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campredwood's review against another edition
3.75
The rest of my feedback is beating a dead horse with everyone else. It’s a misnomer to consider this work focused on Medusa, but not in a bad way. There is a very wide cast of POV, and the story wanders around a lot of the adjacent lore, and the ruthless way she portrays Perseus and Athene ego wise is super satisfying.
Graphic: Violence, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
amyoates's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It’s at the top of my myth retellings list, and I heartily recommend it.
Moderate: Sexual assault and Violence
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Out in paperback on February 27!
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
The story of Medusa and an exploration of what it means to be a “monster” to the world.
I absolutely loved STONE BLIND! I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Medusa and was so excited when this one was the February pick for my book club, and even MORE excited when I had the opportunity to join a book tour to celebrate the paperback release.
My favorite thing about this book is the writing, which is unexpectedly hilarious, and made me want to keep reading at all times. The story itself is tragic and heartbreaking, but Haynes tells it in such a captivating way and infuses a layer of hope that transforms the myth into something truly beautiful.
If you enjoy retellings, I cannot possibly recommend this one enough!
CW: Sexual assault; violence; death
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
stephalogy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Murder, Violence, Misogyny, and Xenophobia
magistran's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Rape, Violence, and Death
booksjessreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I will start with what I enjoyed about the book first. The portrayal of Perseus as a self-righteous and stuck-up 16 year old was my favourite thing. I liked how Haynes had depreciated him in the story and really emphasised how much of a coward he was, despite being praised as a hero. However, there were several chapters where Haynes breaks the 'fourth wall' and writes in second person to the reader, instilling her fury in you that Perseus has always been painted in this way. Listening to the audio of this, this was quite jarring, although I appreciated her intentions of the chapters anyway.
When we got a perspective of Medusa, I also appreciated her point of view.
Perhaps this is just me, as I don't read lots of mythology books, but I felt a lot of the conversations in this book were really basic or childish. And it only ever worked well when we got conversation from Perseus, as it helped build Haynes' portrayal of him. One example that really stuck with me was
I can appreciate why people have enjoyed this book, but I just felt as though this book did not deliver to the standards that it was marketed by. I do enjoy Medusa's story generally so I stuck with it, but there was certain elements that just did not work for me.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, Blood, Rape, Vomit, and Death
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and War
Minor: Incest
imageryx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I will say, the middle part of this book was a slog. The author had to set up a lot to really drive the ending home. It picks up again in the last quarter.
Graphic: Death of parent, Confinement, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Violence, Suicide, Murder, and Rape
Minor: Slavery
bee12345's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Sexual assault, Rape, Body horror, and Sexual violence
annakh16's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.25
Poseidon was disgusting, and both Athena and Perseus were utterly annoying - that’s a compliment to the writer, though it did make some of the scenes a bit hard to bear.
However, in general, the writing felt a bit bare and flat to me - I feel like especially the very emotional scenes could have done with more elaboration.
I also think that the ending felt rushed and quite abrupt. Perseus‘ story felt somewhat unresolved.
Overall, I would recommend this to someone interested in mythology, as I do like the new perspective on Medusa & think she’s a bit underrepresented in the retellings. It’s not my favourite retelling though, and I prefer „A Thousand Ships“ from Haynes.
Moderate: Violence, Death, Abandonment, Rape, and Murder
Minor: Confinement and Grief
vaevin's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Violence and Sexual violence
Moderate: Rape