"Thrilling, flaming feminist re-telling of the Greek myth"
November 2021 Book of the Month | Shortlisted for the Yoto Carnegie Medal for Writing 2023
Jessie Burton’s fiery feminist re-telling of the Greek myth of Medusa blazes with intrigue and beauty courtesy of author’s elegant style and Olivia Lomenech Gill’s fabulously evocative colour illustrations. It’s an incredible feat of intellect and imagination that takes down toxic masculinity and victim-blaming culture through an ingenious reframing, reclaiming of Medusa.
The gods have exiled Medusa to a remote island, with no one for company but the snakes she has for hair. That is, until impossibly beautiful Perseus arrives and transfixes her: “I know a lot about beauty. Too much in fact. But I’d never seen anything like him…I wanted to eat him up like honey cake.” Desires awoken, Medusa won’t reveal her name, or let him see her: “I was just going to sit on the other side of this entrance rock and pretend that boys like him washed up on desert islands all the time.” This excerpt encapsulates one of the many marvellous things about this book.
The writing - cleverly, and compellingly - feels both timeless and modern. Medusa’s narrative, and the dialogue, is laced with wit, and infused with tremendous detail.
But betrayal swoops in the wake of desire, and all-too familiar mechanisms of patriarchy come into play with ferocity. Ultimately, though, and with a magnificent sense of sisterhood, Medusa comes to a new state of being: “Self-awareness is a great banisher of loneliness. And my sisters, the immortals, are with me.” This is terrifically inspiring and empowering in the ways of timeless myths, but also in ways that are very, very real - “you will find me when you need me, when the wind hears a woman’s cry and fills my sails forward.
And I will whisper on the water that one must never fear the raised shield, the reflection caught in an office window, or the mirror in a bathroom.”
A dazzling, feminist retelling of Greek myth from the internationally bestselling author of The Miniaturist, stunningly illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill.
| Suitable For: | |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
A dazzling, feminist retelling of Greek myth from the internationally bestselling author of The Miniaturist, stunningly illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill. Exiled to a far-flung island by the whims of the gods, Medusa has little company except the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Medusa and determined it is suitable for children aged 13-18 years old
Medusa features in the following genres: Books of the Month, Recommendations, Fantasy / Magical, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Featured Books for Young Adults, Gift Books, Children’s / Teenage stationery and miscellaneous items, Mystery / Mythology, Children’s / Teenage: General interest, Romance / Relationship Stories, Star Books, Featured Books for 13+ readers
Hardback. £13.49, down from the £14.99 cover price. In Stock.
Medusa was written by Jessie Burton and published by Bloomsbury YA an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Medusa has 206 pages
£13.49, reduced from £14.99. In Stock.
