A modern and engaging retelling of the myth we think we all know reframed for the 21st century. Very enjoyable children’s retelling as it is somewhat sanitised. The beautiful illustrations complement the text perfectly.

“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.

Also, a massive thank you to Bloomsbury UK and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Medusa as you have never seen her before. Burton’s refreshing retelling of the Medusa myth pulls no punches, unflinchingly revealing the role of the male gods as rapists and stalkers and of women as victims who are blamed and left to bear the wrath of mortal and goddess alike.

Living quietly in exile with her sisters, Medusa lives a quiet and gentle life. Her snakes are now friends, with names and distinct personalities, but she still has no idea of her power (curse?). Perseus arrives on the island with no fanfare, and Medusa is as drawn to his beauty as to his company. Even though she won’t allow him to see her, they grow to love one another. But what is the love of a man? And what happens when he finds out who she really is?

‘Lyrical’ is overused to describe writing, but there is no other word that does justice to this book. Already acknowledged as a superb writer, Medusa’s brevity emphasises the precision of every word, with not one unnecessary or missing syllable.

The illustrations elevate what is already a powerful and compelling story to new heights, with Olivia Lomenech Gill once again asserting herself as one of the foremost illustrators of our time.

Every home with a teenager should have a copy of this book. It is beautiful, it is a great story, and it raises questions and provokes thought around power and the male gaze in mythology, history, and every day life. The perfect book to gift to any reader of 12+

I read an ARC supplied by Netgalley, under no obligation to review positively. However, I am pre-ordering a copy for myself as well as one to gift - this is a book to cherish.

<i>It's the hardest thing in the world to explain yourself, to tell your story clearly. We are all of us such complicated creatures, whether we have snakes for hair or not.</i>

This is the 2nd book out this year (I think) that focuses solely on Medusa giving her the voice she deserves .. I couldn't be happier!

Just like I knew I would, I loved this one! I Literally flew through it in a matter of hours and then immediately sat and read it again with my 11 year old daughter.
It took a different take on Medusa's story from the one that I knew but I really enjoyed the changes Jessie Burton made - a brilliant 'twist' to the end.
I also really loved that Medusa's snakes were given names and their own personalities - my daughter especially loved the snakes .. Daphne and Callisto being her favourites.

It was not a plot heavy read and the tone was quite light compared some retellings, (I'm guessing this is due to it being aimed at a wider audience age) but yet the story still felt as impactful, empowering and thought provoking.
The double page illustrations throughout were just absolutely stunning and were just absolutely beautiful additions to the book.

A brilliant and truly delightful read ... A must read!!

Thank you so much to the publisher for granting my wish on netgalley for this incredible book!! I already had my copy preordered and now my daughter would like her own .. for that alone this book deserves all the 5 stars!!

"Outrageous reality: I’d never known a change that wasn’t monstrous."

I flew through this beautiful book in few hours, it was incredible. In Jessie’s story Medusa and Perseus meet on her island where she lives with her two sisters, and her dog Argentus. Perseus is unaware of where he is, and who she really is but is quickly intrigued by this mystery girl who refuses to let him see her. She calls herself Merina. Of course she can’t help but fall for Perseus, with his impressive physique and loving nature, it was always bound to happen.

"His chest was a drum on which the world beat a rhythm, and his mouth the music to dance above it."

Medusa and Perseus start out with wary small talk but as the days go by they tell each other their story, because they promised to tell each other the truth, and what a shock it was to him to find out the monster he had been sent to kill was actually the girl he was falling in love with.

"I’m a woman whose head hisses: quite the conversation starter, if there was anyone around to have a conversation."

I loved the Jessie took the time to name Medusa’s snakes, and gave them their own personalities. I think Echo is my favourite one, but I really loved the play fighting that was going on between Daphne and Callisto.

"Your life to come’s a sum for which you do not know the answer."

I loved the ending to this book, it’s a unique twist on such a well known myth, and without giving up any spoilers for this gorgeous book, Medusa does not lose her head. I’ll leave it like that, but you all need this book in your life. Jessie Burton has written an incredible story and the artwork by Olivia Lomenech Gill is STUNNING.

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my review, can’t wait for my physical copy to arrive!!

A beautifully illustrated story of Medusa and Perseus for younger and older readers alike. I thoroughly enjoyed this glorious books and the writing style was absolutely fantastic. It transported me right into the story and i could not put this down.

A very engaging retelling if the story of Medusa and the way in which fate is determined by a male dominated society.
This story is about empowering Medusa, giving her a voice to tell her story. It is the story of how and why Medusa is given the head of snakes by Athena. In this retelling she tells Perseus her story as he tells his story if his journey and eventually the reason for it.
Throughout the book it is clear that Medusa is learning to be powerful and strong. She learns to like herself and find her independence, she explains why what happened to Perseus did, that it was his survival or hers.
The illustrations in this book are very evocative and show the harsh reality of the unspeakable things inflicted upon Medusa.

“if I told you I killed a man with a glance, would you wait to hear the rest?….or would you run from me, this mottled mirror, this body of unusual flesh”

As someone with a BA in Ancient History it’s fairly obvious I love classical history so I was really excited when I got the opportunity to read this book (Thanks NetGallery). Classical mythology has always been a passion of mine & I grew up pawing through books of myths & legends & watching & rewatching classic films such as Clash of the Titans & Jason & the Argonauts. The tale of Medusa felt familiar to me so I was excited to read a book from her point of view.

I was impressed by this feminist retelling of the classic myth & felt it did a great job of humanising the “Monster”. She felt at times vulnerable, a girl caged by her beauty, by society expectations & their ownership of her body as perfectly encapsulated by the lines “When beauty’s assigned you as a girl, it somehow becomes the essence of your being. It takes over everything else you might be. When your a boy it never dominates who you can be”
I do not think that here are many women that would not brutally understand this position.

Whilst at times presenting as fragile I also found the power in her serpentine liberation. I had great sympathy for her and eventually loved seeing her acceptance of the dignity and strength her “curse” bestowed. I loved the ending and the conclusion of Perseus and her relationship. It felt fitting and the last few pages left me feeling hopeful for her future.
This was the first book by Jessie Burton I’ve read but I enjoyed her style of prose & The illustrations by Olivia Lomenech Gill were gorgeous and complimented the writing excellently.
I would highly recommend this title especially to anyone with an interesting in feminist retellings or Mythology.

Sometimes a story comes along to give you strength in a time of struggle, to put wind in your sails and push you onward and Medusa by Jessie Burton is that kind of book. True excellence, solace and wisdom. After the likes of Song of Achilles, Circe, I have a high standard for myth retellings and both Burton's prose and Lomenech Gill's illustrations stand amongst the greats.

Medusa is a icon, a representation, that I have always thought painfully overlooked (or misused) and i am so glad this is the 2nd book out this year that gives this woman a voice and, in turn, a voice to survivors reading.

This isn’t a big book and, in terms of plot, it’s not heavy, in essence Perseus visits Medusa’s island she lives on with her sisters, and Medusa is smitten. Both characters sit on opposite sides of a cave wall and talk. in this story Medusa doesn’t yet know the implications of her curse, she hides herself from Perseus because she doesn’t want him to see her disfigured, and Perseus believes to be Merina, too self conscious to show herself to him. Incorporating stories they tell each other that flashback to their lives, for Medusa how she grew up dragged down by the value of her beauty, Poseidon’s predatory obsession and Athena’s punishment, and for Perseus his protection of his mother. This conversation, and that of Medusa with her sisters, continues until the final reveal when Perseus shares his mission to kill ‘the’ Medusa and Medusa, in turn, shares her true identity.

The double page illustrations that are spread throughout this book are beautiful, truly, the cover doesn’t do them justice but they are stunning. The length of this book too serves the purpose well, it’s a quick read but not a brief read and you feel, by the end, like you intimately know Medusa. The writing, as well, is delightful, it’s not watered down possibly for a younger audience but also not self indulgent or gratuitous, it’s thought provoking, heart breaking and empowering and extremely relevant.

This is a different take on Medusa than ones I’ve read before, Medusa is attacked and punished at the age of 14 and this book finds her 4 years on, who her sisters, isolated on their island. What i loved about this book was Medusa wasn’t a villain, she was a pawn in the world of men, I adored how her snakes were given personalities and names and were companions for her and it is so so important that she is not treated or seen as a monster, and, that her assault was absolutely not her fault, in any way. There’s a line in this book where Perseus calls Medusa brave for refusing to go to Poseidon when he threatened her into obedience, and she responds to Perseus that she would’ve been brave even if she hadn’t fought. That exchange alone summed up this book for me, there is no compromise given when it comes to the strength of a survivor or why/how things happen and who is at fault. This is a book about gender politics, rape culture, self love and healing. This is a book about surviving and I’m incredibly grateful Jessie Burton gave me the opportunity to know Medusa while giving a voice to the Medusa’s still hurt, shamed and punished today.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy to review, I’m eternally grateful.

I knew the bare bones of the myth before I read the book. The prose was easy to follow, understand and digest. What made this book for me was the illustrations. They were phenomenal.