I, Medusa had me at: "She tallies how many men she has killed thus far and wonders how many more she will kill before the rate within her is sated, before it feels like enough."

A mortal girl born of two old gods, this retelling spans Medusa's coming of (r)age story, where she finds herself as the plaything of the gods time and time again. I barely put this down from the moment I picked it up. This story had everything I want when I say I want to read about feminine rage. I felt this was an expose on religion, on gender stereotypes, on rape culture, on racism, on class, on family. As much as I hated what the women in this story went through, I enjoyed watching Medusa grow as she began to understand her situation, men, and power through her experiences. And while Medusa could have, and occasionally did, take things (some may say, a bit) too far, she always left a place for her humanity. Ayana also kept calling out my own humanity. As I was gleefully watching Stheno and Euryale turn thousands of men to stone, I got hit with the "Her universal disdain for men is no better than so many men's disdain for women." OOPS. :)

I've loved mythological retellings for such a long time, and I, Medusa will sit in my favorites category.

"Name your price! Every man has a price."
"Unfortunately for you, I am no man."

If you're reading this and can - go ahead and order it LMAO like that's it that's all.
Or run up that library card honestly, idk but just GET IN HERE, this book was GLORIOUS.

First off, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Kicking things off - I love and I mean LOVE a mythological retelling. I flew to NetGalley as SOON as I saw Black Medusa retelling, like I was SAT.

This story follows Meddy (Medusa) as she navigates life as a mortal amongst gods/immortals. The only mortal in her family, she's always felt a bit on the outside. An opportunity arises for her to work for a powerful goddess and, by extension, gain a bit of much-sought-after approval from her parents. Along the way she experiences Poseidon (Poseidon you're a raggedy evil b*tch and I hate you like I hope you go prematurely bald and get hit by a b*s xoxo) and everything takes a sharp turn from there.

I've read a few Medusa retellings, and most focus on Medusa after the ass*ult. This story breathes life into Medusa's lore, and I thought it was BEAUTIFUL. Medusa was a girl. She was a sister. She experienced rage, joy, love, grief, and so much more. It says a lot about Ayana Gray that she wrote such a thoughtful tale about Medusa, and that she lets readers see the side of a character they usually don't get to see. I cannot stress this enough - focusing on who she was before the incident is so, so important. We know how society views survivors and how language is often twisted, but Ayana Gray very much so advocates for Meddy by giving her a well-rounded life - doing anything less would honestly be a disservice, but again, I applaud her for this. It says a lot about her and her writing, and I can't wait to see what else she has in store for us.

If you love a Medusa retelling, or are/may know a survivor, and can read content like this, I highly recommend it. Meddy was always more than enough - and you are too.

Thank you x5000. Will be recommending to everyone I know lololol

I, Medusa is a beautiful retelling of Medusa's life. Starting as a young princess, to an acolyte for Athena, to the monster that we usually associate with her name, her journey causes her to learn much both about life and the way the world works. Her realizations about power structures and the dangers of men in power lead to the choices she makes that some would demonize and others support. This book was compelling to read even though I knew the ending and was an excellent retelling.

As someone who hasn’t had much exposure to Greek mythology in her adult years, I found I, Medusa to be eye-opening and emotional. I’ve only ever known Medusa, the monster, and loved getting to know Medusa the girl. I, Medusa truly is a reminder that we are all the product of our experience and that most monsters are made.

Gray’s writing is beautiful with vivid storytelling and comfortable pacing. I loved how Gray’s writing created a beautiful world, and I felt like I was truly drawn into the Greek empire. Her worldbuilding felt fresh and fully immersive without dragging the story down. This is fairly short, and, in my opinion, some writers can drag the story down.

I, Medusa, is a tragic tale filled with difficult subject matter and loss. I would caution others to read the content warnings before diving in, but I think I, Medusa is a powerful tale worth being shared. I definitely see her in a new light now, and I’d recommend this to anyone with an interest in Greek Mythology or fans of Madeline Miller.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. It was truly, beautiful.

Publication Date: November 18, 2025

Thank you to Random House Publishing, NetGalley, and Ayana Gray for the advanced reader’s copy of “I, Medusa” in exchange for my honest review.

i think many of us have heard the various, often conflicting tales of Medusa’s creation and life. these stories range from her being a seductress-turned-monster to a wronged girl-turned-vengeful. Ayana Gray crafts a beautiful story that portrays Medusa in an entirely new light, a Medusa who can’t be contained in predetermined boxes. she isn’t “just” anything.

the world has so often portrayed Medusa as one thing: a monster. but Ayana Gray masterfully presents her as a sister, a daughter, a dreamer, an acolyte, a friend.

the book begins with Medusa as a teenager, just 17 years old, dreaming of exploring the world beyond her family’s island. i could not only see but feel Medusa’s immense love for her sisters and her friend. Medusa is a flawed but lovable character. at times, i wanted to scream at some of her choices, but more often than not, i felt deeply connected to her: a sheltered teenager finding herself far from home for the very first time. she’s impulsive and sometimes immature, but her heart is so big. she’s painfully human in a world where gods and immortals alike use humans like pawns in a game.

Gray expertly incorporates themes of injustice, identity, and power through the lens of race and culture, which made this retelling stand out.

if you like Greek mythology, complex and flawed characters, or stories that challenge preconceived narratives, this book might be for you. i know i’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

Overall, this is a well done imagining of the story of Medusa. I was intrigued and pulled in from page one. Written in first person, the reader follows Medusa from the young, naive mortal daughter of two ancient sea gods to a loyal, hardworking priestess of Athena, and through the story of how she becomes the legend we know from myth. Reflective of the experiences of many women throughout history, it is thoughtfully told and often maddening to watch unfold. The worldbuilding and story flow were both great too.

However, the last section fell a little flat for me. The pacing felt a little different perhaps, but otherwise I can't honestly even pinpoint why. This could easily be a reflection of my own subconscious expectations and a me problem, though, because Medusa's characterization objectively made sense here for how Ayana had written her throughout.

*TW: sexual assault, domestic violence

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this digital ARC!

I loved this reimagining of the story of Medusa. Not only does it give life to the old myth it also touches on the nuances of rape culture.
We get to follow Meddy as she goes from being the mortal daughter of two old gods to becoming a priestess to the gorgon from mythology. Meddy goes from being a very naive girl who knows jothing of the world past her home island, let alone sex and relationships between two people. To being accepted to Athena’s temple, where she makes a friend in fellow acolyte Apollonia. When Apollonia is raped by soldiers within Athens and cast out of the temple, Meddy is given look into what can happen to young women in the world. She is convinced into believing that Apollonia was appropriately punished for the indiscretion. Meddy is lulled into a relationship with Poseidon, who takes advantage of her. Meddy is cursed by Athena along with her sisters. Meddy is reunited with her lost friend Apollonia after some sailors bring her to the island. Meddy and Apollonia leave the island and try to create a life, until a young girl is raped by a priest and Meddy takes justice into her own hands.

4.5 stars

This retelling was absolutely gorgeous. I have always had a soft spot for Medusa, a character who suffered for the actions of someone else, who received all the blame in the end, despite having none of the power. I love the spin that Ayana Gray put on the story, and the depth that she gave Medusa and her story. This retelling will really stick with me, for the power given to this traditionally powerless character.

I enjoyed this book very much. I liked the that time was given to Medusa's past before she was transformed. The ending was so rushed though. After she was transformed there was maybe 10% of the book left. There was so much story there to tell that was set up by the author.
Still it was a good book and I love Medusa reimaginings. Thank you NetGalley and Randomhouse Publishing for this egalley. I was under no obligation to leave a review.
Trigger warnings
Assault
Domestic violence
Sexual assault

I, Medusa by Ayana Gray is a fierce, emotionally charged retelling that reclaims the myth from a fresh, feminist perspective. With vivid world-building and a deeply empathetic heroine, Gray transforms Medusa from a footnote into a force. Lush, powerful, and brimming with righteous fury, it’s a story of pain, identity, and reclaiming one’s voice.

Thank you to netgalley and publishers for this ARC!

This novel is just beautiful. It stands out in the Greek myth retellings, in that it is a very humanized, very gorgeous retelling of Medusa’s story. Instead of simply facing us with violence, we are given an incredibly human and incredibly nuanced look at her story that reminds us that there are victims of all kinds. Absolutely haunting and devastating, but in the best way.

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.