Written by Jessie Burton and illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill, Medusa adds such an amazing perspective to a well-known myth. The book follows an exiled Medusa on her island. She meets Perseus, and we learn different parts of her backstory as the book progresses. The book explores her story, not only Perseus and his ‘heroics.’ Additionally, the story is written so poetically: the imagery transports you to Medusa’s island and Medusa addresses the audience, making everything feel more personal. The insight into Medusa’s thoughts and feelings are so cool. I also really enjoyed the sister relationships shown and that the snakes had their own personalities. Many themes addressed in this book, such as gender roles and self-worth, hit hard (content warning: rape), but I love that they made me think. Medusa is very relatable because everyone feels lonely and longs for acceptance at some point in their lives. She grows so much as a character; this is a real coming of age story. I was hesitant about the ending at first as it wasn’t what I expected, but I think it really fits with the story. In summary, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys myths and looking at well-known stories in a new way. – Mikaela (age 17)