November 15, 2021
Boy meets girl, girl loves boy--but girl's hair was cursed and is made of living snakes. The Medusa myth is given new shading and depth in a feminist retelling that homes in on the heart of a young girl punished unfairly for being herself. After being banished, Medusa lives with only her winged sisters for company on a hidden desert island until Perseus, a son of Zeus, arrives to bring light to her lonely days. Her first-person narration quickly builds connection with readers--even her snakes experience distinct emotions--as she begins to examine her own autonomy and her need to tell her story to a stranger. In her hunger for the sustenance of the connection she's been denied, Medusa reconsiders the status quo and her relentlessly cruel treatment by both men and gods. Burton delves into the lingering trauma of sexual assault and toxic gender roles in a visceral call to empathy, with surprising twists on the original story. Some messages can veer toward heavy-handedness when they shift away from Medusa's own distinct perspective, but Perseus' description of her as a poet is also true of Burton's prose; aquatic and mythical but not overwrought, its beauty is reflected in Gill's sublime full-page illustrations. Rich in texture and color, they give the impression of a rediscovered ancient manuscript or mural. Medusa, her sisters, and Perseus have light-brown skin. A smart reimagining of an ancient tale that questions old tropes. (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)
COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Starred review from December 6, 2021
In this haunting reimagining of the myth of Medusa and Perseus, Burton (The Confession) positions the pair as teenagers swept up in the capricious gods’ machinations, struggling to defy the destinies thrust upon them. Medusa has been living with her sisters on a secluded island, ever since her transformation into a snake-tressed girl, when Perseus docks his boat on her shore. Without ever seeing each other directly, the 18-year-olds, portrayed with light brown skin, strike up a friendship, over several days sharing their respective hurts and hopes—though Medusa holds back the exact nature of her curse, afraid of how she might be perceived. But as they open their hearts to one another, the shadows of Athena and Poseidon loom, ready to turn a romance into a tragedy. Burton’s take on the traditional adversaries humanizes both characters, blurring boundaries between hero and monster. In particular, Burton is clear to blame the gods for their own actions, especially Poseidon’s sexual assault of Medusa at age 14. Medusa’s first-person voice is formally distant, hinting at her inner turmoil and experiences with misogynistic double standards. Lomenech Gill’s (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) angular, full-color illustrations add another layer of depth to the story. Ages 14–up. Agent: Juliet Mushens, Mushens Entertainment. (Jan).
Starred review from January 1, 2022
Gr 9 Up-Remade by Athena into a mortal Gorgon, Medusa is living out her days on a deserted island with her two immortal sisters. After four years of isolation, a boat arrives at the island carrying an alluring lost sailor named Perseus. Nervous around other humans (for her hair of snakes surely will frighten him), Medusa hides herself while secretly rendezvousing with Perseus. As the two trade their life stories, Medusa begins to see their crossed paths may be no mere coincidence. Burton tackles an old myth with unflinching honesty to reclaim Medusa's story as one of self-love and bravery. While the base plot follows the traditional myth, the lyrical first-person descriptions of Medusa's life reveals the bitter cycle of being struck by the male gaze, scorned by society, and feeling an insurmountable amount of guilt for existing with no reprieve in sight. Medusa and Perseus's tentative friendship illuminates humanity's continued failures in relation to power dynamics, gender inequality, consent, and victim blaming. Ultimately, the duo's ending shifts away from the known finale to paint a hopeful message of owning one's story. Gill's illustrations are rich in detail, with earthy tones gorgeously invoking Medusa's emotions. All characters are Greek. VERDICT With unforgettable imagery and a powerhouse woman at the helm of the tale, this revamped myth is one to get on your bookshelf.-Emily Walker
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 1, 2023
Burton's (The Muse) third novel retells the myth of Perseus and the snake-haired Gorgon from Medusa's own point of view, and from a feminist perspective. The protagonist's young age and heavy focus on romance will make this book most appealing to older teens and young adults, while the poetic phrasing and dreamlike atmosphere may remind some adult readers of Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles. Older readers may wish for more from all the characters, as few of them other than Medusa and Perseus get much in the way of development, and it comes largely in the form of telling their backstories to each other. The instant attraction between Medusa and Perseus also reads as unrealistic in an age of well-fleshed-out romances that have largely moved past insta-love. VERDICT Recommended for New Adult collections where there is a heavy interest in new versions of mythology; otherwise, with so many feminist retellings of various myths, this doesn't stand out in the crowd.--Mary McNulty
Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
November 1, 2023
Originally published in 2022 for young adults, Burton's feminist reboot of Medusa's story has been reissued for the adult market, where mythological re-imaginings flourish. After her terrible transformation four years earlier, Medusa, now 18, and her immortal older sisters self-exiled to a deserted island, seeking peace. When Medusa observes a beautiful stranger anchoring his boat, she foresees a potential end to her loneliness. She and the boy, Perseus, grow close while exchanging personal histories, even though Medusa gives him a false name and doesn't let him see her. Each draws back from revealing their ultimate secret--for Medusa, her head of multicolored snakes; for Perseus, the deadly purpose that led him there. A reckoning with the truth awaits. Burton compassionately humanizes her protagonist, a rape survivor yearning for the normal life she can never have, in unambiguous, occasionally poetic contemporary language as Medusa grows in self-confidence. While not as substantial as Natalie Haynes' Stone Blind (2023), this short novel of betrayal and destiny, which questions who the myth's real monsters are, grants Medusa a well-deserved, empowering finale.
COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.