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etherealbeefstew's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
kendrashea's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Grief, Rape, and Death
tiffanyred's review against another edition
2.0
This book was a major disappointment for me. For one, the majority of the book isn't even about medusa. We get maybe 7? really short chapters with her? The author totally forgot the cardinal rule of show, don't tell in this book. There is little to no explanation for why or how certain things happen. I couldn't have been the only one confused by I was bored half the time and might have missed where that was explained but its not mentioned for the rest of the book. The worst part is the author has no qualms about breaking the 4th wall to tell us what we're supposed to feel instead of actually MAKING us feel what she wants through good writing. I'm not going to feel sympathy for Medusa or disdain for Perseus just because the author told me I should. If the writing and dialogue wasn't so dull and the characters had depth then I might have felt some of what the author wanted. But instead, the reader is treated like they're an idiot who's incapable of forming their own opinions. At the end of the day this book is insulting if anything. Its a jumbled mess of random POVs and fails to give medusa the retelling she deserves. This is my first review to my apologies for how messy it is, this book was just such a disappointment I couldn't NOT review it.
Spoiler
the scene involving Hephaestus and Athene. How did we go from holding her hand to THAT??? And what was the relevance of the battle between the giants and Olympians?meimayy's review against another edition
A retelling that gives a voice back to the many women in Greek mythology. However it's a very slow build up to what I imagine is a big climactic moment. It's written in little vignettes to build the story, but for me, way too many character perspectives to read from to really sink in.
kathinotkaaati's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Death
Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, and Genocide
emmacarambola's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
bookishbehaviours's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
5.0
pannika's review against another edition
Natalie Haynes is a great writer. The mythological characters in this classic tale are imbued with so much contemporary personality and FUNNY. I will try to get my hands on more works by the same writer. BUT as good as Haynes is as an author, she is awful as a narrator. I listened to this book on audio. I could appreciate the genius in the words despite her terrible delivery. It made me realise how awful I'd be as a narrator too, and that it is a skill that actors are trained to have - not your average mortal.
brigs_books's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75