Cover Image: Medusa

Medusa

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Member Reviews

This is such a brilliant, moving and innovative take on a well known story. The characters are impossible to not love. A fantastic feminist retelling.

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This is a fast paced and engaging retelling of Medusa.
The chapters are short and to the point. Giving us the story of different times in Medusa life from her perspective.
We get to see how she isn't just the monster she is made out to be. Focusing on her POV we see there's much more to her.
While I did think her voice felt too modern I could look past it as I was enjoying the book.

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Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel.
I'm obsessed with Greek mythology, so having a book about Medusa is right up my street.
A really gripping book that I would recommend to anyone interested in mythology!

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This book was amazing!! I loved it from cover to cover. Could not put it down. If you are craving a story that sucks you in this one needs to be on your TBR list.

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I am so annoyed that I left it so long to read this! I really enjoyed Medusa’s tale. It was great hearing this new perspective of Medusa’s story. She is forever painted as a monster, but this narrative humanised her and gave her life and story true depth.

I sped through this once I got going with it and I really loved the friendship explored in the latter part of the book.

A stunningly personal story, that modernises and gives voice to a survivor, who was dealt an undeniably grave hand. This was an excellent piece of feminist work.

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A retelling of Medusa's story unlike any other.

I like so many others have heard the story of Medusa, the monster with snakes instead of hair! Turning men to stone with one look into her eyes! Feared and finally defeated by the heroic Perseus.
But this is a version I have never heard, and one that threw a whole new light onto Medusa's story.

A poignant story told from Medusa's perspective, from abandoned child to the monster we all know. Her truth laid bare for the reader, detailing the torment, suffering, betrayal and revenge.

Was she a Monster or a victim of circumstances! This story will detail every moment to how she became the feared gorgon sister, from a normal human merely protecting Athena's temple.

I enjoyed the writing style and the comparison to modern day in parts. Trigger warnings to be aware of are rape / victim blaming.

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I've tried this one a couple of times and really think that the book could do with being longer.

this is supposed to take you all the way through Medusa's story from when she was abandoned as a child, the being cursed to eventually dying but I feel like too many events are glossed over because there isn't enough page space to do them justice.

I really struggled to connect to the characters or the events because everything just happened so fast. Each chapter is a separate event but they're really short and there are time jumps between a lot of them so I just wasn't invested in the story.

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Rosie Hewlett gives the reader another perspective on Medusa by allowing her to narrate her own story. This is a captivating read as you learn to navigate Medusa's memories and experience her pain with her.
This is a must-read for all mythology lovers and women's fiction enthusiasts!

Thank you to Rosie Hewlett and NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC.

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I binge read this in one day (rare for me these days!) so Hewlett's 'Medusa' was certainly a compelling (and very quick?) read. (Did Medusa's entire post-seventeen 'life' portion of the book only span nine-ish months?)

At first, I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style as it seemed very repetitive, with the same point often gets repeated in slightly different ways with frequently occurring words. The choice of vocabulary also felt at times jarringly modern, and so I kept expecting a storyline where Medusa is now living in our present-day. However, I did get used to it, and because it's a first-person POV with Medusa regularly breaking the fourth wall, I really became enveloped in her story. At times, I even forgot she was technically a fictional narrator and that this wasn't some real person's memoir.

I'm not particularly familiar with the Medusa myth (other than the mainstream version) -- so I was really intrigued throughout to see what aspects Hewlett incorporated into 'Medusa'. My favourite of these elements was by far the strong and unexpectedly heart-wrenching sisterhood that really surprised me in the best way. I also really enjoyed Hewlett's characterisation of Perseus. Other standout points included: the snakes, the vividness of Medusa's emotions - particularly when she first begins essentially a vigilante spree, the concept of Fated lives still being malleable, as well as the sharp look at gendered double standards and social issues.

I did feel that I wanted more from the 'afterlife' portion of Medusa's story - how was she so up-to-date with everything happening in the mortal realm? I think there was a missed opportunity with getting Medusa to have, say, flash glimpses of the world every time the eyes on her mortal head are revealed or Athena uses her shield. Instead, we sort of just get a chronological summary of what happens next. That said, I didn't mind too much as I was well-invested in Medusa's story and gladly accepted the information, however its manner of conveyance.

Before we finish, can we also appreciate how stunning this book cover is?! To me, what I see in the cover is Medusa winding her way around the lovely but withering flowery labels of 'beauty' given to her by strangers, to look and reflect upon the roles she has held in her life and narratives throughout history.

It is a remarkable feat to have written a book during lockdown, and I look forward to seeing what other stories Hewlett has in store for us!

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A very nice Greek myth retelling telling a beautiful story of Medusa in a new light with excellent writing. Highly recommend if you enjoy mythology

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This was an excellent introduction to the myth of Medusa and her story, which I'm glad we got to hear from her perspective, because legends depict her as a monster, but how did she become that monster? Well, this book provides the answers, and I enjoyed getting inside her head. It was very well written.

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This was a short read and a retelling of the myth of Medusa, I liked it but didn’t love it, I don’t think mythical retellings are for me as I have tried a couple of others ones and didn’t really engage. It was an interesting story and an interesting take on Medusa but wasn’t really for me.

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🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

Medusa by Rosie Hewlett

“In general, I find that most monsters are made, not born. Perhaps you should remember that next time you encounter one.”

Medusa is fed up of the lies surrounding her story and finally speaks up for herself and unravels the truth about her curse. This book is full of friendship, family, revenge and humour!

THIS BOOK!! I cannot believe how long I had it sitting on my kindle for before picking it up. This is one of my new Greek mythology retellings for sure! I absolutely adored how up front this retelling was, there was no dancing around the point. The book has some heavier scenes, especially the one between Poseidon and Medusa- however, this one especially was written with such sensitivity and power.

The relationship between Medusa and her sisters was heartwarming, and completely realistic. It shows how even when you make mistakes, those who love you will stand by your side and support you in times of hardship. I also loved the relationship with Persus and how he is given a smaller role in the story, with a bigger emphasis being placed on Medusa herself.

I absolutely adored the voice this book gave to Medusa, no longer the cursed ugly monster, she is a woman full of emotions, regrets and dreams.

I saw that Rosie Hewlett is writing a second novel and I absolutely cannot wait to pick it up!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

⚠️CW// rape, emotional abuse, abandonment, child death

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I downloaded this book because of the cover. It is just so pretty. Also, the fact that it is a retelling of the myth of Medusa sounded very nice. I mean, I loved the retelling of Circe by Madeline Miller so why not give Medusa a chance.
The book is composed of short chapters told by Medusa retelling her life and what happened to her that she became the monster she is famous for being. She is talking directly to the reader, which I enjoyed, and the writing style was very nice and easy to follow. Medusa is a lovable character and I cared about her story.
I recommend it to anyone who enjoys retellings and mythology.
Warning: rape (not explicit), victim blaming and violence (light) are mentioned.
3.5/5

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Rosie Hewlett gives Medusa a voice in her version of the life of the mythological woman turned into a monster. Readers obsessed with Greek myth retellings will love this book.

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I was very intrigued to read a retelling of Medusa's story seeing as I only know of her from the old epic movies about ancient Greek mythology, and she doesn't come off well at all in those! I love stories where the monsters become the heroes.

This was a pretty good example and it was a quick enjoyable read, although quite dark in places. Medusa was very badly treated by the Gods.

One thing I struggled with was the narrative structure of the main character telling her story and looking back with hindsight. For some reason this style really annoys me, just like when I read Along The Razors Edge recently.

Overall it was an entertaining story that I'm sure lots of people will enjoy!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I absolutely adored this, Rosie Hewlett has a beautiful writing style , everyone knows the Gorgon, Medusa from myth, however she is a man made monster , made literally by men (and I have never seen her as a monster that’s how she’s portrayed by patriarchy) This is an emotional read, Medusa tells the story of her life as it happened to her , I admit I used a lot of tissues at one point, her life has some dark moments, this is such an empowering story, of a survivor, not a monster. Thoroughly recommended

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

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I hadn’t read a retelling of Medusa’s story before, and I really liked how Hewlett portrayed Medusa’s complicated feelings toward her ‘curse’ and Athena, the goddess she had planned to worship her whole life. I also really liked her friendship with Perseus. This is a very short book, and while I felt like it contained all the necessary information about Medusa’s life, I think it would’ve been great if it was longer, something more similar to Circe by Madeline Miller.

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I love Medusa's story, figure, symbolism, everything, but this was all written with such pessimism and depression, with not a single speck of happiness, nothing that would make me connect with her, that I just gave up after beginning many times. I liked that the author tried to show Medusa differently, and I'd think it could work, but it had the opposite effect in me and I struggled to stay interested in it.

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Medusa by Rosie Hewlett is an incredible retelling of the story of Medusa, how she was transformed from mortal priestess into infamous monster and the fate she suffered at the hands of the gods. The story is told in a first-person narrative by Medusa herself as she reflects on her life and death. I thought this was really cleverly written as it not only brings Medusa’s character to life, it also makes her completely relatable to a modern audience. I raced through this book in a few days and the fate which Medusa endured still resonates in society today and is extremely thought provoking, especially around blaming and shunning victims for the crimes others have committed. This retelling gives a new voice to Medusa and reclaims this story as her own, she may be famous for being an evil monster, but she is so much more than that, ultimately, she is human, one who misplaced her faith in others and suffered because of it.
Overall, this is a brilliant debut and I look forward to reading more of Rosie’s work in the future.
Thanks to NetGalley and Rosie for a digital copy for review.

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