3/5 ⭐️
As a fan of mythology retellings, I was so happy when I got this ARC & in Audiobook format! The narrator does a very nice job, I enjoyed listening to this book. The way Nataly Gruender portrays Medusa is amazing and heartbreaking at the same time. Medusa never had a chance, being caught on a gods’ war and being a labeled as a monster from the beginning well … she didn’t have it easy. If you love this genre, make sure you grab a copy on August 13, 2024.
Thank you NetGalley for this Audiobook ARC.

Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6698969333?book_show_action=false

Medusa has all of the elements I love in a mythology retelling - strong female characters, heartwarming relationships between characters, unique background/twists on well-known mythological characters. I especially love empathizing with a character that is typically portrayed as a villian. The chapters are told through a variety of POVs, with most coming from Medusa's POV, and I actually loved this style of narration and getting to see glimpses into the many characters' thoughts and experiences. Audio performed by Helen Laser was incredible as usual.

I received an ALC from Hachette Audio | Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Loved the audiobook version! The soothing voice of the narrator weaves together a hypnotic retelling of the story of Medusa, as told by Medusa herself. Although anyone familiar with Greek mythology has surely heard of Medusa and her hair of snakes, this novel offers a unique glimpse into her origin story. The author’s writing flows through the course of Medusa’s life in a way that makes you almost forget you’re reading fiction.

*I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5

Medusa is a beautiful, vivid retelling of the life of the mythical being Medusa, with intriguing characters and a fresh take.

I really enjoyed this one. It was everything I was hoping for: The writing was beautiful. The characters were splendidly written and developed, making for a very entertaining cast. The author offered wonderful, fresh insights into the life of Medusa while preserving the original myths. The pacing was great, and I adored the sweet romance, friendships, and ending. I highly recommend fans of Greek mythology retellings check this one out!

The audiobook narrator was lovely. They fit Medusa’s character beautifully and presented many amazing voices for the various characters. They added wonderfully to the overall reading and listening experience!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

It was clear early on that this book isn't for me; the writing style is too basic and it just reads like Greek Mythology fan fiction.

4 stars

The phrase that first comes to mind for this one? "Pleasantly surprised!"

As fans of mythological retellings know, there's been a real boom in this arena over the past decade, and even more prominently in the past three or four years. While some of these retellings are absolutely mind blowing and life changing and make me temporarily wish to be immortal just to read even more, others leave readers wanting much, much more. This is one of the good ones.

Medusa's story is grim, to say the least, so this makes her an ideal character to pick up in a feminist retelling. She's disempowered in several obvious ways, so giving her a voice on its own is already one huge step in the correct direction! For folks who are not aware of Medusa's origins, or at least the origins of her snakes and *special* skills, those who have a difficult time with reading about rape or related impacts may want to look elsewhere (including outside of Greek mythology, unfortunately). While many of Medusa's known outcomes stem from this specific event, there's much more to her, and Gruender nicely articulates a more comprehensive world. Highlights include but are not limited to Medusa's relationships with Athena and her snakes (the latter of which is my favorite part of this book).

At times, the narrative can be more succinct. I'm not out here trying to silence Medusa, but I also think the impact could be stronger with some economizing. That noted, this is an intriguing tale and approach, and I will absolutely add it to the list of recommended retellings for my Myth students.

This is a really thorough retelling of Medusa, although it was more YA/NA than I was expecting. Not necessarily a dig, just an observation!

The narration in the audiobook is great - super immersive and engrossing. I probably enjoyed the book more in this form - I could get lost in the storytelling and overlook some of the narrative bits I didn’t enjoy as much.

It will definitely scratch an itch for fans of Greek retellings! And it does a good job of fleshing out Medusa (and the Gorgons) story beyond what we think we know.

3 stars. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC.