A haunting tragedy of a story with so much anger that it’s leaping off the page and seeps into your soul. This is that novel, that novel that we back as teens read I think was speak? This is for the new kids.

This was gut-wrenching. It was written a little juvenile for my taste, but it was still very real.
It felt like it came to me at the perfect time and I don’t really want to get more personal than that.
But the resounding anger really resonated with me.
This feels like “Speak” for this generation.

This was not an easy book to read, especially for me, but it was the book I needed. It exposes a system of SA where victims are afraid to speak out, it explores the labels placed on women because of how they choose to carry live their lives. This book is powerful, it is needed to begin conversations that are overdue. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

It tackles a lot of important issues. However, I had a hard time getting into it because of the format. Thank you netgalley for the early copy!

An emotionally raw story of a girl isolated by her experience of sexual abuse and the empowering moments that lead her to find her voice.

Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole

TW: SA, Abuse

I received a free copy of this eBook from Netgalley and Labyrinth Road in exchange for an honest review.

2 Stars: I read it.

Genre: Poetry, Young Adult Fiction

Summary: Alicia mourns her life before she was assaulted by a popular teacher and is intent on building high emotional walls to protect herself from anyone and everyone. When Alicia starts to get notes implying there may be another victim, she begins to notice the signs that point to that being the case.

Thoughts: This book reminded me of the book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson that I read as I was growing up. I think that was an important book to read because it shed light on what the aftermath sexual abuse may look like from the point of view from a teen. The main character in that book didn’t speak at all and avoided people as much as possible where Alicia went in the opposite direction. Throughout the book the only time Alicia felt like she was normal was when she was essentially retraumatizing herself by engaging in dangerous and promiscuous behavior. While it was very hard to read, I appreciate that a book like this called attention to that behavior because its not uncommon amongst sexual abuse survivors. There were no graphic details but it is made clear what is happening and for young adult readers (probably on the older side), I think it would be important to know that that could be a sign of abuse/trauma. People react to traumatic events in many different ways and I appreciated that this book pointed that out. The same way Speak was educational for me, this book has the potential to do the same thing for young adults now.

Alicia had many thoughts and topics she was passionate about that were brought up in her narrational thoughts. On one hand, I thought it was realistic of the character to have so many topics on their mind for someone who was so bottled up that she would be brooding nonstop. On the other hand it did make the story seem a little disorganized and it felt a bit like there was a checklist of topics that the author wanted to bring up in some small way but wasn’t able to fully blend it into the story in a way that didn’t feel forced.

*Spoiler*
To compare it again to Speak, I appreciated that this book ends pretty abruptly and is open-ended. Speak has a very satisfactory ending. The bad guy gets caught and the main character continues their healing journey. While it would be nice if that happened every time, in reality that’s not always the case. Whether it was to appear more realistic or to be more sensitive to readers who may have had similar experiences, I think it was the right choice for the ending

Also, I take issue with the title. The main character only writes letters to Medusa a few times (like 4 or 5), and I didn’t feel like that made a lot of sense to title this book Dear Medusa. Given the amount of times wolves were brought up in this book, it would have made a lot more sense to make this book more Little Red Riding Hood themed.

Overall, this is not my favorite but I think there are many good things about this book.

This story was so incredibly powerful. It felt like a more modern retelling of "Speak." This book should be included in every high school classroom library.

This book is intense. It's a realistic portrayal of sexual trauma. Alicia is only 16, and her life is falling apart after having been sexually assaulted by a popular teacher at her high school, as well as by other men. This novel in verse is told from Alicia's perspective, and it is done so well. There is so much trauma, so much heaviness, and so much brokenness in this story, but there is also a glimmer of hope, the beginning of healing, and the promise of justice. This book is important, and it belongs on library shelves and in the hands of so many people who might need this story.

Medusa is such a fascinating character, with this story being told through prose as the character processes the trauma of sexual assault through unhealthy outlets. We see as she comes back from all of this to claim her own voice and stand her ground that she’ll won’t be a tool in someone else’s narrative. It’s a wonderful link between the original myth, the MeToo movement, and the never ending struggles that come with being born female in a predatory world.

A powerful young adult verse novel that details the aftermath of sexual assault. High school readers will eat this book up.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me receive this ARC.

This book was amazing. I loved how it was written in verse. I loved how it showcased Alicias life while dealing with her trauma. I felt so many emotions watching her struggle.

My only negative was never getting to see her go to the police or see any type of possible reconciliation between her and David. I would’ve liked to see a little further into her journey, but otherwise I think this was an amazing and healing story.

This was my first Olivia A. Cole book but definitely won't be my last! I loved this book and have already been recommending it a ton at my library. It follows Alicia, a teen grappling with the aftermath of sexual assault; her family has also fallen apart and Alicia is experiencing slut-shaming at school. Throughout the book, she finds her voice and finds solidarity among other survivors.

"Dear Medusa" is written in verse, and I found it to be well done and very emotionally moving. It's perfect for fans of "Lawless Spaces," "All the Fighting Parts" or anything by Joy McCullough. I'm really looking forward to more from Olivia A. Cole!

Medusa alone pulled me into wanted to read this but the writing style just wasn't for me.

I expected something great and profound with the topic of this book but it fell flat and didn't make you feel things for the character that girls/women in this situation actually go through.

I wanted something that would rage to the world and demand justice and show us all what this can do to a person but it just skims the top of it all.

Absolutely loved this book a story to sadly needs to be more than told and this book sings it from the roof tops. Enjoy it being written in verse also listed to the audio book which made it even more compelling. Definitely a book that I will continue to think about and re-read. Should be read and discussed in schools.

This book was absolutely nothing short of stunning. I rarely read novels in verse because it's not a genre I particularly enjoy, but I took a chance on this one because the plot description sounded so intriguing. I'm so glad I did. This book captured all too well the reality of sexual abuse, particularly in an environment like a school, and the grief and trauma and bravery it takes to move forward. So many words in here stood out to me that I started taking notes on evocatively the author conveyed the emotional reality of what the main character was going through -- and a real-life person would go through.

Having know friends or even children of friends who have had to struggle with the aftermath of sexual abuse, this book describes the aftermath some people deal with. Having a friend, whose daughter struggled after her abuse, it was helpful for her to read this.

Exquisitely crafted! This verse novel encompasses everything you anticipate from a work of this nature.

The reader is immersed in the protagonist's pain, shame, anger, and profound sense of isolation.

The narrative conveys the rawness of her emotions and the overwhelming loneliness she experiences in a harsh world. A truly compelling read!

This particular piece was emotionally weighty. Despite being aware of this before delving in, the impact was still profound.

The book holds a commanding presence, evoking a sense of pain and occasional hopelessness. Yet, its exceptional composition stands out.

While recognizing that verse novels may not appeal to everyone, it becomes evident that this approach was indispensable for this specific narrative. It certainly delivers a powerful emotional impact.

This book was so heartbreaking but had such a powerful message. Many people experience sexual abuse every single day and this book described the aftermath of it for one girl. It’s so amazing how powerful a message can be when it is given through a novel in verse. This book is definitely worth a read for anyone.

Olivia A. Cole's Dear Medusa is a raw, unflinching novel in verse about a sixteen-year-old girl grappling with the aftermath of sexual abuse at the hands of a beloved educator.

Alicia has a fire burning in the noxious pit of her stomach. It was put there by The Colonel, a teacher much loved at her high school. A teacher who abused her. Alicia walks the halls of her high school carrying her secret, mouthing off to teachers and students, and hooking up with any guy who asks because she doesn't know what else to do with the pain.

This gritty novel follows Alicia as she finds her footing and voice following the abuse. It shows how unspeakable acts can consume and destroy a person, not only robbing them of the power to make their own choices about who they want to be intimate with, but also shredding their self-esteem and worth. Alicia is a girl in pieces, kicking around like pebbles, what's left of her life.

Dear Medusa is a timely, important book that will serve as an affirming, resonating read for any teenager who has stared abuse in its face. Books like this need to exist because people like this exist. With that being said, Cole cycles through many of the same feelings and issues over and over again until this novel begins to feel overwrought and repetitive. Likely bringing light to the fact that those in mental anguish will often ruminate over the same scenarios and issues time and time again, this plot device is realistic, but not entirely compelling.

Furthermore, Cole drives home what feels like many personal agendas, putting her characters on a soapbox about a myriad of controversial issues and painting them only in black and white. Cole tells her readers what to think about these issues instead of presenting them subtly and allowing readers to decide for themselves what they believe. In a book written for impressionable teenagers and young adults, such a harsh and unforgiving stance which leaves no room for anyone else's opinion, other than what the author perceives to be the "right" opinion, can come off as indoctrination.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.