A review by laurenvoice
Medusa [Illustrated Gift Edition] by Jessie Burton

dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-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

3.75

A beautiful yet emotional retelling of the Greek myth Medusa.

Jessie Burton did a magnificent job at writing such a hard topic. Throughout history, Medusa has been seen as a monster when in fact she was a victim, a survivor. What Poseidon did to her was unthinkable and monstrous, yet, he went unpunished. Athena blamed and cursed Medusa for what had happened in her temple. In this retelling of Medusa, we see Medusa reclaim her identity and Burton shows us the true villains of this story.

This being said, this particular retelling of Medusa was aimed at a younger audience in mind, and although I believe the topic of consent and rape should be discussed with young adults, it did feel like Burton was limited in what she could do with the story. Also, when it came to the fight between Perseus and Medusa it felt a little rushed.

Nonetheless, this retelling was both enchanting and important for all readers to enjoy.
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