Hi everyone! I hope you are doing wonderfully. I don’t have a ton to say before beginning this review. If you have been keeping up with my blog, you might note that this is not the first retelling of the myth of Medusa that I have read. You can check out my review of Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes. It is time, however, for a new take on the classic myth of Medusa. With that being said, it’s time to talk about I, Medusa.

Content Warning: Discussions and Depictions of Misogyny, Sexual Assault, Consensual Sexual Content, Violence, Some Gore, Domestic Abuse

Meddy is the youngest daughter of two minor sea gods. She is also the only mortal in her family. Meddy has spent her whole life on her family’s island, wondering if there was anything for her outside of her sheltered life. When Meddy catches the eye of the goddess Athena, she finds herself presented with an opportunity she had never dreamed of before. She is sent to Athens to train to be one of Athena’s priestesses. Athena, though, is not the only god drawn to Medusa. Poseidon, the king of the ocean, irrevocably alters Medusa’s fate. With snakes for hair and eyes that turn men to stone, Medusa must reckon with her new purpose and decide who she is before anyone else can.

I, Medusa is a refreshing take on a myth that has been told time and time again. Ayana Gray provides an exceptionally crafted narrative that stands out in the sea of Greek myth retellings. Gray’s Medusa is a young woman struggling to figure out where she fits in the world. She is easy to sympathize with and relatable in many of her decisions. The prose is elegant, but painfully honest when it needs to be. This story is a tragic one, with complex characters and characters whom I simply couldn’t stand. That is a testament to Gray’s writing. The best retellings are the ones that make you dread the ending even if you already know it. I was dragging my feet reading this because I didn’t want to be sad, if I’m being honest. With that being said, this was a beautifully written tragedy. I am going to strongly recommend this novel. Go pick it up immediately. You won’t regret it.