I was lucky enough to take part in the blog tour for this book & be sent a copy by Penguin, so if you’d like to read my Q&A with the author, you can find it here; https://molsbymoonlight.wordpress.com/2018/03/07/qa-with-joy-mccullough/
This book is a powerful novel in verse based on the life of iconic painter Artemisia Gentileschi. It’s an emotional, feminist read & deals with topics like rape, a culture where men take whatever they want from women & where women have no voice. I loved this book so much & would recommend everyone read it as many themes running through it are sadly still relevant today.

I was not expecting the format for this novel, which read more like poetry than prose most of the time. I would have liked to have more details about Artemesia's life. However, there were some very powerful passages surrounding her sexual assault that resonates strongly with today's #MeToo movement.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

I learned about Artemisia Gentileschi as an art history minor in college, and found her story fascinating. I was drawn to this book immediately because I was interested in learning more about her. This was a hard book to read. I've never read a book written in free verse before, which was an interesting experience. It was well done, but I'm not a poetry person and I'm not sure I would have requested this title if I had known. Of course, I went in knowing that Artemisia had a very heartbreaking life, but learning about it in this way rather than from a history book made me connect with her more and feel her pain more. I don't read to be depressed. I read to be uplifted. It was very well done, but not what I would classify as pleasurable reading. There are lots of feminist viewpoints, which are certainly in line with current events and I think readers will really enjoy that.

Despite this not being my typical genre of choice AND a book in verse, I knew I had to read this one. It was beautiful and heartbreaking. I did struggle reading it, mostly because it's written in verse, not the content, though some readers will find it the content disturbing. I did purchase for my library and it has checked out often.

I loved this book, especially its format and have recommended it to many readers. I especially was drawn to its historical aspect and think this is one dimension that really sets it apart. I enjoyed this story very much!

I will show you
what a woman can do.
Timeless words that bear repeating over and over with each generation. Definitely a book that will intrigue all ages of readers.

This book, which was written in a unique way, really captures the character's thoughts and feelings in a poignant, eloquent, and sometimes raw and emotional way. Knowing that this story is based on actual events makes it even more compelling.

Artemesia's story weaves art history and parables into a tale of devastating sexual assault, and how she uses the art and parables to get through.

Based on the true story of Artemisia Gentileschi, an iconic painter from the seventeenth century this is a beautifully written powerful tale that is also devastating.

Emotional, beautiful, intense verse novel that captures the historical feel and raw emotions swirling through the characters in this story. The verse is an excellent way for the author to convey the beauty and also the horrendous actions and way that women were treated in this time.

Blood Water Paint had a lot of promise. I love the story of Artemisia Gentileschi, a strong woman who dared to take her rapist to trial in the 1600s. YES PLEASE. However, this story wasn't awesome. I had a hard time with the writing style, not because it was in prose, but because of the anachronisms used throughout the title as well as the heavy handed managing of the content.

As I work to write my review, I find myself struggling to remember a lot of what I read. The real story of Gentileschi sticks with me, but the author's fictionalized account is less than memorable for me.

Beautiful novel in verse. Definitely young adult due to the events in the story. A must for high school libraries. I have a feeling it may win some awards.

I really enjoy a good novel in verse and have read many. But for some reason Blood Water Paint was not for me. It's not even that I mind violence or struggles or anything like that in a book, Maybe it was that I didn't find Artemisia particularly believable as a 17th century teen even though she was a real person! I don't think many teens that I know, even the ones who enjoy reading would find this book very compelling. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. It just wasn't for me.

I’d never heard of Artemisia Gentileschi before this novel. I’m grateful I know of her now.

First Lines:

Everything begins from here: the viewing point, the place where you stand, your eye level. That single point on the horizon where all other lines converge, p.3.

Rome 1610. Women do not belong to themselves, but to their fathers and brothers. Uneducated and illiterate, women are for reproducing and domestic work. Rape is considered damage to property and the courts rarely decide in favor of the victim. Seventeen-year-old Artemisia is her father’s painting apprentice. She showed more aptitude than her younger brothers. Told through verse, McCullough tells readers about a young woman who paints in a time when women are never seen as a man’s equal. Then, a man Artemisia’s father hires to help her with perspective, rapes her. Based on true events.

What Dazzled: First, thank you, Joy McCullough, for sharing Artemisia with me. If it weren’t for you I’m not sure I would have ever learned about her. Second, I enjoyed the structure of the novel. Primarily told through verse, the text is also interspersed with prose chapters focusing on the biblical women Judith and Susanna. Those chapters were some of my favorites, especially Judith. She is a badass. These stories were told to Artemisia by her mother and they were her source of strength.

He put a brush into my hands
But never quill and parchment,
never books.
Words and paragraphs
were gifts bestowed upon my brothers.
But my mother gave me stories.
The ones she chose to tell
were not an accident,
not fevered ramblings
but the sharpest blade
that she could leave me on her death, p. 216.

What Fizzled: I’m not sure verse was the best way to present this story. I really wanted more details about what life was like in 1611, more details about the court proceedings, and overall just more.

Jots and Thoughts: There’s plenty of lines like this one to have a good discussion about

(Why, though does it take
a mother, daughter, sister
for men to take
a woman at her word?) p. 237.

Artemisia Gentilecshi is a young woman living in Rome during the Baroque period. Her father is a middling artist who uses her skill to complete his commissions. The story is also told through famous figures that Artemisia is most famous for painting and how these paintings influenced her life. As a former art history minor, I was incredibly excited going into this book. I have heard of Artemsia and studied her during my courses. I had known a bit about her life, but not to the extent that this book relayed. With all the excitement going into this, I did find that it was incredibly well written in some regards. The characters had a strong voice and pulled the reader into the story well. It was interesting to see the processes of Artemisia’s creative work. I also found it odd and against societal norms that her father chose her to paint with him when she had brothers he could have apprenticed. Beyond this, I had some issues. I think one of the biggest problems was the formatting of the ebook, if I had been reading the book on the page, it may have been easier to see the transitions from Artemisia to Susannah to Judith. It was difficult to parse out in the ebook. Also, this is not YA. Something I feel writers need to understand is that just because your book has a teenage protagonist, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s meant for that audience. I even had trouble with some of the thought processes at times and I’m an adult. Beyond this, I may read something else of the authors’ in the future, as the author is a strong character writer. Hopefully they write it for an appropriate audience.

4.0 - incredibly unique, incredibly effective format; very powerful story, which makes me want to view much more of Artemisia Gentileschi's work (including at the VMFA!)

This book is unlike anything I've ever read. It is beautifully written and so powerful. I have already put into the hands of just about everyone I know (and some people I don't know as well.)

I enjoy reading books in verse. The format of poetry, the choice of words - it always seems more important when reading a novel in verse. It was easy to feel the love, pain, heartache, and soft satisfaction of Artemesia. The story was at times addicting, and at other times slow. Overall, it paints the picture of a girl becoming a woman, of an apprentice becoming a master, and of a victim becoming the victor. If you like history, poetry, and a story with depth, you will love this.

In 1600s Rome, Artemisia Gentileschi has few choices in life: she could be a nun, she could be ruled by a husband, or she could grind pigment for her father’s paint. Though no one knew her as an artist, she was brimming with talent and passion for painting. Told in verse, this novel follows Artemisia’s young life as she battles a patriarchal world, is raped, and is repeatedly silenced. But most of all, she paints images that will one day become legend, expressing emotion and color that transcends centuries.

Prior to reading BLOOD WATER PAINT, I admit that I did not know who Artemisia Gentileschi was. After doing a quick search, I recognized some of her paintings inspired by Susanna and Judith, but I’m not sure I ever heard her name. This incredible novel shines light on someone who should be as well known, if not more so, as Leonardo di Vinci or Michelangelo. Gentileschi’s life was the picture of provincial. As a woman in her time, she had little power or respect. Joy McCullough expresses Gentileschi’s frustration, pain, and sadness over this without making her situation seem hopeless. Not only is she not allowed to be known as an incredible artist, but she is also aware that telling anyone about her sexual assault could lead to anything from severe societal ostracization to criminal punishment. A major theme in her journey is figuring out how to find catharsis, how to find support, and how to find justice in an unjust world.

Nothing seems as fitting as telling this artist’s story in verse. McCullough’s language is breathtaking and punching. The scenes of Gentileschi painting have magical imagery. I often found myself pausing to look up the painting she was working on and was just amazed at both her talent and McCullough’s precise craft that captured Gentileschi’s artistic development.

BLOOD WATER PAINT is a great addition to the historical fiction shelf, not only highlighting an underrepresented artist but also providing an emotional manifestation of the power of art, whether that is written art or visual.