Medusa: The Girl Behind the Myth (Illustrated Gift Edition)

Description

__________________ 'Easily my read of the year. Sheer perfection from start to finish' - Catherine Doyle 'A beautiful and profound retelling' - Madeline Miller, author of CIRCE and THE SONG OF ACHILLES 'Utterly transporting ... This dynamic feminist retelling is illustrated with stunning, polychromatic power' - Guardian Books of the Year __________________ A dazzling, feminist retelling of Greek myth from the internationally bestselling author of The Miniaturist, stunningly illustrated by Olivia Lomenech Gill. Exiled to a far-flung island by the whims of the gods, Medusa has little company except the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. But when a charmed, beautiful boy called Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is disrupted with the force of a supernova, unleashing desire, love and betrayal... Filled with glorious full-colour illustrations by award-winning Olivia Lomenech Gill, this astonishing retelling of Greek myth is perfect for readers of Circe and The Silence of the Girls. Illuminating the girl behind the legend, it brings alive Medusa for a new generation. __________________ '... a must read for women of all ages' - Red Magazine '... stole my heart from its first fierce lines' - Mary Watson 'A beautiful and compassionate retelling that gives the serpent-headed monster of myth a powerful and haunting humanity' - Jennifer Saint '... an impressive addition to the shelves of feminist retellings, balancing rage with beautiful storytelling' - Irish Times 'It's an ideal gift for teenage girls finding their voice and their power' - Stylist 'Gift ideas for the book lovers in your life'

Jessie Burton studied at the University of Oxford and then went on to the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. She is the author of three novels for adults, The Miniaturist (2014), The Muse (2016) and The Confession (2019), and is both a Sunday Times no. 1 bestseller and a New York Times bestseller. The Miniaturist sold a million copies worldwide in its first year and has also been adapted for television by the BBC. Jessie is now published in forty languages. Her first children's story, The Restless Girls, was published by Bloomsbury in 2018. Olivia Lomenech Gill has a first-class degree in Theatre from the University of Hull and an MA in Printmaking from Camberwell College of Arts, and has built her career as a professional fine artist. Olivia's first professional illustration commission, Where My Wellies Take Me, written by Michael and Clare Morpurgo, was shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal and won the English Association Picture Book Award. She is also the illustrator of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling. Olivia lives and works in Northern France with her husband, a paper conservator.

A beautiful and profound retelling. Burton's text and Lomenech Gill's art are a perfect match, offering a powerfully feminist, elegiac and original twist on this old story. The book tackles pain and trauma without flinching, but its message is ultimately one of joy and hope * Madeline Miller * Easily my read of the year. Sheer perfection from start to finish * Catherine Doyle * This book is a beautiful excavation, uncovering the girl beneath the gorgon, the power within the punished. Exquisitely told, Medusa stole my heart from its first fierce lines * Mary Watson * Fierce and tender and full of heart; the reclamation of self that Medusa is owed, the version of the myth that deserves to be told, passed girl to girl, painted across walls and screamed from rooftops * Melinda Salisbury * This glorious retelling of MEDUSA will stay with me for a very long time. The writing is stunning, as one might expect with Jessie Burton, and the story feels searingly, heartbreakingly relevant for the world we live in. It's a work of art * Louise O'Neill * With Jessie Burton's characteristic lyrical and beautiful writing matched by stunning illustrations, I loved this story of survival, healing and bravery of all kinds. A moving retelling that will hold so much appeal for teens but also captivate adult readers of Circe and Ariadne * Amy McCulloch * A beautiful and compassionate retelling that gives the serpent-headed monster of myth a powerful and haunting humanity ... Medusa's vulnerability, strength and journey of self-acceptance is one that will stay with me. Not only that by the illustrations by Olivia Lomenech Gill are so exquisite I would frame every single one and put them on my wall * Jennifer Saint * A magnificent retelling of the Gorgon we know the most - Medusa - this title shows you the woman behind the myth * Buzzfeed * [A] beguiling, lyrical, but also relatable retelling of the myth of Medusa ... [that] reclaims her both as an ordinary teenage girl who was exploited, brutalised then punished and also as a feminist icon who refuses to be a victim when she can be a proud survivor. With gorgeous illustrations from Olivia Lomenech Gill, Medusa is a must read for women of all ages * Red Magazine 'Best Books to Read This October' * Immerse yourself in Jessie Burton's poetic, powerful reclamation of Medusa's story... brought dramatically to life through magical illustrations by the British artist Olivia Lomenech Gill * Harper's Bazaar * This stunningly illustrated novel, from the author of The Miniaturist, refreshes an ancient myth in a way that empowers young women. If you enjoyed Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls, this is one for your Christmas List * Woman&Home * Medusa is an impressive addition to the shelves of feminist retellings, balancing rage with beautiful storytelling * Irish Times * This stunningly illustrated novel ... refreshes an ancient myth in a way that empowers young women. If you enjoyed Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls, then this is definitely one to add to your Christmas list * Woman's Weekly * Filled with vulnerability, raw emotion, betrayal and self-acceptance, this is a story that transcends its ancient time into a surprisingly relevant tale for girls today * i * Burton turns one of Greek mythology's most contested figures into a heroine fit for modern fiction -- Emily Bearn * Oldie * Destined to become as much an artefact of our own age as it is an illumination of the ancient past [...] bracing and powerful * Guardian * It's an ideal gift for teenage girls finding their voice and their power * Stylist 'Gift ideas for the book lovers in your life' * Filled with vulnerability, raw emotion, betrayal and self-acceptance, this is a story that transcends its ancient time into a surprisingly relevant tale for modern girls * The Courier 'Young adult book of the week' * Medusa is perfect for young adults looking to dive deeper into the story of Medusa and the strength, love, and resilience that actually characterises her * i * A thought-provoking and gorgeously illustrated retelling * Daily Mail Christmas Roundup * Utterly transporting ... This dynamic feminist retelling is illustrated with stunning, polychromatic power * Guardian Books of the Year * [A] haunting reimagining ... Burton's take on the traditional adversaries humanizes both characters, blurring boundaries between hero and monster ... [the] angular, full-color illustrations add another layer of depth to the story * Publisher's Weekly * A gorgeous gift. The writing is beautiful, the story heartbreakingly relevant, and the illustrations are sublime -- Louise O'Neill * Irish Examiner * Olivia Lomenech Gill's hypnotic full-colour art makes this one of the year's most desirable gift books -- Fiona Noble * Guardian/Observer's Best Children's Books of 2021 * In her beautifully illustrated young-adult novel... [Jessie Burton] reclaimed the story of the Gorgon to reveal a vulnerable yet resilient girl * i * A fiercely feminist undercurrent fuels Medusa's unflinching voice * Shelf Awareness *