Medusa

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).

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.

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