Rosie Hewlett Medusa: Uncovering the Magical World of a Teenage Witch

smiley494: Very enjoyable retelling of an ancient myth.
This was an entertaining retake on the Medusa story. Whilst I agree with most of the criticisms raised by others especially the one about the style of writing being too modern this, for me, did not detract from an enjoyable read. Being too archaic can detract from the readability-the trick is getting the balance right and one can sometimes be over critical. What matters is did you enjoy the book or not and I did.
Look forward to find out what this author will attempt next.

United Kingdom on Aug 10, 2023

Tori: it is nice to read. written in her perspective and like she is telling the story to the reader. and i was surprised as this is the first book i found that actually mentions her sons

Germany on Aug 02, 2023

D Smith: Medusa has always been one of the Greek monsters humans remember the most. She inspired paintings, sculptures, and movies. However, she is always portrayed as the thing to kill, without any real reason why she must die.

Rosie Hewlett explores the life and death of Medusa in a new light - as a human transformed into a monster because of an unfair goddess, and who is still determined to try to beat the odds against her.

Medusa tells us her story from the Underworld, where she has watched her story being told by men time and again and always inaccurately. She decides to finally speak the truth of what really happened.

Medusa's mother is a primordial sea goddess and deserts her as soon as she is born because she came out human. She is found by an old temple maiden and raised as a virgin disciple of Athene. She is devoted to the goddess who never speaks to her, yet believing blindly in that divine protection.

All goes horribly wrong when Poseidon sets his eye on the adult Medusa's beauty and rapes her in Athene's temple. Medusa calls out repeatedly to the goddess for help but to no avail.

Athene only appears after the assault, blaming Medusa for the...

United States on Jul 03, 2023

MARIA HENNINGER: Loved this story from Medusa's side. Like Wicked, it makes you see there is always 2 sides to every story. It kept me engaged & I finished it over 2 beach visits, it's short, 200 pages. But it tells the story well!

United States on Jul 01, 2023

Kindle Customer: So far of all the medusa retelling I've read so far (4) this one has been my favorite. It shows a victims side without making her a victim for the entire story.

United States on Jun 25, 2023

Talita: Hoped for a wise and levelheaded Athena but was a little disappointed. However all the other aspects of Medusa are written well in my opinion.

Germany on May 02, 2023

Alison Ingles: I recently read Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes and was very disappointed. In one of the poor reviews I had read of that book, someone recommended this one by Rosie Hewlett. And boy am I glad I saw it.

I will start by saying that the book isn't perfect. There are some things I'd tweak for sure. But I still give it 5 stars for the creativity, the revenge plot, and some of the beautiful writing this author put in.

As an adult woman who was SA'd at a young age, I've only recently started to work through my traumas. When I discovered the truth of Medusa's story (not the watered down, censored version we were taught in school), I felt a personal connection to her story and could very much so relate. This book helped me feel very validated and seen. The emotions and trauma were depicted in a way that were relatable, but not triggering.

United States on Feb 13, 2023

Eliana Zamora: Una novela que te atrapa desde el inicio.

Mexico on Jan 24, 2023

Amanda Hupe: “But history is written by the winners. Or, more simply, history is written by the men.”

MEDUSA
Yes, another mythology retelling. I just can’t help myself, especially when it is about one of the most intriguing characters in mythology. Medusa by Rosie Hewlett tells Medusa’s story on her terms. Medusa is the mortal daughter of a marine goddess. She is left to serve as a priestess in Athena’s temple. In all that time, Athena never answers a single prayer. She grows into a beautiful young woman and catches the eye of the god Poseidon himself. Except he doesn’t take no for an answer. Laying on the floor brutalized, Athena finally appears and is offended by Medusa’s conduct in her temple and turns her into a Gorgan. At first, Medusa pities herself but then realizes the power she wields…

TRIGGER WARNINGS: This book discusses the rape of Medusa and how she was treated as a victim afterward. Throughout history, Medusa is seen as a monster who was vanquished by the hero Perseus. It is not becoming a more prevalent opinion that she isn’t a monster, but a survivor. This book is relatively short, I would almost consider it a novella. But the story is pretty...

United States on Feb 20, 2022

Ornella: Have you ever felt like the book you've just read was meant for you? Like, actually made for you?

This is what I felt when I discovered this book.

While this is not the reimagining of the myth I expected it was so very interesting!

First of all, it was high time that some wrote Medusa's stort bring out her voice. And while this set pretty high expectations on this book, I'm pleased to say that it didn't disappoint!

I loved it so so much.

The story is told by Medusa herself as a way to take control of her story and let us know what really happened. She's such a witty badass, honestly, I fell in love with her.

Her story is very delicate since she is a survivor. Of course, there are some dark moments in her life but they are treated so beautifully. With the outmost delicacy and understanding. Never have I thought of her as a monster. Never.

And maybe it was a coincidence because I've just read Ariadne but it made me think of the Minotaur and really, who's the real monster here?

I also found interesting her thoughts about beauty. It reminded me of "The secret history" where beauty is associated with terror. Medusa will end uo...

Italy on Jun 01, 2021