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A review by rubybooks
Medusa by Rosie Hewlett
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