micaelacccc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Violence, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, and Grief
Minor: Child death
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
adaora_ble's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Violence, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
kburton85's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Pregnancy, and Rape
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
chloebethx_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
fast-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
5.0
Honestly this novel deserves so much more attention and praise!! Rosie Hewlett is definitely being added to my favourite authors! I did not know much about this novel before starting it, other than the obvious associations the name ‘Medusa’ has, but it really blew me away with how amazing it is!
Even in such a short novel you really feel like you have seen an entire life unfold, each page seems to just contain a perfect amount of knowledge and each character is so well-developed given the length of the novel!
For those who are already on the mythology retelling bandwagon Medusa is the book for you, but even for anyone who is new to the whole concept the story is so accessible and fun, and each plot so well explained, that anyone and everyone could love this book!
Even in such a short novel you really feel like you have seen an entire life unfold, each page seems to just contain a perfect amount of knowledge and each character is so well-developed given the length of the novel!
For those who are already on the mythology retelling bandwagon Medusa is the book for you, but even for anyone who is new to the whole concept the story is so accessible and fun, and each plot so well explained, that anyone and everyone could love this book!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
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
kenziebeck's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Child death and Rape
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: Abandonment, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
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.
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