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meant2breading's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“I’m wondering if you still think of her as a monster. I suppose it depends on what you think that word means. Monsters are, what? Ugly? Terrifying? Gorgons are both these things, certainly, although Medusa wasn’t always. Can a monster be beautiful if it is still terrifying? Perhaps it depends on how you experience fear and judge beauty.”
“You aren’t monsters,’ Medusa said. ‘Neither are you. Who decides what is a monster?’ ‘I don’t know,’ said Medusa. ‘Men, I suppose.’ ‘So to mortal men, we are monsters. Because of our teeth, our flight, our strength. They fear us, so they call us monsters.”
This was my first major Greek Mythology read for me in many years. I don’t have a lot of background in Greek Mythology and I didn’t feel like I was missing context, though it may have helped. I enjoyed reading the multiple POVS and the short chapters! Love short chapter books!! The story also gives a glimpse into how Medusa faces sexual violence, misogyny, sexism, and dehumanization, among other oppressive realities in depicted Greek Life (I mean, not like we’re past that in society today…). For me though, this felt like more of a glimpse. I wish we would have had more of the story focus on Medusa herself and her perspective, but I appreciated the pacing, the ending, and I love some feminine rage. 💕
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Misogyny
Moderate: Rape, Death, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
oakotoks's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder and Rape
rmcquade's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
megang519's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
mapya's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
spinachpuffs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
mansireanna's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Petition to ban classical myth retellings being billed as ‘epic feminist retelling’ or ‘finally giving her a voice’. This was objectively just mediocre but as a classics graduate it was subjectively just a disservice to the endless creativity one can do to retell a myth. Medusa was barely even in this. It just felt confused, boring and not sure why it was even bothering to tell her story except to shout at the reader that PERSEUS BAD MEDUSA GOOD, which I just didn’t jive with.
readmeaplant's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.75
alreadsitall's review against another edition
3.5
I had really high hopes for this. I've wanted a good Medusa retelling for a while, but this was disappointing. I understand the need to give us multiple perspectives, but it made Medusa feel like a side character to Perseus and the gods. She had no personality and the whole book was things being done *to her* rather than her having agency. Even the first main conflict of Poseidon assaulting her felt like a passing story with no real terror or fight in the moment. The same goes for her death. It was brief and forgettable.
Hayes does a good job of capturing the gods' carelessness and self absorption, but I hate the way some were characterized. I get that we aren't supposed to sympathize or like Athena, but she wrote her as a whiny and stupid brat. Literally at one point the Goddess of Wisdom has no idea what a century means even after living for much longer. Medusa's head explains it to her. It was such a dumb scene that immediately irked me. I am fine with portraying the gods as annoying brats, but it's like Zeus not knowing what rain is.
This book had so much potential, but ultimately didn't live up to it. This is forgettable.
Hayes does a good job of capturing the gods' carelessness and self absorption, but I hate the way some were characterized. I get that we aren't supposed to sympathize or like Athena, but she wrote her as a whiny and stupid brat. Literally at one point the Goddess of Wisdom has no idea what a century means even after living for much longer. Medusa's head explains it to her. It was such a dumb scene that immediately irked me. I am fine with portraying the gods as annoying brats, but it's like Zeus not knowing what rain is.
This book had so much potential, but ultimately didn't live up to it. This is forgettable.