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

dark emotional sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I went into this with high hopes. I wanted to be able to say that a modern, feminist retelling of Medusa's myth did her justice - but this just fell flat for me.

My biggest issue is the word choice and structure of this retelling. There were far too many moments that Medusa or someone around her spoke like they were in modern times. The words and phrases threw me for a loop, and though the book ends in an ambiguous way to suggest Medusa is always existing as a story and feature head that isn't enough to justify the poorly written dialogue between two Greeks in the time of the gods. 

My other issue, is unfortunately, with the character of Medusa. While some moments resonated with me as she finally decided to take back her power and embrace herself, it felt very hollow and left a bitter taste in my mouth. Almost every woman around Medusa is painted as jealous and angry of her beauty, and though her sisters are characterized as loving, they too have a shell-like quality to their personalities. Every character felt hollow, leaving poignant moments falling flat as I couldn't form a connection with anyone, not even the main character. 

I think this book just disappointed me. It left the impression of armchair activism, feminism for the sake of saying you're feminist, and didn't turn the myth on its head like I felt like Medusa deserved. 
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