“You will not find me in my deeds,nor in poems written by long-dead men. But you will find me when you need me, when the wind hears a woman’s cry and fills my sails forward.”
Exceptionally powerful and unapologetically feminist, this stunning retelling of one of Greek Myth’s most misunderstood women is absolutely phenomenal! Never before has Medusa been more extraordinarily compelling than she is, here—revealing herself as not a victim nor a monster, but a woman taking back her story.
Exiled to a far-flung island at the whims of Gods, Medusa has little company except the snakes she has for hair—until a beautiful and charming boy, Perseus arrives on the island and Medusa’s alone no longer. Disrupting her loneliness with the force of a supernova, unleashing desire,love and betrayal....
I absolutely loved everything about this, Medusa has long been written about but, rarely (if ever) do we get to see Medusa’s Perpective. I loved that here, in her own words, she gets to be more than just a cautionary tale or a monster to be slayed. Here she gets to be her unapologetically true self; fraught with insecurities, relishing her new found freedom (and power) or angry at the injustices she has endured—for she is a woman and will most certainly want you to hear her roar.
Jessie’s inclusion of personalities for Medusa’s snakes of Echo, Daphne, Callisto (her most prominent snakes) was utterly ingenious and absolutely refreshing;but of all her snakes I’d have to say sweet little Echo was my favourite.
I cannot praise the exceptionally written narrative and beautifully lyrical prose without mentioning the stunning illustrations by Olivia Lomenech-Gill. They truly bring Medusa and her story to life, I was honestly mesmerised by how hauntingly beautiful they were.
This unflinchingly honest tale of objectification,toxic masculinity, and the meaning of consent is a breathtaking masterpiece that cannot be missed.
A massive thank you to Bloomsbury UK and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Medusa by Jessie Burton and Olivia Lomenech-Gill is out 28 October