I was provided an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

This book hit me like a truck. It's raw and honest in a way few books about sexual assault I've read have been. I felt like I was holding our main character's bleeding heart in my hands. Olivia Cole does a beautiful job of showing glimpses of the incredibly fucked up undercurrent of Alicia's life while also unflinchingly portraying the brutality of being 16 and shamed by nearly all of your peers. Cole also touches on race, sexuality, the Madonna-whore complex, and so many other things in this short, impactful book. Well worth the read, though rife with potential triggers so tread lightly.

This title was everything I wanted from a novel in verse. The poetry flowed well and it was common for me to read a turn of phrase or metaphor and have to stop and wish I had written it myself. The author continually revisited extended metaphors and built upon them as the story progressed in a satisfying way.

As for the story itself, this was an honest and visceral look into the life of an average teenager who experienced an all too common violation and dealt with the aftermath in the best way she knew how. Heavy trigger warnings for child sex abuse, abuse by a teacher, and repeated statutory rape and sexual harassment.

However, these were not the only topics that the plot focused on. The main character is bisexual and there are themes of dealing with queerness, coming out, slut shaming, and families growing apart and changing. She gets a real friend without romantic undertones and is able to explore a sapphic relationship as well. She is working as a teen, a former athlete, and is able to grow in her balance of these things and find freedom in the story. She finds out that someone she considered an enemy is in fact an ally and more like her than she expected. My only critique would be the slut shaming and women empowerment subplot was a little heavy handed, but the message was still important and well written. Overall, A really impactful and painfully beautiful story I think should be read by many.

"I am tired of salting the wound— I am ready to salt the earth."

Wow. I devoured this in a couple hours, and it is easily one of my top reads of 2022. It is a story in prose, and while it's easy for this style of writing to feel unnecessary or overdone, I found it a poignant and appropriate format for this piece. I've honestly never had an author so inside my own head, echoing my own teenage experience, the pain and rage of girlhood transitioning to womanhood, often before we are ready-- before we understand what is happening and, all too often, with us grappling for some semblance of control.

Alicia's (MC) story immediately pulled me in. We learn quickly that she's been dealing with sexual assault at school. In the aftermath, she uses sex with classmates and with much older men to cope with the pain she's feeling. Her promiscuity makes her a pariah at school and results in harassment and the loss of her best and only friend.

This story deals with Alicia's trauma, loss of agency, pain, queerness, coping, and eventually with her self-acceptance and healing in a new circle of loving characters, and honestly so much more. Alicia's story reminds us that no one is really as they seem and of the perpetual transience of self. We are always turning into new people, especially when we are young. And that is a kind of freedom. We get to remake ourselves whenever we want.

Alicia really came alive on these pages, like she's a friend or even myself. Her pain clawed at me, her numbness felt like my own, and her rage bubbled within me. The rest of the cast of characters was deftly crafted as well. Each had a unique voice and left an impression.

The metaphors woven through this book really elevated the story. The idea of sexual predators as wolves, the tragic unfairness of Medusa's story-- they gave a richness to Alicia's experience and the world she drew us into.

I think this is a book that will stick with me for a while. And while it definitely brings up some painful memories for me, it felt cathartic, and I left Alicia's world feeling understood and a little lighter.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

Review posted on Goodreads. Amazon is not allowing reviews for this work at this time.

I did find one error at about 90%.

"Alicia: Does it makes you … mad? Sad? That everyone loves him?"

I think "makes" is supposed to be "make" here.

A heartbreaking novel that deals with heavy subject matters. The main character's journey to let others in after a traumatic event is both gripping and realistic. Although I struggled a little to relate to the main character's metaphor-heavy point-of-view, I really enjoyed the side characters, especially Deja, whose black and asexual voice is a welcome addition to the book.

I don't know that I have enough words to fully describe the power of this book. 5/5 stars will not be nearly enough. Cole has crafted an incredibly powerful novel-in-verse in which every single poem sings with the pain and emotions of everything the main character (Alicia) has been through. Cole deftly navigates the very real questions that people have as they come into their own bodies, learn how the world sees them as sexual beings, and understand the double-standards that are all around us all the time. Cole's main character Alicia offers the reader such an honest portrayal of what it means to experience sexual trauma, and the supporting characters each add their important perspectives on sexuality and asexuality, race and the specific experience of Black women (and Black girls, who are too often treated like women from a young age), and broken friendships and family dynamics. The book NEVER feels didactic. The poetry is consistently beautiful. Will be sure to buy this for everyone I know.

*Thank you Netgalley and publisher for ARC, in exchange of honest review*
Heartbreaking. Cherished.
Many more words describe this book, but that would take me all night to write. I am unsure if I can find all the words to describe how I felt about this book. Dear Medusa I had my emotions everywhere while reading the book. It was also the story I couldn’t get out of my head. I have read books written in poetic verse, but nothing like this book. Dear Medusa was filled with so many powerful emotions; they were raw, real. I cannot imagine what Alicia must feel like to go through such horrifying events. It made me angry at the teacher; they are supposed to make the students feel safe. I was angry with other students for spreading rumors about her. I was scared for Alicia that it would be too much for her one day.
I loved the way that Alicia’s emotions were portrayed in this book. I might now know what it felt like, but reading the book, I felt like I did. I was hoping that, eventually, Alicia would tell someone, like her mother or even her brother. The teacher needed to be reported before he did it to someone else. The cover and the title captured my attention when I was on Netgalley , and I couldn’t help but be curious about the story. Dear Medusa was a hard book to read at times, yet it took your breath away so that you couldn’t put it down. I couldn’t get enough of Alicia’s story, and I rooted for her to get a happy ending. Dear Medusawas one of the books I ended up reading multiple times late into the night. I needed to see how it was going to come to an end.

An incredible, inspiring story. This is my first book by Olivia A.Cole , and I am so happy that I got a chance to read an early copy of her newest book. I am eager to see what else she has in store for us.

Wow. While reading Dear Medusa, I kept thinking to myself, "this author really gets it." Olivia A. Cole's deep and resonant novel in verse features Alicia, a teen who has been sexually assaulted, who is fighting (sometimes literally) to reclaim her power and her selfhood. She is a strong, interesting, well-rounded character in a book filled with great characters.

Dear Medusa somehow covers a variety of important issues: racism, homophobia, slut shaming, divorce, and friendship without feeling preachy or overbearing. Teens deal with so many things at once, and this was both heartbreaking and empowering in the best ways. I cried while reading, then cried again after. And yet, the feeling I walked away with was one of hope, that girls who experience this kind of trauma could rise from it like Alicia does.

The figurative language, especially the overall Medusa metaphor, brought this book to another level. This will be one of my top favorites of the year, no question. I give it 10/10 stars.

THANK YOU to NetGalley for the eArc of this incredible book.

This book was well written but it didn’t seem to flow like poetry should. Perhaps if I heard it read to me instead of reading it on the page I would understand the way the author intended the words to flow better. The story was difficult and also uplifting to read. I loved the friendships found and formed in this book. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.

Dear Medusa addresses a subject I would generally consider to be "taboo"- sexual abuse by a teacher. In Alicia's case the teacher is well-liked and popular. Exactly what is a student to do when they aren't sure they will be believed if they come forward?
This book is filled with trauma and healing and many more things than what I can adequately describe. I appreciated the story and Cole's willingness to take on this topic.

Dear Medusa completely blew me away. It is a top-five book of the year for me, just stunning. The story is about sixteen-year-old Alicia Rivers who has a reputation that precedes her. There is so much more to her than meets the eye. She puts up a tough defense for a good reason, she is hunted by "wolves" all the time. One wolf was a popular teacher and that sexual assault completely changed her life. The story is about sexual violence, but also takes a look at, sexuality, love, and a young woman discovering her voice. I absolutely loved this story, it is truly one of a kind. I can't wait to read more by this author.

What a heartbreaking and important story. This one deals with a lot of different triggers so look into those if you need to and take care of yourself while reading. Beautifully written novel.

Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole was freaking heartbreaking but so damn beautiful all at the same time.
This story shook me to the core.
Alicia was phenomenal, honest, realistic and her story moved me!.
This thought provoking, unconventional, powerful book is absolutely a MUST READ.
And one I devoured. I loved everything abot this one.
The writing, characters, story.... Everything was done so well!
Also, I can't wait for this to be released. The cover is so beautiful and will sit so pretty on my shelf.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's & Labyrinth Road for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

One of my weakness the last couple of years has been books that are written in verse. I am drawn to them like a moth to a flame. There is just something magic in this medium of telling stories. I wish they were more popular and prevalent than they are. Because if this, when I saw this title on Netgalley, I was immediately excited and intrigued.

I have always felt a connection to Medusa for a number of reasons. Because of that, I was automatically drawn to this book, but then I read the synopsis and knew I needed to read it.

It was beautiful. I feel like those are not adequate words to describe this book, but they're all I've got. The story was gripping, lyrical, and honestly? a punch to the gut. It is a hard book to read for all the reasons you probably thought of when you first thought of Medusa. Medusa, in recent years, has been heavily associated with survivors of SA. She is their protector. That extra layer to the story was beautiful.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and can't wait for anything else Olivia A. Cole writes.

Such a difficult but GOOD read. I loved Alicia and I hurt right alongside her. There were some cliches I could have done without, but amount of feeling Cole was able to convey was impressive.

Just to start off this was a very good, fast paced read, Written in poetry format you get to follow Alicia Rivers as she goes through the motions of being a teenage girl who's gained a bad reputation due to rumors, and her rebellious behavior.

In this extremely relatable story we follow a young woman who is navigating life in high school after being sexually assaulted by a teacher. Reading her story took me to a time when I was young and having to deal with a similar situation. You get to read about the effects it has on her personal decisions in terms of sex, school and family. Reading this book was very empowering for young women dealing with sexual trauma and finding who they are after the fact. Definitely a must read for teenage girls who could be dealing with similar situations.

This book reminded me a lot of My Dark Vanessa but in a way that I think could be really beneficial to young adult/youth readers. I thought the way this book was written was beautiful but it was also heartbreaking. I feel like this is the type of book everyone should read.

Alicia is known as the school whore and her best friend has left her for a new school. How will she survive school on her own when walking the halls reminds her of the sexual abuse she faces in that building. When notes are left in her locker hinting she's not the only victim she continues to hide from the world. When a new group starts for girls at her school she finds her voice.

4.5 stars. WOW.

So many times when I was reading this I had to stop and let the words truly sink in because they were so powerful I needed to give them the time to fully marinate.

This book was raw and real and took my breath away.

While I love the concept of DEAR MEDUSA and the powerful, much-needed messages woven through it, I ultimately didn't connect with it as much as I hoped I would. A really big part of this is my own fault. I don't read a lot of novels in verse because they simply don't hit for me(?), but this sounded too compelling to let pass.

So, I guess this is a typical case of it's not you, it's me. I would definitely still recommend this to others, but it's simply not the book for me!

This was a very powerful book and honestly a much needed book in today’s world. A provoking look at trauma and all the ways in which girls are told to exist in this world and why, Alicia’s story and thoughts had me in tears several times. She was such an incredible character full of strength and vulnerability. The writing style of this book is next level. It was honestly so beautiful and lyrical and haunting. I loved the letters to Medusa, Athena and the other Greek gods. There were so many great comparisons between what happened to Alicia and what happened to Medusa (the real story). There were a few times I was confused by the timeline and I would have liked a little more closure at the end, but those would be my only complaints. But I’m so glad I read this book. There are a lot of tough topics brought up so make sure you’re in the right headspace to read it, but if you are, I highly recommend it. What a beautiful and heartbreaking story.

TW: slut shaming, sexual harassment, sexual assault, racism, biphobia, religious weaponizing, grooming

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.