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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. But when a charmed, beautiful boy called Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is disrupted with the force of a supernova, unleashing desire, love and betrayal…

Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve recently become really interested in Greek mythology, which is something I haven’t read much of growing up or know much about. I’ve read a few Greek mythology inspired books recently and sadly haven’t enjoyed them very much (Circe and Lore). This was the perfect level of mythology for me, which read more like a myth or fairytale than literary fiction or fast paced fantasy. Burton has written this to be aimed at young adults, which I really liked. It’s also interspersed with beautiful artwork by Olivia Lomenech Gill which compliment the story beautifully.

I love the way we see Medusa in this story. It’s told from her point of view and paints her as the victim of the story rather than the villain, as we know from the original myth. I really liked Medusa as a character and the relationship between her and her sisters. The setting of the island felt so visual too, and I could picture the book well.

There is some really important and beautiful messages throughout this book, focussing on acceptance and owning who you are even through your darkest times. This was such an amazing way to reclaim Medusa’s story and I loved the feminist messages behind it.

★★★★
4 out of 5 stars

-Beth

May your shelves forever overflow with books! ☽

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