Medusa: A beautiful and profound retelling of Medusa’s story

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I received an advanced galley of this book, from the publisher, through Netgalley - in exchange for my honest feedback. They truly bring Medusa and her story to life, I was honestly mesmerised by how hauntingly beautiful they were. However, I think Burton did a great job of blending the various interpretations in hers, both from the Greek original as well as from Ovid’s more popularised Roman retelling.

In ancient Greek mythology, Medusa is the most famous of three monstrous sisters known as the Gorgons. Jessie Burton’s retelling, Medusa: The Girl Behind the Myth, is aimed at YA readers, and there’s a graphic novel vibe to its bold jacket, from which its protagonist stares out, defiant and compelling (only beneath the dust jacket are those legendary asps visible). A dazzling, lyrical YA retelling of Greek myth, from Jessie Burton, internationally bestselling author of The Miniaturist and The Muse. This book was described as "a dazzling, feminist retelling of a Greek myth," which is a perfect fit for my daughter's reading pile. medusa is my favourite greek myth and i’ve been craving a feminist retelling of it for SO LONG, but this was…a bit of a let down.the conclusion is so forceful in its want to be a ‘feminist’ book too, as it ends with a warning about women who gain reputations like medusa. She first fell under the spell of the myths when an older brother bought her a copy of Kenneth McLeish’s Children of the Gods. Perseus, though, is “a vicious little thug”, and, Haynes tells us, “the sooner you grasp that, and stop thinking of him as brave boy hero, the closer you’ll be to understanding. It is hosted by the NHS Wales Informatics Service and can be accessed via the internet or downloaded and made available through an organisation’s intranet.

The book is an illustrated version, with remarkable drawings from Olivia Lomenech Gill, that fit perfectly with the theme of Greek mythology and ancient history. Perseus’ friend Dictys took the throne and, now finished with the relic, Perseus gave Medusa’s head to Athena, who wears it on her aegis whenever she goes into battle. This Irish Hero saved the day knocked the Giant in the eye forgot what weapon this Hero chose but that Eye obliterated the Palace and perhaps an Army of Giant's or this Giant's own Kingdom. There are some unusual POVs in the mix, a talking head (no, not David Byrne), a crow, and an olive tree among them. It was a lot of really flowery, really beautiful “Tumblr-esque” language - both in conversations and in Medusa’s internal dialogue - and it felt so forced and unrealistic.Photograph: Richard Saker/The Observer Jessie Burton: her book ‘is destined to become as much an artefact of our own age as it is an illumination of the ancient past’.