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

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Exiled to a far-flung island after being abused by powerful Gods, Medusa has little company other than the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. Haunted by the memories of a life before everything was stolen from her, she has no choice but to make peace with her present: Medusa the Monster. But when the charmed and beautiful Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is blown apart, unleashing desire, love... and betrayal. With this novel Burton tells the story of Medusa and Perseus from Medusa’s perspective. Giving her a very human side.

As they spend their days talking, they realise the growing intimacy and the sense of companionship. They discuss many things and seem to be open and revealing about themselves. Although both still hide a secret. What is Perseus’s true mission, and why won’t Medusa give her real name. Could this be love, and will it survive if they tell each other their hidden secrets?Filled with glorious full-colour illustrations by award-winning illustrator Olivia Lomenech Gill, this astonishing retelling of Greek myth is perfect for readers of Circe and The Silence of the Girls. Illuminating the girl behind the legend, it brings alive the story of Medusa for a new generation. Burton's 2014 debut novel The Miniaturist is set in 17th-century Amsterdam. The novel is inspired by Petronella Oortman's dollhouse now at the Rijksmuseum, although it does not otherwise attempt to be a biographical novel. [8] The Miniaturist took over four years to write. It was the subject of a bidding war at the April 2013 London Book Fair. [9] It was adapted as a two-part miniseries for the BBC and PBS Masterpiece in 2017. Fierce and tender and full of heart; the reclamation of self that Medusa is owed, the version of the myth that deserves to be told, passed girl to girl, painted across walls and screamed from rooftops - Melinda Salisbury

I first came across Jessie Burton’s work in her novel The Miniaturist, an imaginative and intricate story of love and betrayal in seventeenth century Amsterdam, inspired by Petronella Oortman’s gorgeous doll’s house, on display to the public in the Rijksmuseum. it was clear from this debut piece, that Burton could handle a complex plot with style and subtlety. It is the reason I opened Medusa with such hopes of a roller coaster read. But it does not live up to her previous work, and even if, as some reviewers have suggested, this is a book aimed at young adults, it simply does not go dark or deep enough, to fulfil the fateful promise – or curse – of its legendary namesake.

Beautiful, captivating and fascinating as a retelling of Medusa, however, the standout from the book are the poignant messages, fables and life lessons that are subtly interspersed through the story. Apart from the often-told horrors of rape, and stories of abandonment, male dominance, and deception, we see a coming-of-age of a girl disfigured and wrongly accused by the people who should be protecting her. The way Burton captured the sentiment around all these themes was extraordinary yet simple, although they did stir up strong emotions. siss-iling stars for the retelling and the reimagining of one of Greek Mythology’s greatest stories. Imaginative, different and a story that provides all the elements we have come to expect in a Greek tragedy. The art was beautiful, and this book had so much promise for me - but unfortunately fell very flat. I had a map I had a star, but I also made hurricanes. I am telling you this because you need to understand what happened when Perseus turned up on my island. I made a choice, but also that choice was beyond me, waiting for its making” Her Medusa has been on an isolated island, with her two sisters and her dog as company, since she was cursed by Athena to have snakes for hair. She has been on this island for 4 years isolated and lonely from others her age. When one day an intriguing boy arrives on the island called Perseus, he might be able to alleviate this desolation which will leas to trust, love and betrayal.