Medusa, written by Jessie Burton and illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill, at only 207 pages, is a quick and stimulating read for lovers of Greek mythology seeking a contemporary twist on a classic and well-known tale. With beautiful and wonderfully detailed drawings, Medusa is also ideal for readers who enjoy artwork similar to the paintings you might see in a gallery. Get ready to dive into a world chock-full of excitement, wonder, love, loneliness, betrayal, and the feeling of no longer having to hide. Medusa has lived on an island for four years, hidden from prying eyes, with the sole company of her sisters Stheno and Euryale, her dog Argenthus, and the infamous snakes with which Athena cursed her. One day, a young man and his dog arrive in a boat. Medusa is intrigued and filled with a burning longing for human company other than her sisters’. She engages the young man in conversation while concealing herself behind a boulder, and she finds that his name is Perseus. They bond over the wrongs done to them, and soon become friends with what they think is an unbreakable union. Perseus reveals he has fallen in love with Medusa, and Medusa finds she is in love with Perseus, too. But they are both keeping secrets that may tear them apart. Will Perseus and Medusa fix their friendship? Will they rip each other to shreds? Will one half of this iconic duo hunt down and kill the other half? Or will a strange, unprecedented ending for this story expose the true nature of this timeless myth, and leave one of its protagonists at peace and finally satisfied? Read Medusa by Jessie Burton to find out! This book includes some difficult themes, including the nature of freedom and consent and the objectification of girls. As I am 10 years old, I would recommend Medusa for ten-year-olds and up. Disclaimer: Medusa came out on January 11, 2022. My review is from an Advanced Reader Copy, which only contains a couple of fully colored illustrations as examples. Still, the black and white drawings in my copy are amazing, so I plan to buy the published version as soon as I can so that I can marvel at Olivia Lomenech Gill’s art in all its colorful glory. Medusa by Jessie Burton and illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill. Bloomsbury YA, 2022. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
Reckless, Glorious, Girl, Reviewed by Nova, 9
Reckless, Glorious, Girl by Ellen Hagan, is an original story written in an original way. It is a novel but written in verse. The narrator and main character, Beatrice Miller, is a twelve-year-old girl living in Bardstown, “voted most beautiful small town in Kentucky.” Beatrice’s Dad and Pawpaw died before Beatrice was born, so it’s always just been Beatrice, Beatrice’s Mom, and Beatrice’s Mawmaw. Mom, Mawmaw and Beatrice live together. They don’t always get along but they are there for each other. Beatrice also has two best friends from when she was younger, Mariella and StaceyAnn. The story starts the summer before 7th grade. Beatrice is nervous about starting school and fitting in. Many times in the book, Beatrice feels like she’s not enough. Pretty enough, fashionable enough, rich enough. She wishes to be like other girls who are more popular. Along with all that, she is starting to have drama with new and old friends, her Mom, bullies, and crushes. She misses her Pawpaw and her Dad and sometimes is furious at her father for going too soon. Beatrice also hates her mom’s new boyfriend. Beatrice is torn between wanting to stay a kid while being ready to be a teenager. She feels she should say goodbye to her old self but can’t figure who she will become. She tries too hard to impress the popular kids at school and gets into trouble, but eventually finds out a way to be true to herself. Something unique about Reckless, Glorious, Girl is that there are so many descriptions of yummy food all over the book. Pizza made from scratch, red-velvet cake, lemony pound cake, “cookies made with rolled oats & raisins, dark chocolate & walnuts.” My parents almost never give me sugar, so reading about all these treats made me jealous! I enjoyed the book, but as a younger reader I could not relate to Beatrice very much, except for her love of books, food, friends, and family. I would recommend this book to middle schoolers and up. My review is from an Advanced Reader Copy, and the book is coming out on February 23, 2021. Reckless, Glorious, Girl by Ellen Hagan. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2021. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process!
