A review by booksjessreads
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

challenging dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I was somewhat disappointed with this book and I really had higher expectations from this novel. There were things that did work well, but for the most part, I don't think the format worked for what Haynes was trying to achieve.

I will start with what I enjoyed about the book first. The portrayal of Perseus as a self-righteous and stuck-up 16 year old was my favourite thing. I liked how Haynes had depreciated him in the story and really emphasised how much of a coward he was, despite being praised as a hero. However, there were several chapters where Haynes breaks the 'fourth wall' and writes in second person to the reader, instilling her fury in you that Perseus has always been painted in this way. Listening to the audio of this, this was quite jarring, although I appreciated her intentions of the chapters anyway.

When we got a perspective of Medusa, I also appreciated her point of view.
I even quite liked the separate perspective of her head after it had been decapitated.
However, I really thought that for a book about Medusa, which even on the cover says 'Medusa's story', I didn't really feel like we got much from Medusa herself. We had perspectives from so many Gods, who largely seemed one-dimensional, and it detracted away from the story. Whilst I liked having multiple perspectives to tell the story, there were far too many God's, statues and creatures involved in telling the story. It would have been more effective had there been less. Further to this, there were so many points of view and their background or purpose to the story was never really explored. I appreciate Haynes is a classicist, but she could have been more explicit with her character's purpose and background.

Perhaps this is just me, as I don't read lots of mythology books, but I felt a lot of the conversations in this book were really basic or childish. And it only ever worked well when we got conversation from Perseus, as it helped build Haynes' portrayal of him. One example that really stuck with me was
Medusa's conversation with Poseidon before he rapes her. I know Medusa is 16 as well, but the conversation felt drawn out and unnecessary in parts, especially painting Medusa, who I know was largely sheltered from the world, as completely oblivious and naive. It just didn't work for me.
 

I can appreciate why people have enjoyed this book, but I just felt as though this book did not deliver to the standards that it was marketed by. I do enjoy Medusa's story generally so I stuck with it, but there was certain elements that just did not work for me.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings