Scan barcode
eni_iilorak's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Classism, Racism, Colonisation, Child abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Gore, War, Blood, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Grief, and Sexual content
sol_journal's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
*Thank you Netgalley and One More Chapter for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!*
Posted to: NetGalley, Goodreads, and The StoryGraph
Posted on: 7 April 2023
3.8 (rounded up to 4) out of 5 stars.
Like Rani Selvarajah, I read ‘Medea’ in one of my classics class in university. I loved the story of her righting the wrongs done to her and throwing desperation back into the face of the people who tried to ruin her.
With this retelling, a lot of those same traits from the original work were featured. It has the same structure of ‘Medea’ so it made it, for the most part, predictable in what would happen or in who was supposed to represent who. I especially enjoyed the references to the original work- the Argo, the Helios, etc. It was like little Easter eggs being able to spot and figure out the translations of Euripides’ original to Selvarajah’s work.
That change in setting, focusing on colonialism by the East India Company and the VOC, definitely added some more new-ness to the take of the story.
The characters weren’t so very likable in my opinion. I mean, obviously there’s some characters you are *made* to hate, but even the ones you’re supposed to like or lean more in favor of tended to teeter a line between like and dislike.
A lot of other reviews bring up the slight modernness in the characters’s tone and voice despite the rest of the dated setting as well. Honestly, I didn’t notice this too much during my reading of it. I suppose it’s just a preference thing, but I personally didn’t feel it take away too much from the overall story. There were a few places where, briefly, the writing did feel weak or awkward though.
What I do wish would’ve been played more on was the building anger and that feeling of betrayal. Maybe it’s because I read ‘Medea’ already and knew what to expect, but I feel like those building tensions and breaking points were hit and then backed away from too suddenly.
I was totally on the edge of my seat by the end (around the 80% mark, I didn’t want to put the book down), but it also felt like the burning fire of Meena just rushed forward. I, personally, would have loved to have seen it play more into the story somehow, or constantly felt rather than just lightly mentioned when it was needed and then moving on from it. When it did finally hit at the climax of the book, it felt a bit sudden or rushed to show why Meena was doing what she was.
All in all though, ‘Savage Beasts’ was a good read. I think Rani Selvarajah delivered an *amazing* take on the classic ‘Medea’ with a touch of history that made the tale a lot heavier and hit just a tad bit harder.
*a side note: the term ‘savage’ is used based on a direct quote from one of the translations of Euripides’ play. The usage of it is limited in the actual story itself, but it’s still an uncomfortable word to see based on many opinions from the actual marginalized group it was/is still used against. This was one of the only reasons I was a bit reluctant to read this story for the usage of that word and the history behind it.
I think the way Selvarajah uses it was to also show the racism Meena saw and felt against herself as a minority in this westernized and white world, but I am not the one to excuse the use of it as I am not part of the group this would affect. I do think it’s something to not ignore, however, and I respect the viewpoints of the people who do deserve the platform to speak on this!*
Posted to: NetGalley, Goodreads, and The StoryGraph
Posted on: 7 April 2023
3.8 (rounded up to 4) out of 5 stars.
Like Rani Selvarajah, I read ‘Medea’ in one of my classics class in university. I loved the story of her righting the wrongs done to her and throwing desperation back into the face of the people who tried to ruin her.
With this retelling, a lot of those same traits from the original work were featured. It has the same structure of ‘Medea’ so it made it, for the most part, predictable in what would happen or in who was supposed to represent who. I especially enjoyed the references to the original work- the Argo, the Helios, etc. It was like little Easter eggs being able to spot and figure out the translations of Euripides’ original to Selvarajah’s work.
That change in setting, focusing on colonialism by the East India Company and the VOC, definitely added some more new-ness to the take of the story.
The characters weren’t so very likable in my opinion. I mean, obviously there’s some characters you are *made* to hate, but even the ones you’re supposed to like or lean more in favor of tended to teeter a line between like and dislike.
A lot of other reviews bring up the slight modernness in the characters’s tone and voice despite the rest of the dated setting as well. Honestly, I didn’t notice this too much during my reading of it. I suppose it’s just a preference thing, but I personally didn’t feel it take away too much from the overall story. There were a few places where, briefly, the writing did feel weak or awkward though.
What I do wish would’ve been played more on was the building anger and that feeling of betrayal. Maybe it’s because I read ‘Medea’ already and knew what to expect, but I feel like those building tensions and breaking points were hit and then backed away from too suddenly.
I was totally on the edge of my seat by the end (around the 80% mark, I didn’t want to put the book down), but it also felt like the burning fire of Meena just rushed forward. I, personally, would have loved to have seen it play more into the story somehow, or constantly felt rather than just lightly mentioned when it was needed and then moving on from it. When it did finally hit at the climax of the book, it felt a bit sudden or rushed to show why Meena was doing what she was.
All in all though, ‘Savage Beasts’ was a good read. I think Rani Selvarajah delivered an *amazing* take on the classic ‘Medea’ with a touch of history that made the tale a lot heavier and hit just a tad bit harder.
*a side note: the term ‘savage’ is used based on a direct quote from one of the translations of Euripides’ play. The usage of it is limited in the actual story itself, but it’s still an uncomfortable word to see based on many opinions from the actual marginalized group it was/is still used against. This was one of the only reasons I was a bit reluctant to read this story for the usage of that word and the history behind it.
I think the way Selvarajah uses it was to also show the racism Meena saw and felt against herself as a minority in this westernized and white world, but I am not the one to excuse the use of it as I am not part of the group this would affect. I do think it’s something to not ignore, however, and I respect the viewpoints of the people who do deserve the platform to speak on this!*
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Racism, Murder, and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual content and Pregnancy
More...