I've always been fascinated by Greek mythology, so I was immediately drawn to this book and its take on Medusa. I’ve always preferred the idea that Athena transformed her as a form of protection after Poseidon assaulted her—not as punishment. I was hoping this story would reflect that: a strong, reimagined Medusa reclaiming her power and agency.

Unfortunately, that’s not quite what I got. Medusa felt like she was constantly at the mercy of others—first her parents, then Athena, then Poseidon. She wanted control over her life, but rarely acted on it. In Athens, she seemed more assertive, but her actions were still portrayed as wrong or strange by others.

The dynamic with Poseidon was clearly imbalanced, and Athena’s harsh, inflexible rules were emphasized throughout. So when Medusa is SA’d—while intoxicated and after saying “wait”—Athena punishes her, just as Medusa feared. Is she a victim? Absolutely. But it’s complicated—she knew the risks and didn’t steer clear of Poseidon, despite knowing his intentions.

After her transformation, she mostly retreats from the world. She briefly leaves with Apollonia, but returns as soon as she's caught. Her one moment of true power—punishing a lecherous priest—is followed by retreat, not growth. I kept waiting for her to rise, to take control, but she just... didn’t.

I really wanted to love this book. The writing was beautiful, and I especially appreciated the unique touch of giving Medusa locs that turned into snakes. But in the end, the character herself felt too passive to leave a lasting impact.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC! I, Medusa by Ayana Gray is a bold and lyrical reimagining of the infamous myth, giving voice and power to a character long misunderstood. Gray masterfully blends rage, resilience, and beauty in Medusa’s story, turning a tale of victimhood into one of vengeance and transformation. This novella is both haunting and empowering, perfect for fans of feminist mythology retellings.

Please note that this ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! I loved how the sections were arranged and I really enjoyed the POV. While this certainly isn’t the first book to look at the “other side of the story,” this one was very well done. It reminded me a lot of Circe, which is similar in premise and also very well executed.

I feel like I learned some new things about Medusa’s story (certainly more detail than I knew before) and I really enjoyed it.

Big thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy of “I, Medusa” in exchange for an honest review!

TW: sexual assault

I’ve always been a Greek mythology girlie, but I haven’t read a book about Medusa before, and what an interesting story it was to explore! And that COVER 😍 I loved reading the author’s note at the end, which explains more about the historical myths and varied accounts of Medusa.

In this retelling, Medusa is a young mortal girl, born to the old gods who are fading away. When Athena shows her favor, Medusa finds herself away from home for the first time and must discover her identity and purpose while navigating expectations, fickle gods, romance, and injustice.

In particular, I thought the structure and pacing of the book was excellent. Because I didn’t know much about Medusa’s origins (other than the infamous ending), I enjoyed not knowing what choices she would make or where the story would go. At points the book even felt like a love story to hair, which was beautiful and makes Medusa’s fate more painfully ironic.

The plot tackles difficult content like sexism and sexual assault, which does stay true to some accounts of Medusa’s story. Her character is extremely naive for most of the book, and honestly I found it a touch unbelievable, but mostly just hard to watch. For me, that aspect brought down the rating.

Overall though, the book is thought-provoking & I think it will be enjoyed by lovers of Greek-mythology! “I, Medusa” will be published November of this year!

This review was posted on May 12, 2025 on Instagram.

Ayana Gray’s I, Medusa is a fierce, haunting, and beautifully layered retelling that reclaims Medusa’s voice from the margins of myth. Instead of a tale about a monster, Gray gives us a tragedy about a mortal girl caught in a world ruled by gods, expectations, and impossible choices. We follow Medusa—youngest daughter of sea gods, mortal sister to immortals—as she dreams of freedom, earns her place as a priestess of Athena, and navigates a world that punishes her simply for existing in it.

Through vivid storytelling and deeply human characters, Gray explores themes of consent, power, identity, and transformation. I was especially moved by how Medusa’s Blackness is not only acknowledged, but centered—through her pride in her locs, her place as an outsider, and the quiet strength she builds in a society that tries to define her. Every detail felt intentional, from the powerful symbolism of snakes to the heartbreaking inevitability of her fate. Bold, timely, and unforgettable.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Such a beautiful, brutal, & relatable book. I found this book predictable which caused me to think- yes the basis of the myth is well known, but as a woman I found the natural escalation of the plot familiar. Familiar in a way that I imagine feels candid for women. The plot was structured in an engaging way and the twists and interpretations were new to me. I especially loved the authors note detailing choices throughout the book, I can’t wait to share my favorite quotes once this is published.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸

I, Medusa by Ayana Gray

TW: Sexual Assault, Abuse, Domestic Abuse

🖤 Greek Retelling
🖤 Intersectional Feminism
🖤 Diverse Athens
🖤 Feminine Rage

For casual readers of Greek retellings, it felt like we were getting a bit flooded with mythological feminist retellings that didn't always have fully fleshed-out motives or characters. While this book certainly takes a feminist lens to the story of Medusa, it tackles the story in a way that doesn't feel tired, shoe-horned, or disingenuous.

One big differentiator for me was how it tackles both misogynoir and the realities that metics might have faced in Athens. For example, the throughline about Medusa's locs isn't just an off-handed one-off message, it is an integral part of how Medusa sees herself and connects with her sisters.

The story did a great job of discussing Medusa's tragedy, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't what defined her journey. This story was about *her* - her childhood, her trials, her rage, and the love she felt for the women around her, and how that eventually shaped who she became.

The only parts of the book that I could critique are the pacing, which felt a little inconsistent throughout the stages of her life. While I am thrilled that the last segment wasn't the book's sole focus, I felt like a bridge or two was missing to help cap off her development.

Overall, if you are a fan of Greek retellings, especially those that examine them through a new lens, this is a great read, and I highly recommend it!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

In I, Medusa, veteran YA novelist and folklore enthusiast Ayana Gray turns to Greek mythology to construct a tale about injustice, loss of innocence , monstrosity, and rage. We follow 17-year-old Medusa, or Meddy as she's known to her sisters and friends, from her isolated home island as she's prepared for marriage to Athens after she's chosen to train as one of Athena's priestesses. All the while, she must faces increasingly horrific episodes of violence and violation -- against her sisters, her friends, and herself -- at the hands of the gods and of men raised in a patriarchal world. Meddy soon learns that she, unlike the women around her, can't seem to accept the world she's inherited. Instead she rages. And it is through that rage that she becomes the monster that myth memorialized.

Medusa has long been a feminist symbol and a locus for the exploration of the potential of female rage as a tool of resistance. I applaud Gray for throwing her hat in the ring and trying to add something new to these narratives with the introduction of a Black heroine and especially the rich thematic potential of Black hair (though, I will also point readers to Bethany Morrow's "A Song Below Water" for another YA novelization of this story).

SPOILERS AHEAD

However, I did not love this book, and I don't think that Gray executed it particularly well. Overall, I found it to be a slow read, especially in the middle. Gray chooses to devote the majority of the book to Meddy's time in Athens as an acolyte to Athena. This, to me, is absolutely the least interesting part of Medusa's story. It felt like lazy, tired plotting -- schoolroom bullying, a three trial competition to win a spot as a priestess. I wanted more of her reckoning with her rage or working out how to still have relationships as a Gorgon. This was all shoved into the last 40 or so pages of the book. It seemed like Gray ran out of steam before she got to the truly heart of the story.

This book, though marketed for adult and including several explicit scenes of and allusions to sexual violence, read to me like YA and young YA at that. We are viewing the world through the eyes of a 17 year old protagonist, who somewhat inexplicably, has no knowledge of the ways the world works and also literally no idea what sex is. Her mode of processing is so juvenile and simplistic, and it kept this book from being particularly rich or insightful. I think Gray was trying to up the stakes by highlighting Meddy's extreme loss of innocence at the hands of the powerful figures working in her life (and also her grooming and assault by Poseidon), but this just made the book so black and white and lacking in nuance that I had trouble emotionally relating to it.

I actually think this is a problem I have with Gray's writing here in general. For me, there was something off about the world-building in this book. It never felt like ancient Greece to me. Part of this are the sloppy anachronisms (Meddy speaks Latin... come on!). But there is also just a very contemporary sensibility to the ways various characters are portrayed (Meddy's mother as an abused and abusive alcoholic housewife...) I also found myself yearning for a deeper engagement with what race might have meant in ancient Athens, Yes Meddy was Black and a foreigner, but what did that really mean at the time? I'm not sure Gray knows what she's doing with her Black heroine.

Even more, there is something very abstracting about her prose that makes it hard for me to immerse myself in the world of the story. The Medusa story is about monstrous bodies and no one in this book felt particularly embodied? Gray uses simplistic terminology to describe her characters (ie seafoam green hair or copper skin). She shies away from indulging in the visceral and weird. Her gods wear human faces instead of having scales or crab arms. This comes back to the curiously abstracted sex and sexual violence -- Gray doesn't really contemplate how bodies meet for either violence or pleasure. And she doesn't really give her characters time to process these encounters (a side character is assaulted and forced into sex work, and basically is just ok with it? ) Because of this, I just felt... nothing. The introduction of the queer story late in the book was equally baffling. I don't love the idea of mobilizing queerness as an antidote to male violence, and that's kind of what it seemed like happened here.

This has gone on long enough, but I want to end with something I did really like that I think will stick with me when I think about Medusa in the future. Toward the end, Medusa has to learn how to tame her new hair-- a heartbreaking loss because hair was been figured as a source of pride, creativity, and familial love and connection through the whole book. Gray imagines the snakes as sentient, intelligent, and animalistic. They move and bite, and Medusa must punish this body of hers that has become strange. She yanks out a snake at the root and kills it, hurting herself in the process. This is what I wanted from this book. The body horror. The violent rage. The agency and visceral exploration of its cost. It made it all the more disappointing seeing that Gray could deliver, and knowing that she mostly just didn't...

I ended up DNFing around 16%. Unfortunately I didn’t enjoy the way it was written and I found myself not wanting to pick up the book to continue.

Maybe the issues I had improve as the story goes on or maybe I’m ultimately wrong with how I’m interpreting what she’s writing, so be aware these are just my thoughts from the first ~50 pages.

It might be my own expectations, knowing this is a Greek mythology retelling, but I found the writing and description to be lacking. From the start I didn’t feel like this story was set in Ancient Greece. It truly felt like an ordinary story that could have been set anywhere with normal characters, not gods and goddesses. Even Poseidon’s introduction didn’t feel like we were being introduced to one of the Olympians, just a typical character.

I kept feeling there was something lacking in scenes, like the scene with Prince Maheer and his lion being written in such an uninteresting way. Then we’re told it’s supposed to be impressive that he “trained” a lion. It felt there was a disconnect between how the scene was written and how we were told to interpret it.

The writing was heavy-handed with certain elements that I felt she wanted to make sure were paid attention to, particularly with Medusa’s innocence and the foreshadowing of her hair. If a person knows one thing about Medusa, it’s that she has snakes for hair, so I became annoyed every time it was brought up that her hair was her best feature and the one she loved the most. I think it would’ve worked if it was written with a little more nuance, acknowledging that the reader knows what will become of Medusa, but I felt it was written as though it would be part of the “surprise” to the reader when she is cursed.

The thing that was continually frustrating though was Medusa’s characterization. She is said to be of marriageable age, but when she catches Poseidon and a nymph together she has zero idea what s*x is. Maybe it’s a result of her isolation on the island, but if so, it should have been better conveyed by the writing because I didn’t think she was that isolated on the island. Instead it just seemed so unrealistic to have absolutely zero knowledge at all. The way she was written as being so absolutely naive about what she saw - how it was making her feel a certain way and how she thought about asking her sisters about it since she had no clue at all what was going on between them - made her character come across as a generic “wide-eyed virtuous maiden" character.

Again, maybe this is just my interpretation of her writing and not her intention, so ultimately it could just be that her writing doesn’t work for me personally.

Wow. Just wow. If I had more stars to give this book, it would get them all.
I, Medusa was a life changing read for me. It told the story of Medusa’s journey from maiden to monster in four parts, each leaving you with a growing sensation of discomfort and distrust, which crescendoed into an ending that will stay with me for a long time. The viciousness of the gods is not understated in this retelling at all.
Additionally, this book is a huge reminder for me of how important it is to intentionally pick up books written by BIPOC authors. In this retelling, Medusa is depicted as a Black woman with locs, and when she makes her journey to Athens, she is met with a hostile energy by many. The visceral discomfort I felt when someone reached for her hair has lingered with me since. This author’s perspective turned an ancient myth into something that holds cultural relevance, and this gives underrepresented readers the chance to “find themselves in our collective past,” as Ayana Gray stated in her Author’s Note. I love this and hope to find more retellings like this with important perspectives to add to my TBR!
Overall, this is an emotionally impactful journey about envy, anger, and rage; and it’s also about embracing the monster others made you to be. I, Medusa has the potential to be my favorite read of the year. I cannot recommend it enough!

Ayana Gray’s I, Medusa is a breathtaking reclamation of one of mythology’s most misunderstood figures. With lyrical prose and searing emotional depth, Gray resurrects Medusa not as a monster, but as a woman wronged—betrayed, brutalized, and silenced. In Gray’s hands, Medusa becomes a symbol of righteous fury and fierce resilience, her voice sharpened like the serpents in her hair and her gaze unflinching in the face of patriarchal violence.

This book is not just a retelling; it’s a reckoning. Gray strips away the layers of myth to reveal the raw, aching humanity beneath. The storytelling is both intimate and mythic, weaving trauma, rage, and healing into a tapestry that pulses with urgency and power. Medusa’s transformation from victim to avenger is nothing short of electrifying.

I, Medusa demands to be read in one sitting and then lingered over long after the final page. It is a thunderous declaration of womanhood, vengeance, and the right to one’s own narrative. Ayana Gray has given Medusa her voice back—and it echoes like a war cry.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for blessing me with a copy of this incredible book! I cannot wait to get the physical book when it comes out on November 18, 2025! Trust me, pre order yours now!

First, thank you Netgalley and Random House publishing for this Arc that I received for my review!

I was so excited to get this arc for the origin story of Medusa and I was not disappointed. This book really has you feeling every emotion. The story was so heartbreaking to watch Meddy just trying to be the best version of herself and want justice when things are not so, but being taken advantage of and abused from people in powerful roles.

If you're interested in the Greek mythology story lines then this is definitely one to add to your list. It really showed the cruel backstory of why Medusa became the "villain" that people perceived her as.

4.5. Okay, wow this was so good. This retelling was tragic, yet so addicting. It made me become obsessed with Medusa all over again. Meddy is mortal, compared to her two sisters and her dad and mom, who are gods. She’s always been use to other people having power and not her. While her sisters get to live forever, Meddy only gets a certain amount of time and she dreams of leaving her family’s island to live a life of her own. When goddess Athena takes interest in her she’s too naive to realize that not everybody in power is a good person. When she gets the chance to train to become a priestess at her temple in Athens she jumps at the chance to see what life is like outside her family’s island. Just as she’s settling in and getting comfortable, a violent night alters her fate and future forever. This story was so rageful and emotional and I loved it. People are gonna eat it up when it gets published. As always, thank you Random House Publishing Group for a gorgeous earc.

WOW!!!!!! I haven’t read a Greek Mythology retelling this good in a while. Lyrical writing vivid imagery. Strong characters and growth.

Amidst the countless mythology retellings and the various takes of the Medusa story, this book stands out due to its fascinating lead character and the world that Ayana Gray has created. Based upon the famous tale of the figure whose gaze can turn anyone into stone, here we meet a young Medusa, innocent and yearning for adventure.

Along with her sisters, Medusa is to be married off now that they are all old enough. When a visiting prince chooses her gentle sister - and then hurts her - Medusa, or Meddy as she is called, acts out of protectiveness and then is chosen by the goddess Athena herself to be one of her priestesses.

But the gods are as fickle and cruel as they are magnanimous and resplendent, and they play games where mortals like Meddy are usually the ones who pay the price.

Even though I know well how this story ends, I read this in one sitting, compelled by the storytelling and seeing Meddy go from innocent pawn to serpent-haired avenger. This is one retelling that will stay with you.

This book truly encapsulated feminine rage and the helplessness a lot of women feel in a system not designed to their advantage. 5 star book! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book!

I already was aware, as many folks that will read this book, of the basics of the myth of Medusa, a priestess of Athena who ended up cursed to be the monster we associate with Medusa today after an affair with Poseidon. This story, however, brought an interesting new life to this old myth that highlights the struggles of being a young woman dealing with men, especially powerful men. Most of the men in the story are, at best, condescending, at worst, abusive, which is a lot of men who don't have to consider how oppressive the system is. This is really exemplified by the many men who comment or are described as liking how young Medusa is. This was also one of the least likable Hermes I have seen in a retelling so far (in the most positive way as this was very intentionally following how the author is writing men that live in this society). The only exception was her best friend Theo, who likely is more understanding due to being a slave. His being turned first was all tears for me. Athena was such an interesting character as a powerful woman living within this system. She took out any powerlessness she felt on other women, which is very real. And the scene with Poseidon threatening to SA her was so powerful. Additionally Poseidon in this story was truly a masterpiece. His orchestrating seemingly random encounters and saying just what she wanted to hear, to going cold to "punish" her after the first rejection, and ultimately the assault and discarding of her and lying to ruin her reputation. Wonderfully written. I really appreciated this aspect as a SA survivor.

Amazingly written. One of the most well written books I have read this year!

I wanted to love this as I have a deep fascination with retellings of Greek myths, but this just fell a little flat. I love the back story of Medusa and how she was raised and became a priestess but it just felt like she never grew up or gained strength. I kept waiting for some big monumental event to occur for her and it just never got there for me.

Amazingly well-written tale of Medusa and what could have been her origins. An innocent human girl, with no knowledge of "intercourse", is wronged and then turned into a "monster" by her beloved goddess Athena as punishment.

Despite my previous knowledge of Medusa, this was an original, beautiful and succulent novel that humanized the person behind the myth! This is a novel that I will purchase and re-read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for allowing me to read in advance. It's a masterpiece!

I am in awe of this book
I have been telling my friend about it every step of the way because I couldn't put it down
and already preordered a physical copy of it!
incredible!!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

Thank you to Netgalley and to Random House Publishing for the gifted copy.

Absolutely obsessed with this retelling! I am a big Greek mythology fan, and this was no less up my alley! I have read so many retellings of Medusa and each one has been different or slightly different in its own way. Most people that have never read up on Medusa think that she's someone to fear. A woman who has serpents for a head of hair. A woman who can turn men into stone, but she was way more than that. Her actions had so many consequences, but I don't think that it made her a bad person. Trust is so easily given, but also so easily broken. I can't wait to have a physical copy of this book on my shelf!