This book seems to be the contemporary version of Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak. It was beautifully written and very powerful, it resonated deeply and brought me to tears. The characters were realistic and relatable and I think there is something that speaks to all of us about acting without really understanding the feelings that drive us.

This is only my second experience with a novel in verse. I find it an interesting way to tell a story. It is relatable and easy to read.
This novel in particular has a twofold appeal aside from that. First, it is a coming-of-age story about a girl trying to find her place in the world. Second, it is a survivor story about a teenage attempting to cope with sexual assault. Be careful going in, especially if sexual assault is something that may be triggering for you.

This was a really hard review to write, so bear with me.

A powerful novel in verse, Dear Medusa follows sixteen year old Alicia through her Junior year in high school as she struggles with losing her best friend, being known as the school slut, and navigating trauma from sexual abuse.

Alicia knows about wolves. The first wolf came when she was only fourteen, a grocery bagger who led her into the park, and she has been dealing with them ever since. She doesn’t like to think of herself as a sheep, but somehow the wolves keep tearing her apart anyway. The worst of them was the Colonel; it happened in the spring, and now she has to return to school for her Junior year, friendless and judged. All she can do is avoid the hallway where it happened (by skipping art class), never wear those shorts again (by quitting the track team), and find little ways to escape (like getting sent to in-school suspension). But sometimes even the best laid attempts are foiled, a new girl arrives and one of the only times Alicia can see this new crush is in art class, giving up running is harder than she thought and the track team really wants her back (even if she is running in her work khakis), and she makes a new friend at in-school suspension who sees the good in Alicia even when all she can see are the sins that her former best friend judged and dumped her for.

This was one of the most authentic and relatable portrayals of trauma (particularly trauma as a result of sexual abuse) that I have ever read. I found myself highlighting passages as I read, because “this is putting into words exactly how I feel” and that is not an easy thing to do. Just ask my therapist who has watched me for almost two years trying to put words to the way my trauma affects me. I’m not sure I even enjoyed the story all that much, but the depiction of a girl struggling in the wake of being raped (repeatedly) resonated so much, that I could not put this one down.

My one complaint is that the book ended with Alicia still not having told anyone what happened to her. To be fair, I did leave with the sense that she would be telling her newfound friends and probably even her mom, but I still wish we could have seen it. I understand why Alicia doesn’t tell anyone, she has serious trust issues, and her only friend did nothing but victim blame and shame her for most of her life, so it’s gonna take a lot for Alicia to feel safe telling anyone. But I really wish we could have seen her tell just one person to emulate what a healthy reaction to this kind of revelation would look like, show all the young people reading that they will find someone who will support them when they are ready to tell, and most importantly that they will be believed (maybe not by everyone, but by the ones that matter).

A gut-punch of a read, too many readers will relate to Dear Medusa. A must have addition to the Me Too shelves, though it will likely find a home with lovers of language over those looking for a plot-driven story about sexual abuse and trauma. And for the Alicias out there: I believe you, you did nothing wrong, and you are not alone.

After being abused by a popular high school teacher, Alicia, 16, struggles with body image, promiscuity and bisexuality. She eventually finds allies in unexpected places.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. On one hand I think it dealt with some very important topics very well however it also felt like teaching someone who knows nothing about the MeToo movement and explaining it in very textbook ways that downgraded the beauty of the novels verse. I still enjoyed it and was able to read it in a few hours but I had some higher expectations.

Content warnings: sexual abuse, grooming, slut shaming, homophobia, racism, Islamophobia

This novel in verse follows Alicia as she struggles to cope with her sexual abuse and sexuality. She is determined to keep her abuse hidden from everyone, but when a note in her locker reveals her abuser has another victim, she slowly thinks about letting people in.

This was different than a lot of the books about sexual abuse I’ve read. It was interesting how Alicia ended up getting involved in a group of girls and they were able to talk about the patriarchy, racism, and so on.

I also appreciated how Alicia’s PTSD wasn’t magically cured and this was still something she struggled with in the end. This made the story even more realistic, though it was nice the story seemed to end on a somewhat high note.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this novel, releasing in March 2023!

Wavering between 3 and 4 stars, but I'll round up since I think the book sensitively deals with a whole host of traumatic issues. Content warnings for sexual assault and rape, slut shaming, racism, homophobia, drug use.

Dear Medusa follows Alicia, a 16 year old high school junior living with the trauma of being sexually assaulted by one of her teachers, and the social fallout that comes from attempting to cope with that trauma in various ways. The novel is written in verse, which I think works well for what reads as a YA book (I'm not sure how this is technically classified by the publisher but it definitely reads as YA/new adult to me). I don't think it's perfectly written. There's a couple plot points that never really resolve themselves (not the main climactic event but a couple of the side stories). The framing device of a group therapy/sharing circle with an outside researcher is good AS a framing device but in practice can sometimes come across as a bit more...reserved from the main plot? Removed? I'm not sure of the wording but something about the structure of the conversations in the group (while the content was valuable) felt a bit off as opposed to Alicia's narrative sections. The ending comes on a bit abruptly although I do like where we leave the story (you know I love an ambiguous ending even with character growth).

I do think there's a lot to like about this novel though, especially for teen/new adult readers. I've read Olivia Cole's work since her first novel released through Indiegogo and her writing just keeps getting better and more readable with every book. The content of the book can be raw and very upsetting; it took me a long time to read this because it was very difficult to get through emotionally but you really connect with and feel for Alicia throughout the story, and her friends introduced through the book are great as well; I especially loved Deja and her discussions on asexuality. Lots of great conversations throughout the book on girls' sexuality, social expectations, the male gaze, racism, homophobia and transphobia, etc. If you can handle the content, I think this is definitely a valuable read, especially for teen and early 20's readers who I think will really connect with Alicia.

This was so heartbreaking but so beautiful. Alicia feels so incredibly real and personal, and she'll stay with you long after you finish reading. This book also has amazing representation and quotes good enough that you'll need to set the book down to emotionally process.

This will easily be in my top 10 books read this year, without a doubt. An incredibly honest story told in verse about a 16 year old girl dealing with the trauma and aftermath of being sexually abused by multiple people in her life, including one of her teachers. The realistic depiction of pain when dealing with the abuse, and the way that specific pain makes it difficult to care for yourself - and even sometimes causes you to do additional damage to yourself - is so well done here, and this book made me C R Y. Was not expecting it going in -- I just thought it had a pretty cover and sounded interesting, but WOW.

In addition to the main stuff, I really loved the inclusivity here as well. Deja and Alicia's friendship is one of my absolutely favorites I've ever read in a book, and I just really loved Deja so much in general.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital copy, I'll absolutely be grabbing this once it releases. 10/10.

Alicia Rivers has a reputation. The kind that seems to give people permission to say all the horrible things to you. Her former best friend told her that she was going to hell and she feels more alone than ever. She also is carrying a secret that weighs on her every time she looks at a certain classroom. She somehow manages to irritate one teacher more than others and is frequently sent to the on-campus suspension room. There she meets Deja, and slowly the two girls become friends. When Alicia sees a new girl on campus, she feels an almost instant attraction to her, and it turns out that Geneva is attracted to Alicia too. With the help of Deja, Geneva, and a short lived discussion group on campus, Alicia starts to process her trauma. When her mother finally looks and sees what Alicia has been carrying for so long, this also helps Alicia see that she is not as alone as she thought. A powerful book about the weight of trauma and the weight of judgement, both from within and without. A novel-in-verse, I devoured it in a single day.

Blasted through this forthcoming YA novel in verse yesterday morning.

Gripping, painful, and telling an oh-so-familiar tale of the predatory way teen girls are looked at by the world.

So after the wolf has gotten you, how do you reclaim your body, your heart, your life? How do you take the story that has been spun on you and set it straight?

A beautiful ode to power, to sisterhood, to finding peace in oneself and others, to fighting back, and to us, adults who caretaker, to keep our eyes open for the wolves among us.

Pair this with Lamar Giles' Not so Pure and Simple for an incredible discussion of gender roles, gender expectations, what is flirting and what is not.

More mature topic and wording, so more suited for older kids - but - I could also see kids in middle school needing this book.

Pre-order now for its release on my birthday, March 14th.

Thank you for the ARC @penguinkids

This book was hard for me!! As a survivor of childhood sexual assault, I struggle with stories about grooming, sexual assault, and sexual harassment, particularly when the victims are minors. Dear Medusa was gut wrenching and beautifully written tho. Absolutely stunning.

Thank you to NetGalley for this advanced readers copy. 5/5 stars.

Finally, a book with my name in it!! Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole is a deep dive into the life of Alicia Rivers, a sixteen-year-old high school track student who was sexually abused by a well-loved teacher. Written in verse, this story explores Alicia's thoughts and emotions from a first-person perspective.

Her parents are divorced, her mother is mentally absent, her brother has new shitty friends that Alicia doesn't like, her best friend backstabbed her, and she works at Meat Palace. More than anything, Alicia feels alone in the world. But with a new budding friendship and a new (crush?) girl at school, Alicia finds the community she needs to reclaim her anger, her body, and her voice.

This book had me in TEARS!!! It is such a raw, unfiltered look into the horrors that this character faced while being beautifully written in verse. Be warned that while this book will make you laugh, it will be heavy and dark, but completely worth it. I am recommending this to everyone!! What really got to me in this book was the mending of all different sorts of traumas. Throughout the book, one trauma that is brought up by many characters is what it means to be a woman in a world full of wolves- predatory men who make women suffer.

The representation in this book made it all the more realistic and enjoyable . I loved seeing bisexual, lesbian, asexual, Black, & Pakistani main characters shine and find peace. Please check the TW: racism, lesbophobia, biphobia, sexual assault, molestation (mentioned), drug use, alcohol, teacher-student assault. Overall, 5/5 stars. I am recommending this to everyone! Just be mindful of the TW <3

An immense thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the digital ARC of 'Dear Medusa' by Olivia A. Cole. I wish it were possible to rate this more than 5 stars.

I started reading this evening and couldn't put 'Dear Medusa' down. As soon as I finished I started it all over again... and honestly I'm probably going to read it again tomorrow. I can count on both hands the number of books that have made me cry, and this was one of them.

But unlike other books, there was so much in here that broke my heart, but also so much that resonated. I kept thinking about how every person desires to be loved and not alone - but experiences can warp and change how you perceive 'love' and 'acceptance'. I have partially healed from some of the wolves in my earlier life, but every day, I see my students not fully aware of the danger that lurks. Some are like Alicia at the end, and it's taken time to speak because of the fear, the uncertainty, and the judgment they've faced before.

This novel in verse is a 'must read' for 2023 and pretty much any year. Will be recommending to everyone. There are so many people out there who need this extra voice to let them know "you're not alone".

This will be the book I beg someone to get me for my birthday this year.

5/5

This was a very beautiful and heartbreaking story following 16 year old Alicia who was sexually assaulted by her teacher. You follow her as she falls apart, spirals out of control, deals with other "wolves", and comes to terms with how to take control back. This is about found family and overcoming grief and dealing with slut shaming and lots of conversations about rape culture. I felt for Alicia throughout the whole story and the novel in verse was a very powerful way to tell the story and felt like it fit for Alicia as a character. One thing is I wanted is a different ending. I love the "freedom" she felt but I still had questions and wanted other closures. Maybe the point is Alicia felt closure but I still wanted more as the reader.

And Alicia - we hear you, we see you, we believe you, we have your back.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is phenomenal, stunning, emotional, raw, and just... wow.
Thank you to Random House Children's publishing and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Dear Medusa is a coming of age story following Alicia, a high schooler learning that to be a female is to be preyed upon in this society. After experiencing sexual assault, Alicia struggles with moving on with her life, loving herself, and finding her voice. When a new girl comes to school that catches her eye, a new friend is made, and her mother begins trying to connect with her, Alicia begins to face her fears head on.
This novel in verse is pure perfection. It's an all time favorite for me, and such a powerful read that I think has the opportunity to reach people at a time in their life where it could help them- even if it's to not feel alone. Every page had something inpactful, emotional, quotable, beautiful, or heart wrenching. I was holding back tears several times, and towards the end I didn't even try to hold them back.
While my life is not the same as Alicia's, I relate to her in several ways and that always makes for a more impactful story. I can only imagine how much someone who relates more to Alicia could get out of this. I don't think I've ever saved this many quotes from a single book before, and I probably didn't even save all the good ones.
The correlation to Medusa and how Alicia's learning of Medusa's story was weaved into this novel was exceptional. It was done at just the right moments and packed such a punch. There were other metaphors used throughout the story, and once again, they were all done so well.
Beyond the discussion of sexual assault, there were also many impactful moments concerning religion and how it can exclude people, bullying, the LGBTQ+ community, racism, and sometimes, how these topics intersect to affect a person's life. There are so many things a reader can get from this book, and I'm so thankful to have found it.

There are so many metaphors and similes in here it’s like a 9th grader wrote it. It’s as a river of comparisons. It’s a veritable sea. Am I doing that right? I made it about 20% through and I couldn’t take one more forced metaphor. Done.

This was a very middle-of-the-road book for me. But I do know people I can recommend this book to that will love and enjoy it.

So raw and lovely. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was one of the few books I’ve read that is written in free verse and it suited the story so well. I personally connected to this story, at some parts it felt like I was Alicia. Her feelings, her processing of her trauma, her disconnect and reconnection with peers, all of it was so realistic to how a teen truly responds in these situations.

Dear Medusa is about a girl, Alicia, who is struggling to find herself after being sexually assaulted. After leaving her life as she knew it behind, she learns the struggles of being able to love herself in the same way while navigating high school with a bad reputation to everyone around her. She does this by relating to Medusa from Greek Mythology, realizing that they have similar traumas. This is such a heavy and challenging book to read, but it turned into something so healing and educational. There are a lot of triggers in this book and they are hard hitting so be sure to look into them before reading!

The characters are so beautifully written and so diverse. Since this book was written in verse, I felt like I was able to connect to these fictional people in a way that makes them seem so realistic, and I truly loved that about this story. There is such good representation that is unlike anything I have ever found in a book like this before, and I think this will be especially inclusive to the audience Dear Medusa will be attracting.

Olivia A. Cole's ability to create a world like this is something very special. I feel like I am taking away so much from this book; anger that we live in a world where events that happen to Alicia still happen every single day, hope that people will learn that even though sharing your story is scary, it can help move past the things that haunt you, and overwhelming joy that even in times of trouble, there will be people who are meant to help you through it, even if no one realizing just how much of a difference they are making.

I already know that this book will be in my top 10 for 2023 and I hope everyone gives this book a chance because it is one of a kind in so many amazing ways.