Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for an audiobook ARC of this book!

This was a solid retelling of the Medusa myth! This novel traced the mythic story of Medusa, and contemplated what makes something/someone a monster, who decides what is monstrous, and why monsters are created. The author makes the choice to interrogate the making of monsters, which feels like a refreshing take among other retellings. Another fascinating addition to this novel was the use of other characters in Greek Mythology as a form to further meditate the makings of a monster.

My favorite part of the novel was the use of the god, Dionysus. The author was able to properly relay to the reader the monstrous elements to Dionysus's being, and the similarities between him and the main character, Medusa.

Like most Greek mythology retellings, this novel handles mature and upsetting themes, so I would definitely check the trigger warnings before you pick up this book!

This novel felt like an entirely new and nuanced version of the myth for the retelling genre. I would highly recommend this book to those who are new to Greek mythology, or who love the subject!

An added Bonus: (For those who have been consuming the "Epic Musical" soundtracks, this entire book feels like the song "Monster")!!!!

Medusa is the gorgeous only mortal daughter of two gods on a doomed journey hurtling toward becoming a horrible snake-haired monster with a devastating, prophesied death.
There is a lot to love about this retelling of Medusa. There is exploration of duality of nature, monsters vs Monsters, victimization, curses vs blessings, power of setting in a narrative, fate, and feminism notable among them. There are 3 sets of siblings with very interesting dynamics. The writing feels at times slow, and I would have preferred this to have ended with Medusa's slaying by Perseus finding the rest a bit anticlimactic. Still this story feels authentic for Medusa, from childhood to monstrosity to self-acceptance. I listened to the audiobook, and Helen Laser has been added to my short list of favorite narrators.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this ARC!

I loved this book so much. I am always fascinated with Greek mythology but often find many of the books slow and boring. This was well paced and kept me interested the entire time.

Wow, "Medusa" by Nataly Gruender is an amazing retelling of the Medusa myth by a debut author who is certainly one to watch. This is a surprisinly tender and inspiring look at what it means to be a monster, to have power, to live honorably and the worth of ethics vs. reputation. I loved the appearance of other mythological figures including Athena and Dionysis, as well as the character developmnet of Medusa and her sisters. Well-researched but also a fresh and alive retelling. Wonderful narration by Helen Laser. Looking forward to more by Nataly Gruender Thanks to Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the eARC.

I love a good Greek retelling, but I honestly thought I'd read every version of the Medusa story possible. While we're never going to have a happy book (since her story hinges on sexual assault and beheading), but Gruender manages to bring in these little moments of happiness that are absolutely stunning. Rather than ending at her end, Medusa is given the legacy on page that we've given her as part of the Me Too movement- rather than a monster, she's a woman who uses her curse to protect herself, those she loves, and makes herself a figurehead (sort of literally) for all victims of sexual assault.

The narration is flawless in portraying the highs and lows of Medusa's story, as well as doing a wonderful job to distinguish between the various charaacters speaking,

I received a free audiobook copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Ooh I really enjoyed this book. I can’t help but compare it to Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes, and it holds up pretty well (which is no mean feat). The story of Medusa has always intrigued me, and even as a girl I was upset by the injustice of her punishment. This story delves into Athena’s point of view and mentality- not to absolve her but to understand her. TO me the only thing that didn’t ring true was Medusa’s final confrontation with Athena: it felt just a bit too modern in its tone, but on the whole a really engaging story. I can’t wait for more from this author!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"A monstrous woman is not a terrible thing to be"

As is probably evident by the title, this is a retelling of the story of Medusa. Medusa has been misunderstood for a long time but I love the new understanding we are getting of her with the change in society and the influence of feminism. Medusa was a priestess at one of Athena's temples when she is assaulted by Poseidon. To avoid a conflict among the gods Athena takes out her 'justice' on Medusa in the form of her ability to turn anyone to stone with just one look. This 'curse' is the double edge sword of making Medusa deadly to her enemies and those who would harm her as well as those she loves. While Medusa has historically been a plot point in the stories of others, this is Medusa's story. This is the story of choosing who you're going to be when you are given no choices about what happens to you. A situation I and many other women can easily relate to.

Not only is Medusa beautifully written, but the insights it gives into what actually makes a monster and who we have historically celebrated for monstrous acts is what makes this book so magical. This is absolutely a character driven plot so if following Medusa around while she tries to find contentment in her situation does not appeal to you, this might not be the story for you. Throughout the story you watch Medusa fall in love, find comfort in the sister that she can relate to on an even deeper level now, and reconnect with her sisters, the other Gorgons. Until she is ultimately murdered (yes, it was murder) by Perseus who calls her a monster for her curse then uses it even more intentionally than Medusa ever did. The author appropriately then poses the question of who the real monster is. There are so many beautiful pieces of the story. Watching Echidna love Medusa unconditionally for who and what she is, watching Medusa fall in love with her nephew who is a 3 headed dog, and watching Stheno and Euryale and Medusa heal their relationship as sisters and show support by just being there. Medusa's relationship with her snakes turned out to be one of my favorite parts. She did not ask for them, yet she learns to love them as part of herself.

Gruender also utilizes some really interesting narrative Techniques such as changing POVs for characters that don't spend much time in the overall story just to add an additional level of depth. I thought I would hate it, but I ended up loving the change in perspective since a changing perspective is the whole point of this book

I am torn on how this book will be received because for some this will just be another mythology retelling but for others, this will capture so many of the feelings they have had themselves and it will speak to them in a very real way. This book might not be for everyone but those it will be for will fall madly in love. I would follow Medusa and her snakes anywhere. I will also spend my foreseeable future spreading the gospel of this book far and wide.

I love a mythology retelling and this one was incredible! We know her as a villain, but what/who made her this way, and is she truly a monster? We have strong female characters, sisterhood, romance, heartache, loss…just so many things! I was always interested in where the story would go next, I couldn’t stop listening.

The narrator did a great job and voiced Medusa perfectly. She also did a great job at the different voices for other characters and I never had issues knowing who was speaking. Speed and tone were perfect!

Thank you NetGalley, Nataly Gruender, Grand Central Publishing, and Hachette Audio for this audiobook advanced copy.

The story of #Medusa told from her point of view. I appreciate the author’s putting thought into and bringing to life her girlhood, then imagining how she came to have snakes for hair and a petrifying stare. The immutability of prophecies seemed odd and none was particularly cryptic. Don’t get me started on giving birth spontaneously from one’s neck or thigh - this is something I’ve know about but never heard a detailed description. Gods’ bodies are clearly different than those of mere mortals!
The book includes a Dionysian adventure, Medusa’s sea-borne lover, interesting descriptions of time’s passage, and ways in which she and her sisters were neglected by their busy parents. There’s also a strong feminist story behind Medusa’s tale as this author imagines it. If it gets a little preachy at the end, we can all use the reminder of what’s not OK.
My thanks to the author, publisher, audiobook producer, and #NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the audiobook for review purposes. Publication date is Aug 13, 2024.

I love me a good feminist retelling of Greek myths - and this one is one of my absolute favorites! I have read and enjoyed Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes and The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood on the subject of Medusa so I was unprepared by how much more I loved this book! While all the Medusa retellings I have read acknowledge the atrocity she suffered and attempt to give her voice and power back - Gruender does it the best. This one goes right up on my best Greek retellings shelf. This Medusa has my whole heart. I hope Greunder writes more (and I hope it is more mythology). 5+ stars!!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hachette Audio for this advance audiobook for review.

I enjoyed this one so much! I tore right through it. The audiobook narration was great and I was never confused over who was talking even though there were several female characters who could have sounded similar. The pacing was good and it was easy to listen to and focus on.

As for the story itself, I really liked this take on Medusa. She was a girl that was forcibly taken advantage of, but she was also a strong character on her own. I also liked that Athena clearly was flawed in cursing Medusa, but that she directed her to use that power for herself. This story was crafted in a way that made you root for Medusa whenever she decided to lock eyes with someone.

And Dionysus? Charming. I loved how he protected his followers and formed a real friendship with Medusa. I hadn't read a depiction of Dionysus like this one before and I really enjoyed it. I also liked how each god seemed to notice another god's flaws, but couldn't/wouldn't speak on it to avoid retaliation. It made their chaotic coexistence more understandable.

Around the introduction of Perseus, I did start to get a little lost with the introduction of several new names at once so I think that particular part needed a little more fleshing out. It didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the story though and by the end, I was sucked in so the confusion didn't last for the duration of the book.

Overall, solid Medusa tale that I would recommend to anyone.

Always love to read retellings, especially those of mythology and Medusa is no stranger to having various versions of her story told.

This was a retelling with a more empathetic and modern tone to it. It was enjoyable to have the audiobook version of this tale as it gave emotion to the story and a nice flow.

The main ideas showcased seemed to be that of self-acceptance as well as having an open view to love and accept others as they are. There are so many relationships that people can take for granted that we should take time to appreciate more; from family to friends.

This was a lovely story and gave the trigger warnings and which chapter they pertained to before the start of the book (SA). So curious to see what Gruender comes out with next!

Thanks so much to the author, Nataly Gruender, Hachette Audio and NetGalley for the arc audiobook of Medusa!

This story uncovers Medusa’s very beginning from her complicated sisterhood with her immortal sisters, often being teased for her differences from her looks to her skin. And uncovers many untold or misunderstood elements of her life. Early on, she received a prophecy from the Grey that her future will be dark and ugly. She spent her life anxiously waiting for her demise and trying to navigate her curse and life.

This story goes through the stories we know and much more. Medusa’s journey to discover herself, find her place as a mortal, and navigate through troubled relationships with the gods and her family.

It follows her to her time as a priestess with Athena, encounter with Poseidon and transformation to deadly monster.

Women or monster? Medusa can be both. I loved her inspirational talks with Echidna. “Being a monster does not stop you from being a woman. In fact, an essential part of being a woman is finding that part of you that others wound see as monstrous. Finding it and nurturing it so it does not overtake who you are. If you ignore it or try to hide it, that is when other people will turn it against you.”

This was an amazing retelling of a misunderstood monster. I loved the audiobook narration, great pacing and expression that made this such a fun read. I have been reading a lot of Greek fiction lately, and sometimes the stories can get repetitive but this was a fresh take that had me hooked from the beginning. I very much look forward to more from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for access to the ARC ! I was so so excited to get this one and it didn’t disappoint. Release date 8/13/24.

This is truly one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. The depiction of what it is to be a woman in the world and the gentleness that it was presented with had me crying with the feelings of being seen and understood and accepted. The truth that you do not have to forgive those who hurt you or give up that anger to find happiness and joy in life. This should be a must read for everybody and I will talk about this book forever. It has changed me. Thank you so much to the author for giving this to the world

"A Mosterous woman is not a terrible thing to be"

"Beware a woman and furthermore Beware a woman who has given power to her emotions, she can tear the world apart with her bare hands"

Wow! I love when a book takes a super well-known character (in this case, villain), and turns your whole perception of them upside down! I grew up with the Percy Jackson series, and who doesn’t love Riordan’s version of Percy, right? After reading Medusa, Percy seems like nothing more than a spoiled rich kid who can get away with whatever for absolutely no reason at all. And our “villain”, Medusa, becomes someone deserving of compassion and understanding. I am unsure whether the author intends to make this into a trilogy/series, but I would absolutely LOVE to see how things work out for Medusa in the long run!

I listened to this on audio, and I found the narrator captivating. I felt that she became Medusa. Almost as if I were listening to Medusa’s inner monologue out loud, which was fantastic! There were no issues with diction, pacing, or relatability

Overall, I would give this book 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 because I think this is a book that will stick with me for a long time.

🧚🏻A HUGE thank you goes out to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and author Nataly Gruender for providing me with a free audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for granting me an ARC of this book. I've tried to keep spoilers to a minimum but cannot swear that this review is spoiler free.

Now, onto it...

Here's the deal.

Over the last decade or so, retellings of mythological tales have simply EXPLODED onto the scene. There have always been retellings, of course, but within the last several years, it's like they've increased exponentially.

As someone whose primary fields of study encompass myths, fairy tales, and world religions, I feel almost COMPELLED to read them whenever they crop up.

And unfortunately, that doesn't always turn out well for me.

Because a lot of these retellings are absolutely, without a doubt, horrible. We're talking no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

So imagine my surprise when I've found not one but TWO retellings in the same week that both merited an easy 4 stars! (The other being Jennifer Saint's upcoming "Hera.")

This book by Nataly Gruender (an author of whom I've never heard anything, by the way) was beautifully written.

I've read several retellings of Medusa's story. Some have been terrible. (One I couldn't even bring myself to finish, and I almost NEVER DNF books.) Some have been decent. But none have been truly GOOD.

This one is.

It gives Medusa a strong, feminist voice without changing her basic story. It keeps the general plot points of the myth in place, but it gives the reader an entirely new look into who Medusa was, what drove her, and why she made the choices she made.

It was, quite frankly, beautifully done.

The prose got a bit lengthy in places, and there wasn't, in my opinion, enough attention paid to her conscious use of her powers once she received them. I'm also on the fence about my feelings about the relationship between her and the god Dionysus. I understand the parallels the author was drawing between the two, but I'm not sure it added a lot to the book itself.

Still, even despite those (again, in my opinion) flaws, the book was wonderful. It was engaging and gave an open, honest look at the dynamics between Medusa and her lesser-known sisters.

As for the audio aspects of the book, I have no complaints there, either. I did have to listen to it at 2x speed, but that's not unusual for me. For most people, I'm sure the regular speed would have sufficed. The narration was clear and error-free, and I really enjoyed the narrator's voice and tone.

All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a good mythology retelling. Or anyone who appreciates classic tales being retold with a woman's voice.

"𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗳𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀."

We all know Medusa, the well-known tale of the girl, turned gorgon. While the traditional version focuses on her monstrous appearance and ability to turn people to stone, this novel explores the untold story from her own point of view.

This retelling gives an intimate look into Medusa’s upbringing, familial bonds, and transition into adulthood. Author @natalygruender writes with a modern voice that connects the villain the world portrays while simultaneously revealing the victim that the reader comes to know.

With numerous reimaginings of the Medusa narrative, it can be challenging to know which ones resonate with you. However, this rendition evokes a sense of connection, as if the reader is intricately woven into the very fabric of the story.

Thank you to @hachetteaudio I had the pleasure of receiving an ALC. The audiobook truly brought this story to life, and the narrator's performance was captivating, drawing the listener into the world of the story.

#medusa #retelling #greekmythology #bookrecommendations #bookreview

loved the feminine rage aspect of this story, and seeing a gentle side to Medusa that tends to be swept under a rug. I always felt for medusa... but this story made her feel more human and more tragic

Medusa is a heartbreaking tale that allows room for joy, love and dignity to a doomed figure. (I refuse to believe that's a spoiler at this point). The book is full of quiet moments, which I believe benefits the overall tone but may cause the book to drag for some readers. I absolutely loved the different secondary characters throughout the novel. The portrayal of Athena felt especially unique. The book doesn't forgive her actions (NOR SHOULD IT), but gives a new take on them.

Special kudos to the narrator, Helen Laser, who brought an empathic gravitas that really added to the overall experience.

CW: on-page depiction of rape/sexual assault. I especially appreciated the frank content warning in the beginning with specific information so a reader can avoid it if that's in their best interests.

Thank you to Machete Audio and NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

When I requested this ARC, I didn’t realise it was an audiobook. While that isn’t something I normally enjoy, I’m really glad I gave it a try! Started yesterday morning, finished just now… amazing narration and a gripping book overall.

Medusa's story is anything but cheerful, making her a fascinating choice for a feminist retelling. Usually seen as a tragic figure, giving her a voice transforms her into a symbol of empowerment. Gruender goes beyond the familiar aspects of Medusa's myth, creating a richly detailed world that brings new dimensions to her character. The connection she has with her snakes is a particularly rich detail that I really enjoyed. The reconstruction of the word ‘monster’ sheds a new light on who Medusa is.

A big thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the ARC!