Reviews

Medusa by Jessie Burton

justvibing's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective tense 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

lili_blum's review

hopeful reflective fast-paced

• 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

2.5

blythe_auden's review

inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

starrysheep's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

katykelly's review against another edition

5.0

Beautiful both to look at and to read.

I do love a retelling, a tale from another angle. Medusa was due her own version. And now this is Longlisted for the Carnegie (and Kate Greenaway for illustration too), both well-deserved.

Medusa and her sisters are living on an island, keeping away from other people, isolated. Medusa laments her situation, her head of snakes. But it is only when a young man appears on the island and they begin speaking (while not seeing each other) that she tells both him and us her story.

And the 'girl behind the myth' title is apt, as the story she tells could be one written today (minus an immortal or two), about female subjugation, about power and control, about how women are perceived by society, shamed and reviled, given titles and gossiped over.

Can opening up and revealing her true nature release her from her 'legend'?

Stunning illustrations of the characters and island/sea setting really do evoke Ancient Greece and the era of the tales, there are some wonderful artistic representations of Medusa and her snakes (nicely named and characterised).

Lyrical, relatable and ultimately as tragic-slash-uplifting as you might want and expect.

For ages 11 and above.

crosara's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.5

2shadowsdeep's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

potitlinoleum's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

sazzleberry's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

nbs_reading's review against another edition

3.5

It was good but It didn't meet my expectations after all the reviews I got about it. It only goes into the mythology of Medusa a little bit but I feel it could have gone much deeper.