Take a photo of a barcode or cover
norabee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
but that head...the woman he carries...who can know her truth? who lives to remember her?
an interesting twist on these stories and the notion of who controls narratives passed on. when to speak and when to be silent. when to fight and when to influence.
men suck
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence
Minor: Miscarriage
alanacterry's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
Moderate: Physical abuse and Kidnapping
Minor: Animal death, Cursing, and Slavery
dogearedprints's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking
Minor: Rape
clovetra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
perseus was insufferable for the entire book, which was difficult as he's lowkey the main character. yeah thats the goal of this book but idk i wanted to deck him more than i loved the main characters.
danae was... fine. her beginning was super interesting, and then her story teetered out. andromeda was also interesting to begin with, but by the end she lost all her characterisation. that was probably intentional but it does make for a super boring story when i hate one main character & dont care about the other.
i really liked medusa's story. it was the shortest yet the best. im still confused about if in this retelling if she actually had snakes for hair? or she just liked snakes? i know about the gorgon bit but... idk. she was the best but she still wasnt great, as yet again she just felt like a plot device.
idk this book was fine. i dont think it achieved the feat of being a "feminist retelling" of perseus, as all the female characters just existed to drive the story. yes theres probably a deeper commentary about how perseus objectifies women and this is expressed in their significance within the book but.. i dont care if a book has a deeper meaning if i dont find the book interesting its complexity literally means nothing to me.
like i said, this feels like an average book. this is like a movie you'd go and see because your voucher expires tomorrow & this is all that has seats left, yknow?
Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy
Minor: Bullying, Child death, and Death of parent
psychnp's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Gaslighting
smolhandsdan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
takekarame's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, and Murder
oliviawright1014's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Murder, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Rape
santinasimile's review against another edition
3.25
I love the concept of women taking back their stories, and there is only so much that can be done without going against the originals, but this just did not have the strength I expected. Perseus was a very annoying character, which may be on purpose, and Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda seemed muted by the end in a way that seemed more from the writing than the events in the story.
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy
savvyrosereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Rating: 5/5 stars
Told from the perspective of three women—Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda—The Shadow of Perseus is a feminist reimagining of the myth of the Greek “hero” who founded Mycenae.
I usually enjoy a retelling, so I had high hopes for this book, and when I tell you it still BLEW. ME. AWAY. I was a bit nervous that the structure (each part focusing on a different protagonist) might make the novel feel disconnected, but instead the different characters wove their stories together PERFECTLY and I was so deeply drawn to all three of them and the tales they had to tell. And it’s not just the protagonists that are well-written…the villains in this book are perfectly rendered and deeply, magnificently hatable in parts as well (I may have wanted to google “does Perseus die a violent death???” a few times—sorry, not sorry).
Heywood does so much here with regard to commentary on stories/myth, the voices of women, and how history is remembered and passed on, but the best part is that she manages to pack all of this into a book that is also extremely entertaining, fast-paced, and simply fun to read (though also emotional and heartbreaking in more than a few parts). I have a feeling she’s just become an auto-buy author of mine, and I need to go get my hands on Daughters of Sparta asap.
If you enjoy retellings, PLEASE go read this one.
Recommended to anyone, but especially if you like: Greek mythology; feminist retellings; vibrant characters
CW: Sexual assault/rape; confinement/kidnapping; emotional abuse; murder/blood/violence; suicidal thoughts
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Slavery and Pregnancy