Reviews with content warning for Rape - Stone Blind

Reviews tagging 'Rape'

mxpringle's review

adventurous challenging fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Before reading this I was already familiar with the story of Medusa, so I expected to find it just okay, but this book was incredible. Something about the writing was just enrapturing and it is the first book in what feels like forever that I simply wanted to never stop reading

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zaharadesert9's review

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

I was turned off by the multiple POV the entire book, but the ending redeemed itself. Perfect read for someone who wants a little more information than a wikipedia page, but something easy to follow with broad themes and events. Lots of commentary on what classifies a "monster" that could be related to how our society still views people who are different or outsiders. Would be a good read for anyone 12 and up and especially nice to read on a beach or in a public setting because it doesn't require a ton of focus.

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xo_babs_ox's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Great retelling and interpretation of a variety of myths that influence and are influenced by Medusa’s story

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angelofthetardis's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The myth of Medusa is beautifully retold in this book by Natalie Haynes, turning the focus from the 'hero' Perseus to the woman with the deadly gaze. Abandoned by her divine parents and victimised over and over again through no fault of her own, this book poses the question of just who really is the monster in this tale?

The book is written from the point of view of several different characters (much like 'A Thousand Ships'), utilising both third and first person perspectives. And yet the book still flows really well and keeps you immersed. I particularly liked the chapters that 'break the fourth wall' and address the reader directly - you can definitely sense the author's own attitude and comedic prowess coming through in those pages.

Equally though, because of the constant shifting in perspectives it doesn't always feel like you're getting the depth you want; it is very much skimming the surface. The chapters are also quite short, so it is a lot of bouncing around - the story is linear, but it's hard to tell how much time is passing between chapters, sometimes due to the author's own phrasing. For example, we know that Perseus has two months to retrieve the head of a Gorgon and return home to save his mother from an unwanted marriage. But at one point, the author includes the line (paraphrasing) 'she could have been married and had three kids by now!' And yet he manages to return home with a day to spare? I know that time is immaterial to Gods and this is illustrated throughout, but there's just something about the way it's written that muddies the waters a bit for me.

I've been listening to Natalie Haynes a lot recently - both her audio version of 'A Thousand Ships' and her Radio 4 show 'Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics' on Spotify, so I feel like I'm getting a good grasp of the way she expresses herself. As a result, it was very easy to 'hear' her reading the words in my head and this gave the book an extra lift.

While I knew the story of Medusa, I didn't know the wider story of Perseus and how he came to pursue her nearly as well, so this was something of a reintroduction to me. Overall, while this book is about Medusa, the author very cleverly balances the other strands of the tale, both human and divine. If you aren't familiar with the story, there are a couple of moments earlier on which do throw the reader and make you wonder how a mortal queen with vanity issues links into the story, but everything weaves together seamlessly and all is revealed as you progress. However, this does also raise a criticism - there's just not quite enough Medusa for me!

This books also highlights some of the 'problems' with Greek myths generally. How many times must a mortal woman be punished for being the victim of a God forcing himself upon her? I love the stories of Ancient Greece, always have, but I don't think it's ever come across to me so starkly that the men (human and Gods) aren't always quite as heroic or divine as they might seem, and how vindictive the Goddesses can be, even when it should be obvious to all that they're taking their anger out on the wrong person. This is one of the reasons I love these feminist retellings though; some of the women involved absolutely deserve to be seen in a different light!

Clever, different and a good read.

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_meganrose's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Two words: female rage.

For this being a retelling of Medusa’s story.. with her face as the cover.. you would expect her to be the main character. On the contrary, she seemed to only have presence in less than half of the book. That annoys me a bit, but I did enjoy the novel overall and the writing style.

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ashwinie_19's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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goblinbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I want to preface this by saying that I am a major Medusa fan (if you can say that), but I truly really loved this book.

The switching between many perspectives

(including her snakes and also some olive trees)

, made this ancient story still feel very fresh and interesting.

The author also took a holistic approach and investigated all the surrounding myths that all contributed to Medusa and Perceus. Haynes obviously deeply cares about the content of her stories and I can't wait to read more.

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