kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The premise of a retelling of Medusa’s story from her perspective is one that I can appreciate but the execution of it in this book was hard to get into. The writing style made reading feel like a chore even when the story itself was interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Death, Child death, Confinement, Grief, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Violence
booksareoxygen's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Murder
Moderate: Grief, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
bryonyindecisivereader's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
“I was beautiful once.
I would not recommend it.
That might come as a surprise to you. A lot of the things I am about to tell you probably will, because there is a lot this world does not know about me. You see, my story has been retold and reimagined so many times over, sometimes even I do not recognise it.”
I was really blown away my Medusa. From the moment I opened the book, I was in love. The writing, the words, the story - all perfect.
Medusa’s story, told as it is here, is really powerful. It’s about a woman who was abused, grieving the life that she’s lost to the one that’s been forced upon her. It’s really interesting to hear the stages of her story, travelling through betrayal to anger to sadness. We also get to see her interact in different ways - as a young girl, as a sister, as a villain, as a mother - rather than just one or a couple that her retellings usually see.
I loved the tone of Medusa’s voice and how she narrates her story. I could have spent hundreds of pages in this story - but somehow, the ones that were included, felt like the perfect number. And honestly? I kind of like that it was shorter because it means I’ll be rereading it again this year without a doubt, and annotating it too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Grief and Murder
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: Blood, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
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, Murder, and Sexual assault
rochelle_reads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
꧁꧁Book Review꧂꧂
Heartbreaking. Sorrowful. Powerful.
The story follows Medusa as she retells her life that the Fates had weaved for her, but it’s not the story we’ve all come to know. This is the heartbreaking story of a woman who is abused and abandoned time and time again by the people who should keep her safe and how, despite all that damage, she still learns to love.
The story is told from Medusa’s perspective from the Underworld and the personal narrative reads like a conversation or a diary. The tone is chatty but sophisticated and fluid; it almost reads like poetry in parts, making some attempts to reflect the age and time.
I would very strongly advise people to research the trigger warnings for this story as there are some very traumatic themes and experiences explored in this book that I certainly wasn’t expecting and could be very distressing. There is a strong theme of feminism (which in places could be viewed as an agenda) and rape culture that some might find a little too forward. However, I found it to be powerful and thought-provoking, particularly the strong and accurate representation of mental health (depression, PTSD, emotional abuse, low self-esteem etc) that on some levels resonated with my own experiences.
Overall, this was a heart-wrenching book that made me feel drained and empty by the time I had finished (proceeds to hold out book and suggest you go read it) and is a story that will stay with me for a long time. It was very difficult to read some parts but I think it is a reflection of how hard life can be: some parts are sweet, some parts hard to swallow.
Rating: 🐍🐍🐍🐍
Heartbreaking. Sorrowful. Powerful.
The story follows Medusa as she retells her life that the Fates had weaved for her, but it’s not the story we’ve all come to know. This is the heartbreaking story of a woman who is abused and abandoned time and time again by the people who should keep her safe and how, despite all that damage, she still learns to love.
The story is told from Medusa’s perspective from the Underworld and the personal narrative reads like a conversation or a diary. The tone is chatty but sophisticated and fluid; it almost reads like poetry in parts, making some attempts to reflect the age and time.
I would very strongly advise people to research the trigger warnings for this story as there are some very traumatic themes and experiences explored in this book that I certainly wasn’t expecting and could be very distressing. There is a strong theme of feminism (which in places could be viewed as an agenda) and rape culture that some might find a little too forward. However, I found it to be powerful and thought-provoking, particularly the strong and accurate representation of mental health (depression, PTSD, emotional abuse, low self-esteem etc) that on some levels resonated with my own experiences.
Overall, this was a heart-wrenching book that made me feel drained and empty by the time I had finished (proceeds to hold out book and suggest you go read it) and is a story that will stay with me for a long time. It was very difficult to read some parts but I think it is a reflection of how hard life can be: some parts are sweet, some parts hard to swallow.
Rating: 🐍🐍🐍🐍
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Rape, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness
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