'This book is a beautiful excavation, uncovering the girl beneath the gorgon, the power within the punished. 'Medusa is absolutely stunning and easily my read of the year - sheer perfection from start to finish, both in words and art.' - Catherine Doyle, author of THE STORM KEEPER series The book tackles pain and trauma without flinching, but its message is ultimately one of joy and hope.' - Madeline Miller, author of THE SONG OF ACHILLES Burton's text and Lomenech Gill's art are a perfect match, offering a powerfully feminist, elegiac, and original twist on this old story. This new Medusa calls for acknowledgement of male transgression, community blindness and culpability and vindication of wronged women.'A beautiful and profound retelling. The watercolour of the illustrations portrays the transitory yet formidable elements of sea and sky as well as the lyrical quality of myth, and the elements of collage reflect the revisionist interpretation of the Medusa story. The writing is classical in style but has a lively voice with hard-hitting deliberations to engage contemporary readers. To prolong her sorrows, she is derided and rejected by her people who blame – not the stalker and rapist – but Medusa for being young and beautiful. We learn of the sometimes-destructive impact of the male gaze and male desire and power over inexperienced, vulnerable women that, in this story, culminates in Medusa’s violation by the god Poseidon. Medusa feels her heart open to him, and his reciprocation. They converse while sitting on either side of a cave wall. She does not allow Perseus to see her because she is a “monster” and remembers Athena’s warning, Woe betide any man fool enough to look upon you now. The arrival of a golden, glowing young man, Perseus son of Zeus, is the catalyst for the revelation of her loneliness and sharing of her memories. The snakes are intelligent, unwieldy and unpredictable and are personalised with names and idiosyncrasies, such as Echo who is small, coral-coloured with emerald bands and is sweet-natured yet protective. Medusa is content in some ways despite her isolation caused by her Athena-cursed hair of snakes. Her two immortal winged sisters return to the island each evening with food. In a feminist version of the ancient Greek myth, young Medusa is exiled to a rocky island, where its barren beauty gives her some respite and peace. Her new book Medusa, lavishly illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill, further explores this preoccupation. Jessie Burton is the author of The Miniaturist, The Muse and The Confession for adults and The Restless Girls (illustrated by Angela Barrett), a reimaged fairy tale inspired by The Twelve Dancing Princesses about girls who circumvent their powerless state, for young readers. It is a classic tale that is also of our time. Image from Medusa by Olivia Lomenech Gill

Medusa by jessie burton