Medusa

Genre: mythology, feminist, retelling, NA fiction/ fantasy
Age range: 16+

Overall: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Writing and Setting: 5/5

Content warning: *rape, emotional abuse, family manipulation/ gaslighting, victim blaming


The gist of my review:

Although this is a retelling of the classic myth of Medusa, this book highlights very modern issues surrounding the female experience in a male dominated world. It challenges ignorant behaviour and doesn’t allow for rape culture to be swept under the rug.

This book is Medusa’s ‘Me Too’ moment and it highlights that sharing one’s experience about sexual and emotional abuse, rape, victim blaming is never easy, its never pretty, but it’s important for some women in cathartic sense and also so their narrative isn’t lots to the change of story or dulled in any fashion.

I really admire how Rosie Hewlett handled some very delicate and sensitive topics with the utmost respect and passion. This book is a testimony to her feministic strength and should serve as in inspiration to all women.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Some of my favourite quotes…

“I also often wonder how different my life would have been if I were born a man. Would Athena have protected me then? Would Poseidon have respected me? I claimed earlier that beauty was my first curse, but perhaps it was actually being born a woman.”

“To this day I am still amazed that women all around the world are able to tear themselves apart to form life. And yet men still think that they are the stronger sex… I mean, honestly.”

Characters: 5/5

Medusa is our main character. She is a very relatable, strong willed, yet kind woman, who was relentlessly preyed on by the Gods. Throughout the entire book I felt a profound level of compassion and want for a better life and fate for her.

Throughout myth and history we see Medusa as being a crazed monster, hellbent on ruining the lives of people, but I believe that she strongly lives up to the meaning behind her name, ‘Protector’. The depiction of Medusa is, to this day, used as a way to identity women’s refuge shelters.

Plot: 5/5

The plot closely followed alongside the myth that has been passed down through the generations. Hewett added in her own spin on the narrative itself and this served to keep a storyline in which I already knew the outcome of fresh and exciting.

Writing and Setting: 5/5

The majority of the novel was written in first person through Medusa’s view, however later in the novel there is some third person narration.

The writing used to capture Medusa’s voice was eerily life like in my head. It’s a strange concept but I honestly felt as if I was having unlimited asses to Medusa’s thoughts and perspective.

The settings were spectacular. Hewlett had done well to capture the essence and the factual aspects of Ancient Greece. The settings were not a hugely pronounced part of the book, and that’s because Medusa’s experience was the main focus of the story and simply because the character moves around a fair bit through the course of the novel.

I’ve been wanting a feminist retelling of Medusa’s story for so long! This book goes a long way to filling that gap but it’s not *quite* what I was hoping for. Mainly because at just over 200 pages long there just wasn’t enough time to truly explore the character in great depth - I needed more!

There are so many parts of this retelling to live though. The events of the book are recounted by Medusa herself, giving a voice to a character that is usually written off as simply a monster in the story of the great hero Perseus. Medusa is telling the story in the modern day while she hangs about in the afterlife, this makes for a really interesting perspective as we hear everything from the original source but through the lens of today. What’s stark is how in many ways, when it comes to how women are treated by society, not much has changed.

It took a little while for the story to get going and pull me in, but as it progresses Hewlett becomes bolder and adds her own twist on the well known story. The Perseus/Medusa events are retold in such an original and refreshing way.

The one character who I wasn’t sure about was Athena, it felt a little like all the negatives we normally attribute to Medusa had been transferred to her. With such a feminist feeling throughout the rest of the book it felt a bit odd to make another woman, albeit a goddess, the villain. Then again, this is Medusa’s story and from her point of view, and I can see how it would be difficult to remain somewhat true to the traditional myth without taking this path.

Overall a great, short read. I’d particularly recommend it if you’re not overly familiar with the myth but the original ending makes this an interesting read regardless!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rosie Hewlett's debut was a splendid retelling and reimagining of the myth of Medusa, who tells her story with her own voice. I really liked her narration, because I felt sympathy for her from the start and I followed her story with great emotion. She was a great character, and her evolution through the story, how she went from innocent girl to villain and then to selfless protector, was fascinating and sad. The ending made me tear up a bit.
Apart from her characterization, what I enjoyed most about the story were her relationship with her sisters and especially her unlikely friendship with Perseus. I thought it was such a perfect idea and it worked beautifully.
I also really appreciated how, despite being a retelling of an ancient myth, the book also used Medusa's story to talk about rape victims, victim blaming and so on. It was really poignant and well done.
A fantastic read, highly recommended to everyone!

Most people know Medusa’s tale…or do they. Medusa takes us on a journey of her life, reimagined through the authors eyes, showing her part as a victim in her story. Abandoned, sexually assaulted and betrayed, Medusa struggles through life and begs us to look at some of the Gods’ stories with a different perspective. I am not usually attracted to mythology type stories and rarely enjoy them, but I love villain origin stories, so I decided to give this one a try. I was surprised to find I devoured it!

This is such a fresh outlook on this age old tale and I am more intrigued by the legend of Medusa than I ever was before. The writing was beautiful and I had to read it all in one sitting. I was spellbound. Although everything was wrapped up beautifully, I actually wish this book was a little longer, just because I enjoyed it so much!

Really enjoyed this book, thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy.
Most people know the story of Medusa, but this retelling really sheds a new light. A real page turner, i read it in a day!

This book was everything I wanted and more.

I've always been so intrigued by Medisa's story so as soon as I saw this one I knew I had to read it!

It was so intriguing to read about Medusa before she became the villain, how she had been abandoned, how she struggled in life only to be treated poorly by the gods.

I really loved hearing Hewlett's perspective and retelling of how the battle between Medusa and Perseus went. It was so different to what I've read before!

I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of Greek Mythology!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!

What a great take on the Medusa story. Loved that she was telling her story herself! I really enjoyed it, a great quick read.

I always love the myth of Medusa and feel that it is a perfect example of how history can change based on who tells it. This reiteration continues to support this as Hewlett shares yet another facet of the Gorgon myth.

Hewlett does an amazing job at introducing the heart-wrenching story of Medusa to an audience who wouldn't know the intricacies of the myth. This is a must for mythology lovers, and an absolute delight to fans of Medusa who have been waiting for a retelling that reminded everyone that was not a monster, but a victim. I highly recommend this book and the storytelling abilities of Rosie Hewlett.

4.5*
Wow! This books was stunningly written and I was utterly absorbed the whole time that I read it, I even shed a few tears! This was such a refreshing insight into Medusa, I really really enjoyed this debut novel and am excited to read more of Rosie's work in the future. Now I am off to buy the physical copy as it definitely deserves a place on my bookshelf.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

When you hear the name Medusa an image of a scary monster with snakes as hair, who turn people into stones, comes to mind. But after reading this story, you see that she’s not a monster but rather a victim. This book gives you a glimpse of her life and how she came to be this feared entity.

This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed it! It was a quick read. I was able to finish it in about a day. I thought the writing was great (sarcastic and a bit playful). It isn’t overly descriptive, which actually worked as the voice of Medusa. She’s a no nonsense person so why would she feel the need to describe the way the sun felt on her skin, the coolness of the water, blah blah blah. The story was captivating and flowed well. No dull moments.

This is perfect for any Greek mythology fan or anyone who enjoys a good story.

Amazing debut! Short, crisp and painfully true! The Medusa story we've been waiting for!
Definitely waiting for more from this author.
And the prose was very nice, which is important for me in a book.

Medusa is a short book. But it is right to be.
Medusa is always depicted as a monster. But similarly to many monsters in Greek mythology, she was an innocent victim who was wronged by the gods.
This is a wonderful retelling of Medusa's origin story. The author did a great job of giving Medusa and Perseus humility. The reason I say it's good that it's short is because Medusa's origin story was always cut short and I'm glad this book doesn't waffle around the edges of needless Greek mythology information like a lot of these style books do because it's not needed.

This is great. It's badass. It's powerful. Powerful Medusa!

Rosie’s Hewlett’s Medusa is seriously everything that I didn't know I needed in a retelling. It is more appropriately a reclaiming of Medusa's story. Medusa, like many female characters, has been unfairly maligned and villainized by many authors simply to further the development of a male protagonist. Hewlett doesn't do Medusa dirty like that. She doesn't write basic stock female villains or victims. She gives Medusa an authentic voice that allows the reader to see the complex, multi-dimensional woman through her own words. Medusa is a relatively quick and very satisfying read, so it is perfect for one of those days when you just feel like curling up and getting lost in a book. I highly recommend this book to readers that enjoy Margaret Atwood, Madeline Miller, and Mary Renault.

I loved this book. I devoured it in one sitting. Never really read much mythology before but I will be reading more now. I don't have much knowledge to draw from but loved this retelling can't wait for more by this author.

Thank you #netgalley #RosieHewlett #silverwoodbooks for this ARC.

When I saw the blurb for this book I was really interested in the premise of the book. A retelling of the Medusa myth from the viewpoint of the snake-haired lady herself.

The story starts from Medusa’s birth but written in a first person flashback style. I have to be honest I personally am not keen on the ‘chatty’ writing style and think it’s very hard to get right. There were a couple of occasions were modern sayings were included and I thought ‘they wouldn’t talk like that at that time’ which pulled me out of the story.

I also felt that there was very little ‘world-building’ or descriptive writing, a lot of it was through dialogue instead. Which did keep the pace of the book up but did make it seem surface level. The shortness of the book may have led to this.

Apart from this, I enjoyed the book for showing that there are grey areas in between good and evil. I enjoyed learning more about Medusa and I know the author has a classics background that would have helped with this so we the reader were able to get more insight into the mythology of her curse.

There is a big trigger warning that people should know about, this book deals with sexual assault and the character dealing with the aftermath of this.

My favourite part was probably Hermes and I could have a book entirely on him!

Thank you to netgalley and the author for the complimentary reading copy of this book.

3.5/5

This is a perfectly fine retelling of the story of Medusa, and I can't quite put my finger on why I can't muster more enthusiasm for it than that. The story is told by Medusa directly to the reader with the fourth wall absent, and perhaps that contributes to the feeling that I was being told *about* a story rather than truly feeling immersed *in* the story. It is short and direct, and somehow I felt more like I was reading the summary of a story than a fleshed out narrative.

Although I enjoy Greek mythology, I'm not actually super familiar with the specifics of Medusa's myth, so I'm not sure how much was changed in this retelling, although there are some places where common elements are "corrected" by the voice of Medusa. I do always appreciate any attempt to give a woman's voice to the rampant misogyny in the Greek myths, and this version of Medusa was definitely likeable.

I admit I laughed when the pain of childbirth was described as "exhilarating" and immediately felt sure the author had never given birth. The narrative overall feels quite... young.

This is a very quick read, more like a novella really, and a fairly nice interpretation, but nothing to elevate it beyond "fine" for me.

Thank you to Rosie for allowing me to read this through NetGalley!

We’ve all heard of Medusa, the infamous gorgon monster with snakes for hair and a fatal stare in Greek mythology. Medusa’s story has been passed down in generations, as much of Greek mythology has, but we never heard her side of the tale. Well now, that’s changed…

I’m a massive fan of Greek mythology and it was so refreshing to read a different version of such a famous myth, I loved it! The villainous depiction of Medusa is challenged, allowing to see how a mortal woman became a feared “monster”.

It is written through Medusa’s first person narrative; I really connected with her character as the story unfolded. Not only did it give Medusa a voice, a voice that women in history have often been denied, but highlighted misogynistic views that are still present in the 21st century.

Medusa is an empowering protagonist who advocates that the true monsters are those that endeavour to silence others. Rosie clearly did a great deal of research on Greek Mythology and this is perfectly woven into a retelling that provides a feminist perspective. A brilliant debut and I can’t wait to see more of Rosie’s writing!

TWs: sexual harassment, rape, murder, death, sexism, victim blaming

The narrative style of this book really took me by surprise and it took a while to get used to. The author has Medusa talking to a modern world audience from presumably the underworld. It distracted me slightly from the actual story that was being woven in the first few chapters but I think that says more about my preferred style of narrative rather than the authors writing abilities.

To build on this, throughout the novel, the author writes as if Medusa herself is telling this tale, and so sometimes ‘Medusa’ as the narrator goes off topic and then will say “anyway” and put herself back onto the tale. I think it’s clever because it does sound as though we are being told the story as if it were an autobiography; however sometimes it feels like the person telling her tale is a teenage girl rather than someone who has supposedly seen centuries pass since.

I also came to this novel not knowing much Greek mythology further than a few of the names and titles of the gods and obviously the infamous snake hair of Medusa herself. If you are already familiar with more than a couple of the gods, it may be tedious hearing each of them referred to as their name and title. It was a little distracting and felt a little forced at times, explaining each of the characters. Though, I do think it was necessary for those of us without the in-depth knowledge, and did push the story along. Again, it’s a small thing but it might put some readers off.

However, the good parts of this novel heavily outweighed the bad. I found that once the author delved into the story, I found it incredibly hard to put down. I loved the angle that was taken here; with the interwoven feminism and relating it back to the modern day audience.

I enjoyed how Perseus had his story told too, and the underlying themes of misogyny and toxic masculinity. I really felt like I could relate to Medusa, as a woman, knowing how even women can support the patriarchy and tear down other women. I liked how the author ‘Medusa’ lamented on how different her story could have been had Athena showed her sympathy.

I also liked how at every opportunity the author chose a specific myth to follow, for instance that her sisters had been cursed after standing up for her, because each time it helped to recreate the story that so many women are familiar with. It really pushed the narrative of how good people can become bad people because of circumstance and the life that the “fates” have chosen for them; but equally that people are worthy of redemption.

Even though Medusa had her sisters on her side, telling Athena she was raped, they still all suffered for telling the truth. The gods never received their comeuppance, just as many of those in power now do not. But in the end, she found someone who understood her, who heard her speak her truth and believed her.

I really did enjoy this book and would recommend it to my friends. I would definitely read this again.

"I have found a small corner of history and claimed it as my own, not as a monster or a victim, but as a survivor, a protector."

"Medusa" is a mythological retelling of the story of Medusa, a woman who was cursed to be a terrible monster that turned men to stone. This is a dark, heavy tale with a strong recurring theme of sexual assault. From her resting place in the underworld, Medusa finally feels ready to step forward and share her side of the story.

I have always had a lot of love for Medusa, & Hewitt reweaved her story in a way that broke my heart in both new and familiar ways. With so much time to reflect, Medusa has evaluated the path she took in life. I loved hearing her reasoning for doing what she did, while also expressing remorse for her emotion-fueled actions.

I thought this was a beautiful feminist retelling of one of my favorite Greek myths. I never would have thought I'd walk away from this book loving both Medusa and Perseus. I gave this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Silverwood books for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for my honest review!