Medusa and her sisters are in self-imposed exile on a deserted island until a stranger, Perseus arrives on their shore, apparently lost.

As Medusa and Perseus exchange stories with a literal wall between them so that he cannot see the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair, the similarities in their tales come to light, and feeling begin to blossom between them.

But will the truth make them stronger? Or break their fragile foundations apart?

This is not a particularly long book — I read it in a few hours — but Jessie has packed in so many though-provoking gems of wisdom that I wished I had a physical copy to annotate. (I read it on my phone.)

So many deep observations about the concept of female beauty and its perceived importance to society, and the impact that has on a woman, whether she is conscious of her appearance or not.

Some incredibly insightful words about what we allow to affect us, and how.
And about being true, and just, and honest to ourselves.

I have to say, I hope this book comes with some trigger warnings because (in true Greek Mythology style) it covers some pretty hefty topics as Medusa and Perseus exchange stories of male abuse against women.
TW should include (that I spotted): rape, harassment, slut shaming, and gaslighting.

But in retelling her story — in owning it — and in hearing Perseus’s, Medusa was finally able to come to terms with what happened to her, and walk the reader through her own self-rediscovery.

This is a truly feminist version of Medusa’s story. It shines a light on experiences and struggles of women across the ages — good, bad, and ugly — and it showcases real strength in this particular woman, overcoming adversity and owning her full story.

One tiny gripe I had is that occasionally the prose dips into a more contemporary style, (like when the characters refer to their parents as mum/dad instead of mother/father) which jarred a little, but overall it is also totally forgivable.

Oh, and I must mention the illustrations, by Olivia Lomenech Gill. They are plentiful and beautiful. They really add such a depth to the story that I wanted to spend as much time looking at the pictures as the words.

Honestly, I loved this book so damn much. I cannot wait to hold it in my hands. And possibly tab it up. (I have never tabbed or annotated a book before.)

I couldn’t recommend this book highly enough. It is insightful and thoughtful and beautifully poetic in places without being too waffley! A book to be treasured for sure!

A tenderly written retelling of Medusa, as she forms a friendship with Perseus. Medusa has been banished along with her sisters, cursed by Athena who has disfigured her by giving her hair formed of snakes. Jessie Burton gives this a feminist twist, and makes Medusa an empowered young woman. I loved her friendship with Perseus, there’s a bit of love at first sight, young puppy love vibe going and it was too cute. Stunning pictures too. This would make a great Christmas present for my nieces.

A retelling of the story in Greek mythological story of Medusa and Perseus. Medusa and her sisters have been banished to an island with steep cliffs so that she can never leave. Her beautiful, glossy hair has been turned into snakes by Athena. Each snake has its own personality. Then handsome Perseus arrives. It's exquisitely illustrated and the descriptive writing style makes you feel that you are right next to Medusa in her banishment by the gods. A powerful story of self-acceptance with a touch of romance.

This book is beautiful. Seriously. Such a feat of exemplary writing. It is a gorgeous piece of literary art and within the first page, you are drawn into Medusa’s lonely world and through her eyes, you get to see how she navigates her banished existence.

Written in first person, you really get a feel for Medusa’s perspective and reading her thought processes makes this so personal and intimate. I can’t stress how beautifully written it is, and with the absolutely outstanding artwork and drawings that accompany the main writing, really makes for a wonderful reading experience.

Medusa, a character that is often villainised and misunderstood, it was great to read her portrayed in a different way and the author really brought her to life. She is a character you can sympathise with, understand and feel almost in harmony with, with overarching feelings I think we all experience. She’s such a human character and it was so nice to read her in this way.

Right from the beginning, I loved the story. It set itself up so well, and I knew it would be one I was drawn into and wouldn’t be able to put down. It’s so immersive and an overall utter joy to read.

It was lyrical and poetic and an incredibly strong and powerful story. It’s one of those books that you read and then take it with you when you’ve finished the final page.

I read it in one sitting and it’s a book you definitely need on your shelf. I read this as an ebook and now I definitely need a hard copy too. 10 out of 5 stars for sure.

Was really looking forward to reading this but unfortunately the protected PDF that is available to download is in acsm format that requires adobe digital editions to open which I don't have.

I cannot recommend this book enough! The images are stunning, the writing is insightful and interesting, and it shines a whole new light on the medusa myth. Jessie Burton has outdone herself with this book and it is an absolute must read!

This was wonderful - a dreamy sense of setting, and a powerful sense of selfhood in the main character. One for all young women to read. The illustrations add so much, and the writing was almost musical at times.

Jessie Burton has executed the perfect subversion of the male gaze in this feminist reimagining of the Medusa myth.

Female voice and experience is at the heart of this retelling, with its powerful commentary on rape culture. The prose has a timeless, lyrical quality that lends itself to the mythical subject. The young adult voices of Medusa and Perseus (with the occasional modern YA-ism thrown in) blend suprisingly well, adding a kind of conversational realism. In a short novella format, accompanied by Olivia Lomenech Gill's beautiful illustrations, it makes the kind of book you can lose yourself in for one sitting.

Smart, sensitive and beautifully composed, Jessie Burton's Medusa is a real treat.

Beautifully illustrated, this retelling of Medusa's 'origin myth' has been tailored towards empowerment and fulfillment, and strongly underlined with a youthful protofeminist message clearly aimed at the young women who are its target audience. An easy and enticing read.

Moving and satisfying re-imagining of this classical myth for the 21st century.
Wonderful blend of beautiful images and a powerful reclamation of her own story by the ‘victim’.
The central story arc is Medusa gradually understanding and accepting her own potency and ability to survive.
I enjoyed the physical descriptions that gave it a great sense of place. I also enjoyed the distinctions made between the snakes and how each has a different character.

Thank you to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Quality Rating: Five Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Five Stars

Jessie Burton has written some fantastic stories, and she's back with a very nice reimagining of the story of Medusa, retelling the myth and its contexts as well as rewriting its story for contemporary audiences. And the book is all the more moving for its utterly stunning illustrations by Olivia Lomenech Gill.

At first, I found the language to be a little too flowery, to the point of me not totally understanding what was being said, but this eases after the initial passages and Burton leaps into a story reminiscent of a fairy tale book, but spinning in the Greek tragedy and a whole host of exploration into misogyny, toxic masculinity and rape culture.

It's such a moving story, it's strange that Medusa's full tale isn't retold more. Though that is largely due to the fact that Medusa's story seems pretty definitive in the collective canon everyone grows up with; she is a monster Perseus is sent to kill. Simple as that. But Medusa is a name, not a creature species, and she was once a normal girl pursued by a god (which sums up maybe half of classical female characters). It's very rich source material and Burton gets really creative with it, repainting the picture to before Perseus was even a hero, and letting Medusa reclaim it herself.

The book is rather short, but the perfect length to tell this story. It is also perfectly suited to its artwork, and I can't help but feel it's the mature storybook retelling a timeless piece of folklore/mythology I would've loved to add to my collection as a child - and still do as an adult. I'm looking forward to buying myself the physical copy when it releases, and I hope the illustrations are available as prints too.

This is a story that deserves to be told, and is wholly relevant now. Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this before publication.
Medusa is a character so many feel they know. But in Jessie Burton’s reimagining we get another version of Medusa, one that it’s hard to ignore.
Merina, as she calls herself, has spent the last four years secreted away on a deserted island. She is accompanied by her immortal sisters and her dog. Though she is reasonably content, there is no denying the fact that Merina is lonely and bitterly upset by her treatment at the hands of others.
One day she hears a young boy arrive on the island. Though she doesn’t feel she can meet him in person, she takes the time to talk to the boy and learn his story. She trusts him, and even harbours hope that he may be someone who can overlook her physical appearance. But the young boy, Perseus, has his own story.
While this focuses on Medusa it paints a more sympathetic picture and seeks to encourage us to look beneath the judgments of others. It reminded me of the Carol Ann Duffy poem ‘Medusa’ in its feminist focus on the myth we think we know.
I loved the illustrations in this as they captured the spirit of Medusa, particularly towards the end. The writing was poetic and yet the thing that will remain with me is the haunting depiction of a young girl trying to find her own way in the world.

This book was so surprisingly good! I was craving a bit of mythology and this was a great little filler for my afternoon.

I hadn’t expected to love it as much as I did, the rape culture elements and distinct lack of feminism echoed present day in an almost uncanny way.

I didn’t connect with it as much as I might have liked, perhaps because I was reading on my phone, but overall it was still a fab read!

Also I struggled with all the snake references (I know it’s kind of an essential part of the book…) because I am Ophidiophobic and it can be quite triggering for me, but it wasn’t as traumatic as it might have been thankfully!

4 stars

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury publishing and NetGalley for gifting me this e-ARC to review!

Review coming to Instagram sometime soon x

I loved it!! The retelling that Medusa truly deserved. It really traps you into the story and makes you feel like Medusa. A super necessary story with themes of women empowerment and calling out sexual harassment. The illustrations are gorgeous and enhance beautifully the text!

Beyond the fact that Medusa is a woman with snakes for hair, I'm completely unfamiliar with the story, but I'll be definitely going to check it out in the next few days.

I loved this re-telling. The little perception I have of Medusa is that she's evil and unpleasant but this story had a totally different spin to it and I loved it. Add to that the artwork is exquisite. This is definitely one I'll be buying for the coffee table on release.

Medusa’s story is one of a girl who is objectified, punished, slut shamed and exiled due to the whims of Gods. Jessie’s retelling of this well-known (but often glossed over) story showed Medusa in a way that really struck a chord with me.

Her descriptions of the villagers and the Gods themselves are relatable in these current times and their attitude towards Medusa made my heart ache in a way I’m sure many females (and males) can relate. She did an amazing job of showing Medusa not as a monster or even as a mere victim, but instead simply as Medusa.

I especially enjoyed the fact that while the book had elements of romance, Jessie chose not to make it her main focus as many YA stories are prone to do, and instead explored other areas such as feminism, sisterhood, societies attitude towards rape and consent, before making way to the real focus of the story: self-acceptance.

The illustrations in this book are simply stunning. Olivia did a perfect job of capturing the emotions in the rawness of her art with each line and stroke.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview this title.

I loved this retelling of Medusa's tale. The imagined narrative from her perspective is a captivating attempt at bringing her personality to life, as opposed to viewing her as merely a monster in a legend. In addition to the wonderful tale are the gorgeous illustrations. I can highly recommend this as an enjoyable entertainment for both parents and teens alike.

4.5****

Wow this book is another in a Medusa mythology retelling and it was needed! This tells Medusa’s story and gives her a voice which very few mythology tellings give notice to.

Her Medusa has been on an isolated island, with her two sisters and her dog as company, since she was cursed by Athena to have snakes for hair. She has been on this island for 4 years isolated and lonely from others her age. When one day an intriguing boy arrives on the island called Perseus, he might be able to alleviate this desolation which will leas to trust, love and betrayal.

This book had so many good things covering Medusa’s story. It shows her before Poseidon and Athena: how she was a sailor with her two sisters as divers. This book also shows a strong sisterhood between Stheno, Euyale and Medusa and I absolutely loved the relationship between Stheno and Medusa especially. This book also delved into rape culture, victim blaming and slut shaming- even by other women, acting as an agent for the patriarchy.

Most importantly this book looks at self acceptance, accepting and owning who you are despite very dark periods and your mistakes. This made me love Medusa even more and was just so wholesome and happy to read these parts.

The illustrations to this book are absolutely stunning. Some of the illustrations are so powerful as well and you could feel the emotions emanating off the page.
I will be buying a copy of this book once it comes out- as this is the Medusa myth that should be told.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a e-Arc to read of this.

Everyone deserves to be loved

Wow!!!! This book was like nothing I expected going into it, the story was impeccable and the illustrations only heightened the reading experience. I love Jessie’s writing style and I’m so thankful to her and NetGalley for giving me the early access to this. I’ll be recommending the hell out of this to anyone who loves mythology - which is everywhere at the minute!! Superb book!!

(3.5 stars)
Retelling's are some of my favourite type's of books. This book, as the title says, is a retelling of Medusa. I really enjoyed the story and it a really quick read. I absolutely loved the illustrations as they added to the story.