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sueread2030's reviews
737 reviews
Medea by Rosie Hewlett
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
OMG! I want to reach out into the book, thousands of years from now and strangle Jason😡😡😡😡
well, Medea is no better! she is such an idiot
⚜ rating: 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
âšœGenre: Greek Retelling
âšœTheme: Revenge
âšœTargeted audience: NA
âšœCharacters: Medea, Jason
âšœRepresentation: non
⚜ driven: Character-driven definitely. Yes there is the plot of Medea embracing her ruthlessness, but this is all about the characters.
âšœPace: medium
âšœTW: a lot! A whole fucking lot! violence- child violence- sibling murder- beheading - skinning - infertility- grooming
⚜ tropes: I don't know if this is trope-driven but let's say "revenge"
⚜ POV: one-sided third person
⚜ spice 🌶🌶
âšœstandalone: yes
âšœEnding: Satisfying
âšœBook read: tandem audio and physical
If you are familiar with the story of Medea then you know how the story ends. If you are not, I advise you not to read this review
.
.
the story in short, Medea the witch of Calchios helps Jason with his three trials to get the golden fleece. Jason takes her back to her kingdom and marries her as a reward. However, he takes all the glory for himself. After 10 years of marriage and two sons, Jason decides to annul his marriage to Medea to marry another princess. Medea, in rage, takes her revenge on him by murdering the princess and their 2 sons. The gods forgive her because she later helps Hercules.
In this book, Hewlett depicts in depth the manipulative process by which Jason has used to groom Medea and get her to do his bedding.
Jason’s Grooming and Exploitation of Medea
Grooming often involves a process where the perpetrator builds a connection with a victim to abuse them. The abuse could be physical or emotional. Medea has suffered both. Physical by the hand of her father ever since she was a child. He portrayed her as a monster for her magic yet still used said magic for his gain.
When Jason arrives, Medea is 17. Jason is portrayed as a calculated manipulator who grooms Medea, leveraging her foreignness and magical prowess for his gain. He builds trust and love, positioning himself as her savior promising her freedom and an accepting kingdom.
He manipulates her, just like her father, to do unspeakable murders then throws that at her.
ason’s charm and strategic affection manipulate Medea into sacrificing her family, homeland, and moral boundaries. His betrayal is framed not just as abandonment but as the culmination of a predatory relationship where Medea’s agency is eroded.
He expected her to give and give and give while he returned nothing, not even affection.
This is clearly shown with their first "lovemaking" if you want to call it that. Jason never took his time with her or eased her into the sex. he pushed through her barrier ignoring her pain because he wanted to take her for himself.
Medea's Reclamation of Power
Even though Medea is the victim, I hold her responsible for her fate as well. You may think that she was young when Jason pushed himself into her life, but a person who was living with a manipulative father should have seen the signs.
She was so desperate for freedom that she thought others should free her and not she freeing herself though she had all the power.
And although every male in her life betrayed her and every female warned her, she did not listen and arrogantly thought that Jason would be her freedom.
10 years she gave Jason from her life, never standing up to him. She is not 17 anymore. So I blame her for reaching the breaking point
However, at the same time, I applaud her for what she did. Better late than never I suppose.
Medea’s infamous acts of vengeance (e.g., killing her children) are recontextualized as desperate responses to systemic oppression. Her manipulation of others—such as deceiving Creon and Glauce with poisoned gifts—becomes a survival tactic, highlighting her entrapment in a patriarchal world.
The epilogue
Oh how I hated her sister Chalciope. She reminded me of Elain from acotar. The innocent looking beauty who everyone defends and daunts on. Who gets a man to love her and a happy life, but let's other take the suffering away from her.
Chalcipe hautingly marches to Madea after 15 years wanting Medea to ease her mind because - get this - Chalciope cannot tolerate the thought that a mother killed her child!!! you piece of shit!! you left your sister to suffer and after all these years YOU WANT HER TO EASE YOUR PAIN!!!!!!!!! FUCK YOU
She reminds me of white people who when they say the oppression happening to others because of their own governments cry and say sorry wanting others to comfort them for their empathy!
anyway, I loved everything about the book
tbh, I wanted to read more about Medea after Jason.
well, Medea is no better! she is such an idiot
⚜ rating: 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
âšœGenre: Greek Retelling
âšœTheme: Revenge
âšœTargeted audience: NA
âšœCharacters: Medea, Jason
âšœRepresentation: non
⚜ driven: Character-driven definitely. Yes there is the plot of Medea embracing her ruthlessness, but this is all about the characters.
âšœPace: medium
âšœTW: a lot! A whole fucking lot! violence- child violence- sibling murder- beheading - skinning - infertility- grooming
⚜ tropes: I don't know if this is trope-driven but let's say "revenge"
⚜ POV: one-sided third person
⚜ spice 🌶🌶
âšœstandalone: yes
âšœEnding: Satisfying
âšœBook read: tandem audio and physical
If you are familiar with the story of Medea then you know how the story ends. If you are not, I advise you not to read this review
.
.
the story in short, Medea the witch of Calchios helps Jason with his three trials to get the golden fleece. Jason takes her back to her kingdom and marries her as a reward. However, he takes all the glory for himself. After 10 years of marriage and two sons, Jason decides to annul his marriage to Medea to marry another princess. Medea, in rage, takes her revenge on him by murdering the princess and their 2 sons. The gods forgive her because she later helps Hercules.
In this book, Hewlett depicts in depth the manipulative process by which Jason has used to groom Medea and get her to do his bedding.
Jason’s Grooming and Exploitation of Medea
Grooming often involves a process where the perpetrator builds a connection with a victim to abuse them. The abuse could be physical or emotional. Medea has suffered both. Physical by the hand of her father ever since she was a child. He portrayed her as a monster for her magic yet still used said magic for his gain.
When Jason arrives, Medea is 17. Jason is portrayed as a calculated manipulator who grooms Medea, leveraging her foreignness and magical prowess for his gain. He builds trust and love, positioning himself as her savior promising her freedom and an accepting kingdom.
He manipulates her, just like her father, to do unspeakable murders then throws that at her.
ason’s charm and strategic affection manipulate Medea into sacrificing her family, homeland, and moral boundaries. His betrayal is framed not just as abandonment but as the culmination of a predatory relationship where Medea’s agency is eroded.
He expected her to give and give and give while he returned nothing, not even affection.
This is clearly shown with their first "lovemaking" if you want to call it that. Jason never took his time with her or eased her into the sex. he pushed through her barrier ignoring her pain because he wanted to take her for himself.
Medea's Reclamation of Power
Even though Medea is the victim, I hold her responsible for her fate as well. You may think that she was young when Jason pushed himself into her life, but a person who was living with a manipulative father should have seen the signs.
She was so desperate for freedom that she thought others should free her and not she freeing herself though she had all the power.
And although every male in her life betrayed her and every female warned her, she did not listen and arrogantly thought that Jason would be her freedom.
10 years she gave Jason from her life, never standing up to him. She is not 17 anymore. So I blame her for reaching the breaking point
However, at the same time, I applaud her for what she did. Better late than never I suppose.
Medea’s infamous acts of vengeance (e.g., killing her children) are recontextualized as desperate responses to systemic oppression. Her manipulation of others—such as deceiving Creon and Glauce with poisoned gifts—becomes a survival tactic, highlighting her entrapment in a patriarchal world.
The epilogue
Oh how I hated her sister Chalciope. She reminded me of Elain from acotar. The innocent looking beauty who everyone defends and daunts on. Who gets a man to love her and a happy life, but let's other take the suffering away from her.
Chalcipe hautingly marches to Madea after 15 years wanting Medea to ease her mind because - get this - Chalciope cannot tolerate the thought that a mother killed her child!!! you piece of shit!! you left your sister to suffer and after all these years YOU WANT HER TO EASE YOUR PAIN!!!!!!!!! FUCK YOU
She reminds me of white people who when they say the oppression happening to others because of their own governments cry and say sorry wanting others to comfort them for their empathy!
anyway, I loved everything about the book
tbh, I wanted to read more about Medea after Jason.
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
In my mind, this is what ENEMIES TO LOVERS should be
it was the best one so far
I truly believe that every enemies-to-lovers wannabe book that thinks "banter" and little sparkle of angry looks at the beginning of the book should take a page from this one!
Lira and Elian really reallllly REEEEAAAAALLLLY want to kill each other...and they almost did...several times
70% into the book and their intention is still to kill each other
oh, and this is THE BEST LITTLE MERMAID retelling I have read
I enjoyed it very much
I loved that both of them are evil 😈
I was cackling at the dialogue and banter between them
Lira really gave it to him
I also loved the surprise of using Arabic terminology. I don't know if the author lived a while in the ME or has Egyptian friends because "Molokhia eyes?! 😲 they know about molokhia?! Who told???
Also the ship is called The Saad which means happiness - ironically.
However, I do think that this would have worked better as a duology
I felt the ending was rushed
their romance did not blossom until the last third.. I wasn't convinced of it.
and I wanted more of the reason for Lira's animosity towards her mother
Also, I wished to have witnessed how they made the relationship work!
but it is a very good read
and I may check more from the author
it was the best one so far
I truly believe that every enemies-to-lovers wannabe book that thinks "banter" and little sparkle of angry looks at the beginning of the book should take a page from this one!
Lira and Elian really reallllly REEEEAAAAALLLLY want to kill each other...and they almost did...several times
70% into the book and their intention is still to kill each other
oh, and this is THE BEST LITTLE MERMAID retelling I have read
I enjoyed it very much
I loved that both of them are evil 😈
I was cackling at the dialogue and banter between them
Lira really gave it to him
I also loved the surprise of using Arabic terminology. I don't know if the author lived a while in the ME or has Egyptian friends because "Molokhia eyes?! 😲 they know about molokhia?! Who told???
Also the ship is called The Saad which means happiness - ironically.
However, I do think that this would have worked better as a duology
I felt the ending was rushed
their romance did not blossom until the last third.. I wasn't convinced of it.
and I wanted more of the reason for Lira's animosity towards her mother
Also, I wished to have witnessed how they made the relationship work!
but it is a very good read
and I may check more from the author