Medusa is a fun Percy Jackson meets Harry Potter middle-grade book with a twist.

Ava struggles with managing her emotions while at school. Following an incident, Ava and her brother are sent to Accademia del Forte, a boarding school in Venice. There, they discover they are descendants of monsters and are taught how to control their powers and emotions. However, they soon realize that the school has its secrets. Ava teams up with her friends on a journey that could alter everything they know.

Medusa is a thrilling and captivating book that will take you on a journey full of unexpected twists and turns. With its well-crafted plot and engaging characters, this book is a page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. It is a coming-of-age story that is both empowering and inspiring, with a strong emphasis on the importance of friendship and the power of feminism. Whether you're a young girl looking for a relatable and inspiring read or simply a fan of well-written fiction, Medusa is a book you won't want to miss.

This was SUCH a fun middle grade fantasy - perfect for Percy Jackson fans, but with a twist!! It's so fast-paced with just enough tense emotional moments. Ava and her friends are fantastic and I actually learned a lot about mythology while reading!!

Medusa is one of my favorite Greek myths so I had to jump into this book. I was delighted to realize that it is a "magical school" story. A twelve-year-old girl displays her power by mistake when she refuses to be bullied. Her temper shows her heritage. She can freeze bullies with her eyes like Medusa and that makes her parents send her and her brother to Italy (Venice) to an Academia where her mom used to be a student. But Ava discovers more. Not all teachers are good, there are bullies here too, secrets and mysteries. The patriarch's cruelty and abuse silence and curses women, reward bullies, and "educate" students to be good and well-behaved.
This is a story about Gods vs. Monsters, discovering the truth behind the myths, and empowering women to never be silenced by patriarchal authority.
Ava has good loyal friends who will help her save more than her future.
I can't resist a story about attending and discovering a secret school and Greek mythology. Recommend it to all who love feminist quest/adventure novels. The author's writing style makes the reading easy and it flows fast.
Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this e-ARC.

Nice retelling of the Greek mythology with that modern twist of understanding about who wrote the mythology and its twist on presenting women as monsters. It made me think of the presentations in all new ways that I wish I had had when I first read mythology over 40 years ago.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Clarion Books, and Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. Medusa was such a fast read book. The storyline was amazing and enjoyable.

This book was a GREAT fast read. Very fast-paced and loved the storyline line and how it moved along. It's use of mythology, and tying a story to it was a lot of fun.

I chose to read this book because I wanted a light, adventurous fantasy middle grade story. I thought it would be like a mix of Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. However, what I got was extremely unexpected and disappointing.

I’ll start with what I did like about the book: I enjoyed all of the Greek mythology in this story. There is quite a bit, and I enjoyed reading (and learning) more about them. I had learned about the Greek gods and monsters back in high school and also took a class in college but have forgotten a lot over the years. So this was a nice refresher, and I learned more about other Greek characters and stories that I hadn’t heard before. I also liked the twist where the children were descendants of Greek monsters instead of Greek gods, like in Percy Jackson.

The adventure the children go on is fun and creative. It felt a little rushed, and I would’ve liked it to be a little longer with more buildup, but overall, it never got boring and there was a lot of action. It was a very quick and easy read. I read it in two days. There were quite a few twists and turns, and the whole story felt like a puzzle that we were putting together, which was also fun and entertaining.

The main protagonist, Ava, is an admirably brave, strong-willed, clever, and intelligent girl. A few of Ava’s other friends were okay, but didn’t stand out too much for me. However, I did not like her best friend, Fia, at all. I felt like she was disrespectful, snarky, and rude. Her rebellious, reckless reactions caused her own problems and things could’ve been handled differently. We also didn’t get a lot of backstory on the characters, so I didn’t really get to know them that well and just didn’t care as much. I felt like we needed more time with them and more character development. Again, it felt too rushed and short. The ending was also abrupt, and it didn’t feel fully fleshed out.

However, this book was obviously written by a feminist that had something to say! If I had known ahead of time the feminist turn it would take, I never would’ve read this novel.

This was one of the preachiest books I’ve ever read in my entire life. I don’t want any movement or group pushing their agenda on me, especially in my entertainment when I just want to escape into a fun, creative story. We get enough soapbox speeches about our culture in many other ways. I don’t need (or want) it in my books. Plus, to put these messages in children’s books is appalling to me because not everyone agrees or wants these messages forced onto their children.

This didn’t feel like female empowerment. It felt like progressive, feminist propaganda disguised as a middle grade fantasy. The overtly feminist tone and angle of the story was nauseating, tiresome, and annoying. I tried to keep an open mind as I read it, but I found myself rolling my eyes way too many times. I was incredibly disappointed at the turn it took when it had such potential to be a fun, lighthearted read with some good universal messages without being preachy. But unfortunately, that is not what we got with this one, which is a shame.

What worked:
Obviously, this book should appeal to lovers of mythology. The title of the book and Ava’s anger freezing a classmate at school strongly suggest she’s a distant relation to the mythical monster Medusa. A ceiling painting at the Accademia depicts the battle between Zeus and other gods fighting and defeating Cronos and the Titans. Ava’s always had a special interest in mythology so she’s the lone new student who knows the history of the scene. An interesting angle is introduced when Fia notes the image doesn’t demonstrate the significance of females in mythology. Her observation presents the modern-day issue of gender bias in the history of gods and goddesses. History is created by those telling the stories.
The students at the Accademia are descended from mythological monsters although they don’t know which ones. Readers may play a mental game of trying to match clues about the students to the identities of their monster genealogy. However, this may be more challenging than expected. For example, Ava’s new roommate, not Fia, is related to a type of vampire. The girl inherited the ability to morph her appearance without an insatiable need to drink blood. Ava’s brother is also accepted into the Accademia but he hasn’t displayed any discernable, talents like his sister. A second-year boy named Arnold still hasn’t manifested any powers, most students show them by the end of their first year, so readers will want to know what makes him different.
For me, Fia is the most intriguing character as she’s a relentless, rebellious type of girl. She ALWAYS questions the stories told by teachers and challenges the history of the gods. She doesn’t show any signs of regretting her outspokenness which creates its own level of tension and mystery. The school has a three-strike policy before expelling students but she’s unconcerned each time she’s sent to the headmaster’s office. Readers will scratch their heads in wonder as they try to understand her indifference in the face of being kicked out of the Accademia.
What didn’t work as well:
The plot jumps into conspiracy mode quicker than expected. The Accademia doesn’t want students questioning the mythological stories being taught but that doesn’t come across as an immediate sign of a secret cover-up. Maybe something’s going on, maybe not, but the story feels like it jumps the gun in reaching the conclusion of collusion. However, it gets into the plot quicker so young readers will like that.
The Final Verdict:
This story empowers women to take control of their lives and not let themselves become oppressed in a male-controlled world. Those who control the narrative control the “truth” so maybe it’s time to change the narrative. I recommend you give this book a shot!

This was a powerful story that did make me tear up a little. It was an unexpected twist on the tale of Medusa that every girl(and boy) should read. The heroine, Ava, was relatable and very brave and was a great symbol for the theme of the book. I loved all the side characters as well and would love a book about Fia.

It was wonderful I love all of the twists and turns I hope there will be a whole series maybe even movies behind it. The characters were magical.

What a cool version of mythology stories! I loved the premise behind this story and the book didn’t disappoint! A must have for mythology lovers- I hope Katherine Marsh writes more stories and tells more ‘monster’ stories like this!

This was such a fun concept and worked overall with what I wanted. I loved the school for descendants and I love Greek mythology overall. It worked with everything that I was looking for and the characters felt like they were suppose to. Katherine Marsh has a great style for the genre and this was a great start to this series. It scratched a itch that I was hoping for and enjoyed a lot.