Wow. This is the first novel in verse story that I've ever read. It took me some time to get used to but once I did... it was easy to read and poignant and beautiful. Alicia reminded me so much of myself in my teens (wild that the protagonist also shares my name). I felt for her the entire step of the way. Her story deeply resonated with me.

The trigger warnings in this are serious. TW: slut shaming, sexual assault, abuse from a man in power, racism, slurs, family issues (sibling and parental), biphobia, lesbophobia, grooming

I think the best part of this novel was how real Alicia felt while reading. Her pain flowed through the page. And once she made new friends in Deja and Geneva... the found family was so beautiful. They loved her easily and she began to open herself back up after spending so long closed up. The beginning of the novel was not easy to read as you follow along with Alicia on her painful journey. This novel paints a cruel picture of reality. How some men look at young women, purposefully ignore their age, and pursue them. Many women can resonate with that as we get more attention at 15 and 16 from older men that we do for the majority of the rest of our lives. That's painted in bright vivid color through the entirety of this novel. And when Alicia finally says something... acknowledges this outloud, it was very moving as it took her the entire novel to get there.

<i>I murmur some of what my mom told me:
it can all turn a human into a volcano.
I want you t know I'm here.
I can stand in your lava.</i>

My greatest issue with this novel was the ending. I just wanted a bit more closure. That's why it's 4 stars instead of 5 for me. But otherwise, if you can handle the trigger warnings, it's a quick read and a beautiful story. This story is powerful and inspiring but painful. So keep that in mind before reading.

Thanks to Random House Children's and Netgalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

DEAR MEDUSA in many ways feels like Laurie Halse Anderson's SPEAK's daughter in terms of literary lineage. This is an important story and told in such a way that the trauma is accessible. There are many readers out there who will (unfortunately) need this book. That being said, DEAR MEDUSA gets a four instead of five stars because I don't think verse was the right form for this story, and I wish the story had been epistolary so there would have been more connections to Medusa. This felt like a missed opportunity.

Setting: USA (2 Hours from Cincinnati; state uncertain)
Rep: queer MC; asexual Black side character

I just didn't gel with this one. I usually love novels in verse but I found this one overly long and clunky and unfortunately the ARC formatting let it down.

Dear Medusa is a young adult contemporary novel told in verse by Olivia A. Cole. In this novel, we follow 16 year old Alicia as she tries to navigate life after trauma. This book cover a lot of hard hitting topics like sexual assault, homophobia, biphobia, abuse of power, racism, and a slew of other things that are often pushed under the rug when it comes to teens.

As a 32 year old woman reading this, I didn’t really connect with all the characters but the whole time I was reading it, I was just thinking how much it would have effected me had I picked this up in high school. I read my fair share of books about teens dealing with abuse when I was in that age range but I think this book is different because it isn’t graphic about anything. The writing is absolutely stunning and since it is written in verse, the author is able to say more with less in an effective way.

This is something that I would pick up to have on my shelves for my daughter when she get to this age range. I think it is important for young people to be able to read about these topics to know that they are not alone if they are going through stuff like the characters in this book.

This is a beautiful novel in verse about sexual assault and feminism. I particularly enjoyed the female friendships and the way, in the end, the women lifted each other up in one way or the other. It also deals with topics like systemic racism, and the main character does track running. Really enjoyed this book.

This was a difficult story to read. Olivia A. Cole’s writing was absolutely stunning and was so authentic. If you read the book's description, you will know some of the content. Many important issues are discussed throughout this novel, including sexual abuse, racism, homophobia, divorce, and friendship.

The main character Alicia is a sixteen-year-old dealing with being sexually assaulted by one of the most popular teachers at her school. Shortly after, her best friend deserts her because of how she has changed personally. She is also growing further away from her family, acting out at school, causing her to get ISAP (in-school suspension), and feeling lonely.

Alicia is known around her school for having sex with many different guys and is being called so many other names because of this. What they do not know is why she started acting this way. She also details the many different men, who she calls wolves, and how they have treated her.

This is a very thought-provoking novel that is both heartbreaking and impactful. <i>Dear Medusa</i> is written in verse and is in Alicia’s voice. We get an authentic look into her story and thoughts as everything is happening. One of the most intriguing parts of the story is the allusion to Medusa throughout. As the story continues, Alicia learns more about Medusa and adds more to this inclusion to the story. By the end of the novel, Alicia has gained more friends.

I’m glad that it ended with a hopeful message.

*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*

Dear Medusa is a novel written in verse, following the main character, Alicia, in the aftermath of sexual abuse. Throughout the novel, Alicia is finding herself, what it means to be queer, what it means to be a girl, what it means to deal with trauma, while going through life like any teenager. In the midst of her parents divorce, her brother finding new friends, and her fast food job, she writes about everything - from the stain on her pants to the classroom that haunts her to her ex-best friend. We really get to see the journey of Alicia through her junior year of high school as she learns that she is resilient.

I truly enjoyed this book, especially after realizing the age of Alicia, but I recognize it is unique. Fans of Laurie Halse Anderson's "Speak" who may be looking for a more modern story, featuring conversations of consent, sexuality, racism, and more, would enjoy this book.

I recommend checking content warnings before reading and practicing self-care while reading, but ultimately think this story should be shared!

5/5 stars! Rupi Kaur meets "The Way I Used to Be." This phenomenal story of Alicia's journey through processing the horrible trauma she experienced and what opening herself up to someone new would look like. As an SA survivor, this book broke me in the best way possible. I heard my own voice echoed in Alicia's and the drifting, lyrical energy to the story matches the disconnected experience so many survivors have while coming to grips with what happened to them, where the fault really lies (the attacker), and who the 'new' them is on the other side of tragedy. An achingly beautiful story.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

My rating: 4/5 stars
TW: sexual assault, racism, violence

DEAR MEDUSA is a heart-wrenching, tearjerking novel in verse about a girl dealing with the aftermath of her sexual assault. Alicia, our MC, learns how to cope with what happened to her, recognizes her sexuality and sexual orientation, and finds sorority in different places.

While I did engage with the story and felt strong emotions with it, there were times I felt like the language was too specific and too flowery, often overexplaining concepts that were easily explained with the first metaphor. However, that was a feature I could look past. The rest of the story and the writing style was a heartbreaking yet hopeful experience. If you can, read this when it comes out. It's something that needs to be read by a lot of people. It won't be for everyone, but for those who will read it, it's worth it.

As soon as I finished this book I told all of my friends they had to read it. Dear Medusa is a hard hitting, beautifully written story about a high school aged girl who is sexually assaulted by a teacher, and from that has lost all of her friends and connection to her family. The story compares her to Medusa, who when attacked by a "man" in a position of power, was turned into the victim.

Alicia is struggling, but the story offers her the opportunity to grow. By the end she is not saved or "whole", but she is growing from her pain, has made new friends, and is becoming more of who she wants to be. She's still angry and she's still hurting but there is hope.

Most of the book focuses on women/girls and how they are taken advantage of by men. Many of our girls in the book had their childhood stolen, because of their bodies. Alicia becomes friends with this black girl, Deja, who helps her understand more about whiteness and it's power. Deja talks about how black girls are expected to grow up faster than anyone, and how using white as a modifier to words like trash implies black is trash by default.
Deja also comes out as asexual in the story, I'll discuss this more at the end.

Alicia's eyes are also opened when she starts to talk more with Geneva who is Pakistani-American, a lesbian, and the main love interest. Geneva is so kind and helpful in the story of Alicia learning to trust others again. Throughout the book you see so many women protecting each other and through growth and understanding, Alicia starts to heal.

This was my first book in verse that I had ever read, and it inspired me to check out some more. The writing flows so well, while also being impactful. I felt so many things while reading this book, and cried heavily at the ending.

Beyond an amazing story, there is such great representation. Our main character is bi/pan and struggling with the fact that she has never been with a girl. There is also amazing acesexual representation. I was highlighting so many quotes that so perfectly summed up what coming out as ace is like:

"The thing that bugs me about virginity is that everyone seems to think being a virgin means you're saving sex -- for God, for prom, for the right person at the right time. But I'm not saving it. Why don't people see that sex is not part of my reality?"
or
"It would be so freaking great if people stopped talking about liberation like it begins and ends with the decision of when and where and how someone says yes to sex, like no is always temporary or a placeholder."

Thanks to Random House Children's and Netgalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

wow. just wow. this book was amazing and so powerful. being written in verse makes it even more powerful than if it were told in a traditional novel format. I was able to read tiny bits every day to truly get everything I could from this book. It’s super accessible and easy to read despite the format. it feels like you’re reading the main characters own poems as she lives through the story. because she feels like a real person! every character in this book does. I’m writing this review immediately after finishing this book and am on the verge of tears in public. I don’t even know how to describe the feelings that I have gotten from reading this book. Only that you need to read this too. Do be aware that it’s extremely heavy and you should be in the right mindset. No matter who you are or what you’ve gone through, I really think that there is something in here that anybody could see themselves in or relate to. Just go read this immediately after it’s published!

thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Dear Medusa was a brilliant story in verse about pain, righteous destruction, and growth. It is hard to write a story this raw about the hurt of sexual assault and still make it this beautiful. The poetic verse offers readers the words to describe their experiences, giving voice to feelings in a visceral way. This should be read in schools, discussed in classes, and memorized. It also gives voice to the unique pain of growing up a woman, the pain of being seen too aggressively by men. Of being pursued like prey. While granting voice to the powerlessness that comes from womanhood, it also gives voice to the unique type of anger that empowers after trauma.
I absolutely cannot say enough about this book!

3.5 rounded up || If you enjoyed The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, I think you will enjoy this YA novel written in verse that unapologetically tackles many topics such as sexual assault, coping mechanisms, race, status, and girlhood.

Very big trigger warning for sexual assault/abuse.

A little background info...

I am sure you have heard of Medusa and you can picture her head covered in snakes. You probably know she could turn people into stone with just one look. And you might even know of her demise—the hero, Perseus, defeated Medusa once and for all with a slice of his sword. Her head was still used as a weapon after being removed from her body.
If you are not a greek mythology obsessed individual, then perhaps you don't know that there are different versions to Medusa's origin story. The most popular is the one Ovid wrote—he gave Medusa a backstory that sparked many a retelling of her story. Medusa wasn't always a monster. She was a young woman who was raped. Her transformation into the gorgon we all picture was her punishment.

The Plot

Having known this of Medusa, I knew what I could expect from this novel from the title alone.
And, in a nutshell, that's what this book is about: Alicia, a sixteen year old girl that has been sexually abused by older men. Of course, there is so much more to our narrator and the story she tells. Alicia slowly begins to unravel her past, revealing why she is picked on at school and how she has come to cope with her trauma. There is not only pain from abuse, but deep hurt from an ex best friend and all those that call her names. There are issues at home with her parents and brother. There are questions Alicia cannot answer about herself, and she rather remain quiet than give anyone else the chance to not believe her. But kindness seems to find her and seep in through the cracks anyway, reminding Alicia that she isn't truly alone.

What I enjoyed...

- The complexity of how Alicia views herself

- Her arc

- The many examples of girlhood; the good and the bad

- The overall exploration of very heavy subject matter

Why I didn't love it 100%...

- The writing was sometimes lovely, but other times kinda clunky

- Certain points were made in a way that seemed very black and white, and it wasn't consistent with the voice of our mc; this can feel like it's just the author telling me what I should think instead of telling a story through the narrator

- I maybe have just read very similar books with the same topics, so it all starts to feel oversaturated in my brain

Overall, I think the target audience will enjoy this one. I read similar books when I was in high school and they heavily impacted me.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Random House Children's—Labyrinth Road for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a novel written in verse about a girl named Alicia who has endured a serious trauma and how she processes it. I loved the premise of the book, but didn't feel a deep connection to it like I was hoping. The references to Medusa didn't start until about halfway into the book, and it felt like there were so many differing metaphors that it became overwhelming and a bit chaotic. There were moments where the text was too wordy and it detracted from the novel in verse flow. Overall, I think this was a great discussion on the female body as well as on assault, but the writing style wasn't for me.

I thought I was going to read this in one day since it was written in verse, but, as soon as I started reading it, I knew that I would have to slow down to be able to take everything in. This story was heartbreaking. I just wanted to give Alicia the biggest hug the entire time I read this.

This book is about Alicia and how she was affected by sexual assault. She went from a track star to the girl who sleeps around. She lost her best friend. She struggles with family issues. She's always being sent to detention. And she has to walk through the halls of her school knowing her abuser, one of the most popular teachers there, is inside that building.

I loved the connection with Medusa and how this story also covered some topics of race and sexuality. The metaphors of the wolves and rabbits were so well done. I absolutely loved this book but know that it is also very heavy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

Dear Medusa is a story about 16 year old Alicia dealing with sexual trauma from a popular teacher. As expected, it has completely altered her as a person - making her lose her best friend, drop out of track, and begin to constantly get herself into detention. She drifts from her family as well and struggles with being alone.

Alicia slowly breaks out of her shell when she begins making new relationships at school and finds it within herself to begin healing. She also relates to Medusa, from the greek mythological woman who was an outcast from sexual trauma as well.

The book is told in a free form verse which at some points didn’t really flow for me. It felt a little disjoined which was fine, you can still follow the story. I thought some important topics are hit in here as well and it didn’t feel like the author was doing too much so that felt nice.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy for this book coming out in March 2023!

This book is a raw wound slowly healing. That makes it a difficult read, but also a very worthwhile one as it explores trauma and moving past it. There's no one solution offered, but it does an excellent job of understanding that trauma and our reactions to it are personal, and that no one has a monopoly on hate or feeling hated. That it does this through deconstructing two of the oldest stories meant to blame and shame women - the myth of Medusa and the fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood - forces the reader to think about why the predators keep being able to get away with it.

So set your red cap jauntily atop your serpent locks. These things are only power for someone else because we have not claimed them as our own.

This was a fantastic read. I blew through it in less than 24 hours because I couldn’t put it down. Books written in verse aren’t normally my go-to, but this one was worth it.

The writing is powerful and raw and emotional, and being inside Alicia’s mind felt so real. I raged with her and I felt her anxieties and her ptsd as if they were my own (because a lot of these experiences are so disgustingly common- me too). . I loved Deja and Geneva as well. Their relationships with Alicia made me look at my own friendships.

Lots of trigger warnings, mainly sexual abuse/pedophilia, grooming, racism, homophobia. The content is heavy and will elicit angry feelings, but that’s the point. We aren’t supposed to be okay with how things are, and Alicia’s journey to discovering herself as a person again and figuring out how she can fit in a world post-trauma is ultimately a story of healing and hope.

The recurring comparisons to Medusa and Greek mythology were really cool and gave the story a nice theme. I’m super into feminist retellings of myths, and revisiting Medusa’s story throughout this book, but delving a little deeper each time into how Medusa became monstrous and what it means to be a monster, tied everything together beautifully.

I read an ARC of Dear Medusa from Netgalley.

This is a collection of poetry that tells the story of a young woman in high school who is seen as the school "whore" because she sleeps with basically any guy who will ask her out, though it becomes clear through the text as we read, that this is tied to her trauma. The poetry is often explained to us as her actual writing. As often as she is narrating, she explains that she enjoys writing poetry to express herself.

Now when I say this is a poetry book, I don't mean that this book is difficult a book to understand because it is cloaked in rhymes and covert symbolism. While the protagonist often refers to the men in her life, especially the older ones, as wolves, it is clear from the beginning why she calls them that because she sees them as hunting her. That as soon as she "filled out" and started to "look more womanly" whether she actually was a woman yet or not, they started to look at her in a sexual way. The poems themselves are blunt. While they never get graphic or describe in detail a sexual encounter, they often read like a regular book might, just segmented into oddly cutoff lines.

A big focus of the story is that the main character has only ever been attracted to one person she's ever kissed, and that was another girl that she kissed during camp, and during the book, she also starts to form a crush and even seems to want to start a relationship with another young woman who joins their school. The problem is that she's still caring about all this angst and anger in her that she deals with in such a destructive way. It's not that she doesn't deserve love, only that it seems like any love she receives is destined to fail because of all the trauma bottled inside of her that she doesn't even know how to begin to deal with.

Then a woman comes to their school. The does a speech about how she studies the lives of young women and that she's come to this school to form a group across the grades that will meet once a week to just talk about their lives as honestly as they can together. Of course, our main character gets chosen.

Now, there's one more very important thing I left out so far, and that's where the main character has not only been sexually assaulted and then when she's approached older men, conveniently not asking her age later, but one of her teachers the year before also sexually assaulted her. She's told no one. She doesn't think that anyone will believe her, and her parents don't seem to care enough about her life that she thinks they'll care. She has such a reaction to seeing his door or the possibility of seeing him, that she often will take in school suspension than seeing him, which she gets enough from another teacher that seems to send her there over the smallest of infractions.

And I've only hit on some of the heavy things dealt with in this poetry book.

As I wrote, most of it reads like a book, but some are more like "proper" teenage poems, reflecting on her life as it ties in with her thoughts and subjects she encounters in her life. It's definitely on the heavier side, so caution for triggers while reading, but I think it can be a look into the mind of someone whose world seems spinning out of control because of all the pressures of life and incorrect information they've received, and just not allowed to be themselves by society and then by themselves as a result.

WOW. This novel was easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. It has such a heavy topic, and it’s a heavy book, but it’s so beautiful at the same time. I haven’t read many books in poetic form, and the one I read most recently (possibly the only one I’ve ever read for personal enjoyment), I did not enjoy at all. Not the case with this one.
I love how the author writes Alicia, and her coping mechanisms to deal with her trauma. The storyline with Blake also added a lot of depth to the story (although I think the ominous notes in Alicia’s locker were maybe not the best way to go about the whole Colonel thing).
This is a book that I think everyone should read. It’s very hard hitting, and it really makes you think after you read it. 100/10