“Exiled to a far-flung island by the whims of the gods, Medusa has little company except the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. But when a charmed, beautiful boy called Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is disrupted with the force of a supernova, unleashing desire, love, betrayal . and destiny itself.”

A feminist Medusa retelling? Sign me up! I am a sucker for Greek and other mythology retellings, and this one did not disappoint. Both beautiful and heart breaking, I devoured this book. My only wish is that it was longer. I needed more Medusa.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Medusa by Jessie Burton was such an enjoyable read. From the very first sentence I could tell that I loved this Medusa’s tone. Medusa is 14 and sexually assaulted by Poseidon in Athena’s temple. Athena turns the girl’s beautiful hair into snakes, and leaves her with a warning for any man that dare to look at her again. Medusa is sent to an island for exile with her sisters and her dog. Perseus shows up and Medusa is intrigued to say the least.
A great retelling and coming of age story of Medusa.

It may have hurt that I read another Medusa story recently Medusa's Sisters.
This one just did not feel very fleshed out. Maybe it was the length, maybe Medusa came across as whiney to me. I am not really sure.
I want a bad ass Medusa! It's okay for her to have some rage! She was cursed for what was done t0 her. Let her have her minute.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

I loved this retelling of Medusa. It expressed the vulnerability of her story, as well as giving her a strength that was empowering to read. My biggest criticism would be that the story felt very rushed and I felt like it ended abruptly.

There is a lot of Medusa in the world of books right now, so I was worried this would just blend in with the rest. This certainly does not. Beautifully written and imaginative.

I was captivated by the feminist retelling of the Greek myth. The story, beautifully illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill, immersed me in Medusa's world – a young woman exiled and disfigured by the gods' cruel whims. When Perseus arrives on her island, their connection brings forth desire, love, and betrayal, challenging traditional narratives. Burton's portrayal of Medusa as a vulnerable yet resilient character deeply resonated with me. The novel delves into themes of abuse, independence, and self-acceptance, offering powerful lessons about confidence and the consequences of overpromising. Through Medusa's journey, I experienced a poignant exploration of strength and femininity, making this retelling a must-read for anyone seeking a fresh perspective on Greek mythology.

Jessie Burton takes the story of Medusa and turns its mythos on its head (at least the ending). Jessie’s writing style is so lovely, and I appreciated the “soft” quality of the storytelling, especially for a story as delicate as Medusa’s. However, I felt that Medusa wasn’t as developed as I would have liked. Medusa was missing a depth of emotion, which makes sense since the story is set 4 years after the big events that lead to her snakes. I still feel it was missing some poignancy, and her growth feels rushed at the end.

With that being said, I still really loved the story! I wish it had been longer, so there could have been more room for “showing” instead of “telling” (the story could have easily been 300 pages long and I would have eaten it up). There were times when I found myself in Medusa, and her interaction with her sister Stheno hit me so hard. I got so teary-eyed reading her say, “But a little girl is somewhere still inside you. I see her. And I know she wants to be seen”. So many of us just want to be seen and that validation goes a long way to heal, which I feel impacted Medusa’s growth.

This was such a good short read, and I highly recommend reading it for your next read!

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel. This felt more like a novella than a novel and did not bring much new to the retelling. It hit the same beats of the original myth but does have Medusa accept her power and utilize it. I did like the change to the original in how it all ends but it feels derivative of other Medusa retellings. This may be more related to the timing of this coming and having read several Greek mythology novels in recent months so if you want more Medusa, this could be lovely for you. 3 stars.

What an incredible retelling of Medusa’s story. I felt like this book did a fantastic job at giving a voice to Medusa’s story. It pulled you in and made you feel the pain of Medusa’s story. I was captivated from start to finish. This is a very fast read and I definitely recommend it.

Thank you so much to the publishers for the ARC of Medusa for my honest review!

Beautiful illustrations make this an amazing retelling of the story of Medusa and Perseus, definitely bringing to life Medusa and her destiny. Excellent book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing for this ARC.

Author Jessie Burton has a true talent for capturing the inner lives of her characters. In this case, her characters belong to the realm of myth. The story of Medusa, the beautiful innocent punished by vengeful and abusive gods to become a snake-headed gorgon, is one of the most compelling of the Greek myths. Burton retells her story from her own perspective. She also presents a far more nuanced and complex portrait of Perseus, the myth’s other main character. His precipitous landing on the island where Medusa and her winged sisters have fashioned a life in anxious isolation catalyses a poignant relationship. As the two relate their own life stories, hidden from each other by a stone arch, the ancient myth of horrible vengeance becomes a tender love story. Two young people develop a deep attachment within the boundaries imposed by fate and the caprice of the gods.

Beautifully written in Burton’s usual style, this is more than a simple retelling, captivating though that is. it is a lesson, as myths were intended to be, about beauty, love, power, and the expectations that women still contend with and are tormented by.

4.5

Medusa by Jessie Burton was a fast read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Burton tells the story of Perseus and Medusa meeting, we are being told the life moments of both our characters as they form a bond from around a cave wall.

Medusa has her reasons to hide from Perseus, she has snakes for hair and hasn’t been treated well by others at all. Perseus tells part of his own traumatic tales as well, the perils that his mother faces while waiting for his return.

Over the course of a few days, Perseus and Medusa share more of themselves until Perseus’ mission comes to light and Medusa reveals who she is.

I enjoyed what Burton did with this story. Being told from Medusa’s perspective we relive some of the horrible moments of her life and the treatment of her by both the Gods and her fellow townspeople before she became a Gorgon. As someone that knows the greek myths surrounding Perseus and his quests, I was curious what Burton may change. I personally enjoyed the ending but I also know it will not be for everyone. I really enjoyed Burton’s writing style though and loved the way the story flowed together!

In Jessie Burton's latest book, Medusa is reimagined as a fully realized character with a sympathetic and nuanced personality. The story begins with Medusa living in isolation on an island with her two sisters after being cursed by Athena and mistreated by Poseidon. However, everything changes when Perseus lands his boat on her shores, and an unexpected attraction sparks between them.

As the two sit on either side of a stone arch, their stories are revealed, and the Medusa myth you thought you knew turns out to be just the tip of the iceberg. Burton's masterful retelling of the snake-headed Gorgon deftly reveals the woman behind the monster, and her prose is lush and vivid, painting a vivid picture of Medusa's world.

One of the book's most delightful aspects is how Burton imagines Medusa's snakes as colorful characters with their own names and personalities. This adds depth to the story and makes it all the more engaging.

Overall, I found the book captivating, with a perfect ending that I won't spoil here. If you're a fan of Greek mythology or just looking for a great story, I highly recommend reading this book.

Another fantastic feminist retelling of the Greek myth about Medusa. Great on audio narrated by Alisha Bailey and perfect for fans of books like Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes and Medusa's sisters by Lauren J. A. Bear. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoy reading thus tell of Medusa and getting to see her story from her POV. There isn't many book that really showcase her side so this was a nice take. PSA "trigger warning" this do mention SA it's not a explicit scene but it is a flash back of in the moment. I liked getting to see the meeting between her and Perseus, and them getting to understand one another. Medusa growth throught the story is one of inner strength.

Medusa by Jessie Burton is a poignant retelling of the story of Medusa. Medusa lives on an island with the company of her winged sisters and her colorful tresses of snakes. These snakes offer their own level of commentary as they display emotions in reaction to Medusa's situation in this compelling story.
Medusa is unaware of the power she yields but remembers Athena's haunting warning - woe to any man who looks upon her. This offers a layer of trepidation for the reader in wondering if Medusa will have the same power as found in the ancient myths. It definitely sounds ominous to her, but Medusa hasn't been able to 'test' this warning since Athena changed her.

The harsh reality of Medusa's life is raw and applicable to the strength women seek in times of sexual aggression and abuse. This book moves the reader to not only delve further into mythology, but it opens conversations about the foundations of human decency and the empowerment of women.

As Medusa learns, life certainly offers you strange mirrors.

I will be recommending this book.

Thanks to Bloomsbury USA Publishing, Jessie Burton and NetGalley for this ARC.

I'm unsure how to feel about this book. I am a sucker for feminist Greek mythology retellings. And this one did a good job of giving a voice to Medusa, the "monster" of the Perseus myth. But I felt like the writing was a bit disjointed at times. At first, it read like a poem and I wondered (since I was reading an ARC copy with weird formatting) if this was a novel in verse and I just couldn't see it on my PDF copy. But then it definitely turned into prose. Additionally, at times it was very poetic and lyrical reminiscent of the myths of the past in diction, syntax, and descriptions. But then, especially in the dialogue, it would jump around and sound juvenile and modern. This back and forth pulled me out of the story from time to time.
If you've followed my reviews at all, you know I have a love-hate relationship with the 2nd person POV. There are times when it is done really well and times when it annoys the sh!t out of me. This is one of those times. Whenever this 18-year-old narrator (Medusa) starting to give life advice and dropping the "you" character, I rolled my eyes. It didn't work for me in this book and again, took me out of the narrative. And, maybe a spoiler, maybe not - the ending is different from the original myth, so Greek/Roman myth purists, beware. This puts Medusa and Perseus in a romance before the events of the classic myth. It got a bit repetitive at times.
Pros - When the writing was on, it was very, very on. I loved many of the comparisons and lyrical lines. I also enjoyed the characters of Medusa and Perseus as they were imagined in this story. There was an emphasis on romance in this book and how Medusa, who describes herself as disfigured, could possibly have any sort of romance since she turns people into stone.
Overall, if you want to read a retelling of the Medusa myth that is closer to the classic myth, try Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes. If you don't mind a bit of creative license, you might enjoy this one.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Oh, heck yes! This was such a unique retelling of the myth of Medusa that I binged it in less than an hour (it’s only 160ish pages!) Burton has some beautiful quotes but her writing is super accessible and does allow for younger readers to be engaged in a popular myth (which was Burton’s intention). There were some strong messages about consent, sexuality and the male gaze that were done so well. I think I need to pick up the illustrated version of this one!

Stunning
I've dedicated a significant portion of my recent days to reading, immersing myself in a variety of genres, from horror and thrillers to romance. Being an avid enthusiast of Greek Mythology and its retellings, I found my perfect literary storm in this latest discovery. Always on the lookout for a fresh perspective on the Medusa myth, I was captivated by this rendition.

Unlike the conventional portrayals of Medusa as a monstrous Gorgon, this retelling delves deep into her story, revealing her life before encounters with Poseidon and Athena. In this narrative, she emerges as more than just a monster—she is a misunderstood victim. Having previously enjoyed "Medusa’s Sisters," I found this rendition even more compelling.

What sets this retelling apart is its comprehensive exploration of various elements in Medusa's life. The narrative unfolds her existence before the pivotal moments with Poseidon and Athena, showcasing her as a sailor alongside her sisters who were divers. The strong sisterhood between Stheno, Euyale, and Medusa is portrayed vividly. The first-person narrative provides an intimate glimpse into Medusa's perspective, making her thoughts and experiences feel personal.

In my quest for Medusa retellings, this one stands out as the best. I wholeheartedly recommend it to those seeking a fresh and nuanced take on her myth. In the era of feminist mythological retellings, Burton's contribution is a remarkable addition. The prose is beautifully crafted, with a lyrical and flowery style that makes it both enchanting and easy to read in one sitting. Although a quick read, its impact lingers, promising to stay with me.

This has undoubtedly been the most satisfying Medusa retelling I've encountered so far, and I eagerly anticipate more from the author in the future. I would eagerly snatch up any future works from her. For now, all I can do is urge you to grab this book, which I devoured in a single sitting—it's a literary gem that shouldn't be missed.

A young adult retelling of the Medusa myth with a feminist flair. Matter of fact at times and lyrical at others this blooming love story with another can only end in irony. A quick pleasing read.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley