Artemisia Gentileschi is a hero. She's the founder of the #metoo movement before it was ever even a thing. Amazing.

It's an historical fiction type of review day. Blood Water Paint is a stunning story based on true events, told in quiet, powerful verse.

Artemisia Gentileschi is the 17-year-old daughter of Renaissance artist Orazio Gentileschi, but her talents far outweigh his. At the mercy of her cruel father, Artemesia is her father's assistant, model, and - all too often - the chief artist on the paintings he signs his name to. Her father hires artist Agostino Tassi to work with Artemisia and refine her talents, and she is at first thrilled to have someone recognize her work on its own merit. But when Agostino rapes her, she refuses to play the passive any longer, and brings him to court to keep her honor and reputation intact. As she goes through the grueling judicial process, she remembers the stories of strong women, told to her by her deceased mother, and draws on their strength.

This is feminist historical fiction at its finest. Through Artemisia, we see that women have always had to push back against male society. The very women she paints tell the story: Susanna and her Elders depicts a woman leered at by a group of "respectable" elders; the Biblical heroine Judith, who took matters into her own hands when her husband was murdered by foreign invaders. Artemisia's relationship with her father is complex: he's jealous of her talent and berates her, even humiliates her, but when she tells him about her rape and intent to bring Agostino to court, he stands by her - even though he knows, and tells her, that Agostino will not be the one on trial. It will be Artemisia. Sound familiar? Sound like it could be taken from the news this week? Not much has changed.

Artemisia persists, and in that persistence, she empowers every person to pick up this book. She persists in her artwork, and she persists in bringing her attacker to justice. It may not be a justice that suits the crime - sound familiar? - but she accomplishes what most women of the time would never be able to. And this is a true story: Bustle has a brilliant article on the real-life Artemisia, and how author Joy McCullough discovered her thanks to Margaret Atwood.

This book is captivating; a powerful combination of verse and prose that will spark readers' emotions and start discussions. Blood Water Paint examines issues that are all too relevant today - the perception of women and believing abused women who come forward - and is ultimately an empowering story of a young woman who takes her power back. Put this on your shelves and make sure your teens know about it.

Blood Water Paint has starred reviews from Kirkus, School Library Journal, Booklist, Shelf Awareness, and Publisher's Weekly.

Blood Water Paint is absolutely stunning!

McCullough paints her story. Each word choice like a brush stroke. It is stunning. It… sparkles like a gem in the sunlight. I do not have the words to describe the absolute beauty of this book. But there is one thing that grabbed me throughout. Perspective.

Artemisia learns to paint perspective from Agostino; perspective as it draws the eye to a point in her art or to a point just beyond the canvas. McCullough uses each poem and image within to draw our eye. It all directs us to one or two points in the story, one just out of sight. I love that the climax of the story is blurred. We see it coming, then Artemisia blocks our view with a story and doesn’t let us back until after it is done and over. She lets us see her pain but we are not allowed into the moment that changed everything.

One of the best things about this book for me (besides incredible imagery) was going in blind. I knew nothing about the story when I picked it up. All the revelations made it better but better only in that I learned those pieces (mostly) along with Artemisia.

I picked up Blood Water Paint thinking it was a fictional story about a young woman in the Middle Ages, apprentice(ish) to her father, passionate about art, and stuck in a society of male privilege (something similar to Passion Blue by Victoria Strauss). It is about all this and so much more. I did not know the gentleman she falls in love with is a cad. I fell in love with him right alongside her. He was charming and kind. He saw her in a world where men only ogled her. There was no foreshadowing or suggestion of distrust. No hint of what was to come. Unfortunately, right before their relationship takes a turn, I read a blurb about Blood and found out. And dreaded her future without any way to warn her.

McCullough’s descriptions are powerful and graphic, but they are also purposeful. I appreciate that we are with Artemisia directly before and after her assault, but not during (our eyes drawn off the page). We see the shock and realization of what is about to happen and the numb observations and memories of after. Too many stories stay with the victim throughout and that has a place at times, but sometimes it just emphasizes the sexual act. This -- Blood Water Paint emphasized the horror, the violation, the wrongness by focusing on her dawning realization and aftershock.

I also loved the inclusion of Judith and Susanna. They are Artemisia’s inspiration and strength.

Finally, this is based on a true story, though from what I can find the details differ a fair bit. Artemisia was a brilliant artist still remembered today for her work. She did go to court and she was tortured to ensure she was telling the truth about Agostino (even though the judge kept having to tell him to stop lying??).

I highly recommend it!

A copy of this book was provided by Netgalley for an honest review.

After Artemisia's mother dies, she begins apprenticing with her father as an artist. Fearing that she will be sent away to a nunnery or simply thrown away by her father and brothers, Artemisia becomes consumed by her art. She is the one with the true artistic talent in the family, but her father takes credit for her work and receives her commissions. Artemisia's father hires a teacher to develop her talent and while he is handsome and compelling, there is darkness within this man.

This novel was told in verse and I think that is possibly why I did not connect with the main character. The story was hard to follow and I had to look up the fact that it was historical fiction.

Told as a novel in verse, Blood Water Paint is the story of Artemisia Gentileschi, the daughter of an Italian Baroque painter who learns the craft with greater skill than her brothers, much to the dismay of her father. McCullough weaves the strong poetic voice of Artemisia with stories of empowered Biblical women that became her artistic focus: Susanna and Judith. The symbolism that runs through Gentileschi’s work is mirrored in her life: oppression from the hands of powerful men. Ultimately, Artemisia’s stubbornness to paint morphs into an unshakeable strength through the trials she faces. This novel is a must-have for any library.

The blurb should say that this story is written in verse. Sorry, this type of writing is really not my thing.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this title

I first learned of Artemisia Gentileschi and her paintings when working with an AP European History class. Those students and others will be intrigued by a new, fictionalized account of her life: BLOOD WATER PAINT by Joy McCullough. This novel, told partly in verse, details Gentileschi's creativity as well as the constraints imposed on women's lives in Renaissance Italy. At one point, the seventeen year-old muses: "I wish men would decide if women are heavenly angels on high, or earthbound sculptures for their gardens. But either way, we're beauty for consumption." And, sadly, violence ensues. When Gentileschi speaks out against her rapist, she is tortured, but ultimately draws inspiration from strong women of The Bible, Susanna and Judith, who also feature prominently in her paintings. BLOOD WATER PAINT is recommended for more mature high school students (read an excerpt here) and received starred reviews from Booklist, School Library Journal, and VOYA.

Link to excerpt: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/557182/blood-water-paint-by-joy-mccullough/9780735232112/

What piqued my curiosity in this book is that it is historical fiction, that Artemisia Gentileschi’s story is real. Honestly, I’m not familiar with Artemisia because I’m not an art major that I had to research her biography to be more familiar with her story.

Blood Water Paint sets in 1600s Rome where women are not acknowledge. This book is heavy that it illustrate rape and trauma. Artemisia is a talented female painter who’s struggling as a woman because of the society’s expectations. She also receives lack of acknowledgment of her talents from her father in a way that she can’t write her name as the painter.

I’m fascinated how this book was written. It’s my first time to read a book in free verse poetry and historical fiction. I have so many feels in this book especially when Tino come to the scene. I somehow wished that Tino would not do it, that he’s not liable. At some point, Artemisia and Tino’s chemistry is adorable especially on how Tino protected Artemisia in some ways, how he gets angry because of ill-mannered treatment of Artemisia’s father to her, that it doubted my feelings because I’m aware that Tino’s intentions are not real. But not all stories ends with happy ending. Sometimes our most trusted person is the one who would do worst things to us.

Moreover, Blood Water Paint used Susana and Judith’s stories to reflects Artemisia’s reality. It’s very powerful that I’m very impress on how it was written. This book does not only tells about how women must fight for their rights but also it gives hope, it speaks the truth. Artemisia is a model that despite what the society will dictates, regardless if her name will be destroyed, she voiced out the truth and did not regret it. I would like to be Artemisia who is not only known as a talented artist, but also known as a woman, as a fighter.

Blood Water Paint is astonishing, stunning and breathtaking. I enjoyed it so much and I think I’m liking the writing style. Further, it is wonderfully written and there are so many lessons in it. I wish I could read books with similar style. Again, thank you Penguin Random House (specifically Friya :)) for letting me join this amazing blog tour!

Due to my obligations as a committee member for YALSA's Quick Picks for Reluctant Reader's selection list I am unable to review any titles until the official 2019 list is revealed.

This was so powerful, and definitely still relevant for teens today. I loved how the stories of Susanna and Judith, two biblical women from her mother's stories/her paintings, were intertwined with hers and she called on them for strength during difficult times.

Beautifully written in verse about a young woman who is raped, accused, tortured, vindicated, and triumphed in a society who views women as a possession. Through prose and poetry the author illustrates the story of three woman who stand tall and fights as their integrity is questioned. This is a must read as women today are speaking out about the violation of men in society. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this book.

"Let me show you
what a woman can do."

Artemisia Gentileschi is a painter. But because she's a painter in Rome in the early 1600s, she cannot take credit for her work. All of the credit goes to her father, who is a painter himself, though not a good one. When her father solicits the help of fellow painter Agostino Tassi to develop Artemisia's perspective, she thinks that finally her work might get taken seriously. But after Tassi brutally rapes her, Artemisia's must decide whether she wants her life to continue as close to "normal" as possible, or if she wants to speak her truth and risk her painting career or worse: death.

Unbeknownst to me until about halfway through the book, this story is actually based on a true one, which makes what is already a beautifully written gut-wrenching book all the more poignant. Artemisia is a woman unhappy with her unfair lot in life, and she uses her art to express that by depicting Biblical women (primarily Susana and Judith) realistically instead of through the male gaze. Judith and Susana's stories as told to Artemisia by her late mother are sprinkled throughout the book, and are the only parts not written in verse.

Blood Water Paint is so timely. It's primarily about a woman's ability to speak her truth, and as we live in the time of the #MeToo movement it all feels so horribly relevant. As terrible things are happening in the book, you can see them mirrored in today's society. But ultimately, even as its depressing (and it is brutal), the book is empowering and inspirational, and Artemisia is the quintessential example of a strong female character - her strength in the face of insane adversity is even more affecting given that its based on a real woman.

I can think of no better book to read for National Women's History Month (or really, at any time). I'd strongly recommend this to both teens and adults, and I won't be surprised should it garner several nominations and/or wins when book award season rolls back around. This is one that is not to be missed. 5 stars.

What a heart-wrenching but reaffirming story beautifully and skillfully told in verse. This is a fictionalized version of the real artist Artemisia Gentileschi's story of rape, struggle, and strength, intertwined with the stories of Biblical heroines Judith and Susanna. There were parts I didn't love as I read it (more because of the subject than the writing), but I am so glad that I stayed with it.

A VERSE novel!! YES YES YES!! I love this writing, this book, this story...historical fiction is quickly becoming my new favorite genre and I will follow this author anywhere. Thank you for this book!

While the writing style is very creative and many may enjoy a novel in verse, it just wasn't for me. I had a hard time reading it.

In this age of Harvey Weinstein and #MeToo, the story of Artemisia Gentileschi has particular relevance, and its power becomes even greater when you learn it is based on an historic figure. I turned to the internet part way through merely to locate reproductions of paintings of Judith and Susannah, Biblical characters who were the focal point of much of this young artist's work. I was surprised to discover in Wikipedia that the works I was seeking were painted by this Roman artist born in 1593 and considered " one of the most accomplished painters in the generation following that of Caravaggio." I couldn't stop myself from devouring the bare details of her life, but I'm not sure I would recommend that to future readers of this book. The life of Gentileschi, motherless at twelve, then assistant to her father, a rather pedestrian artist,, and finally outshining him with a rare talent of her own, begins as a powerful story of talent overcoming adversity. Then the fate of this young woman inevitably clashes with the male-dominated culture of 17th century Rome. It would be better to let the story unfold in the poetic language of the author than spoil the dramatic tension with a dry recitation of the facts. It was deeply disturbing to read about the injustices of a society that treated its women like chattel and sanctioned them in the court of public opinion , especially as the reader recognized similar injustices in her own time.
If Blood Water Paint were just a gripping story it would be worth reading, but Joy McCullough goes beyond a simple story. She takes the artistic concept of perspective, meaning the representation of objects in three-dimensional space on the two-dimensional surface and neatly matches it with literary perspective, meaning point of view. She does this by combining the stories of two strong women of the Bible, Susannah and Judith, with the sexual assault of Artemisia and the events on her life that follow. How Artemisia uses the strength of these two exemplars in her own defense gives the story a greater depth and enables the reader to connect with a woman who would be remarkable in any age.

Phenomenal historic novel in verse about the wonderful artist Artemisia Gentileschi! I enjoyed the history and the powerful voice Artemisia has contrasting her lack of power in the male dominated world of the Renaissance in Rome. I have always been fascinated by Artemisia and her courage. This novel deftly blends the artist’s voice with stories from her mother (Susannah and Judith) that inspired Artemisia’s future famous paintings on those subjects.
Spoilers: The idea of being powerless in the Renaissance time period and yet having the courage to accuse her attacker in court is truly impressive. The author gives Artemisia a raw & powerful chorus for women’s rights at a time when women were treated as property. The parallels between Susannah’s story and Judith’s story and Artemisia’s story are artfully woven like a tapestry’s theme! The pain and injustice will have you eager to clamor for Artemisia’s place in history.

I cant wait to read the final,published copy. Ebook format made it hard to read which took from the enjoyment of the book. Will reread for sure once published.

I don't feel like I'm really that well equipped to write a proper review of a novel in verse. I know I've read a few prior to this one, but I think this is the first one I've read in a digital format, and I think that the form lends itself better to print as layout and design of this type of book is so crucial. The story being told in this book is raw and painful, and I think it is a story that lends itself well to the format. It's a heartbreaking reminder of the demoralizing aspects of women in history- even a woman as talented as Artemisia Gentileschi had to endure horrible abuse just to be believed, had to toil behind the scenes instead of being properly acclaimed simply because of being female. Thank you to the author for telling her story to a modern audience.

What a beautiful and gut-wrenching book. Every time I think I'm getting tired of novels-in-verse, I find one that blows me away. McCullough's poetry offers perfect descriptions of the period and of characters, particularly the adolescent feeling of falling in love. Historically, this isn't an easy story, but I'm so glad that it's been so beautifully retold here.