outcome of fresh and exciting.
Writing and Setting: 5/5
The majority of the novel was written in first person through Medusa’s view, however later in the novel there is some third person narration.
The writing used to capture Medusa’s voice was eerily life like in my head. It’s a strange concept but I honestly felt as if I was having unlimited asses to Medusa’s thoughts and perspective.
The settings were spectacular. Hewlett had done well to capture the essence and the factual aspects of Ancient Greece. The settings were not a hugely pronounced part of the book, and that’s because Medusa’s experience was the main focus of the story and simply because the character moves around a fair bit through the course of the novel.
Age range: 16+
Overall: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Writing and Setting: 5/5
Content warning: *rape, emotional abuse, family manipulation/ gaslighting, victim blaming
The gist of my review:
Although this is a retelling of the classic myth of Medusa, this book highlights very modern issues surrounding the female experience in a male dominated world. It challenges ignorant behaviour and doesn’t allow for rape culture to be swept under the rug.
This book is Medusa’s ‘Me Too’ moment and it highlights that sharing one’s experience about sexual and emotional abuse, rape, victim blaming is never easy, its never pretty, but it’s important for some women in cathartic sense and also so their narrative isn’t lots to the change of story or dulled in any fashion.
I really admire how Rosie Hewlett handled some very delicate and sensitive topics with the utmost respect and passion. This book is a testimony to her feministic strength and should serve as in inspiration to all women.
I cannot recommend this book enough.
Some of my favourite quotes…
“I also often wonder how different my life would have been if I were born a man. Would Athena have protected me then? Would Poseidon have respected me? I claimed earlier that beauty was my first curse, but perhaps it was actually being born a woman.”
“To this day I am still amazed that women all around the world are able to tear themselves apart to form life. And yet men still think that they are the stronger sex… I mean, honestly.”
Characters: 5/5
Medusa is our main character. She is a very relatable, strong willed, yet kind woman, who was relentlessly preyed on by the Gods. Throughout the entire book I felt a profound level of compassion and want for a better life and fate for her.
Throughout myth and history we see Medusa as being a crazed monster, hellbent on ruining the lives of people, but I believe that she strongly lives up to the meaning behind her name, ‘Protector’. The depiction of Medusa is, to this day, used as a way to identity women’s refuge shelters.
Plot: 5/5
The plot closely followed alongside the myth that has been passed down through the generations. Hewett added in her own spin on the narrative itself and this served to keep a storyline in which I already knew the outcome of fresh and exciting.
Writing and Setting: 5/5
The majority of the novel was written in first person through Medusa’s view, however later in the novel there is some third person narration.
The writing used to capture Medusa’s voice was eerily life like in my head. It’s a strange concept but I honestly felt as if I was having unlimited asses to Medusa’s thoughts and perspective.
The settings were spectacular. Hewlett had done well to capture the essence and the factual aspects of Ancient Greece. The settings were not a hugely pronounced part of the book, and that’s because Medusa’s experience was the main focus of the story and simply because the character moves around a fair bit through the course of the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment
The trigger warnings are there to protect readers, however this book speaks up against rape, bigotry, sexual assault, the defamation of women, victim blaming and much more.historicrabbithole1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really enjoyed this book. Fabulous to give this famous women a voice to tell her own story. Loved how Medusa was not victimised or idealised. She also had her flaws which made her more human and relatable, compared to the monster/victim label she receives. The character of Hermes gives a great comic relief to the story. This would make an amazing movie!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, and Abandonment
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