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Medusa: The Girl Behind The Myth
Medusa: The Girl Behind The Myth
Jessie Burton, Olivia Lomenech Gill (illustrator) | 2021 | Children, Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Now THIS is the side of the story I have always wanted to hear about! Medusa’s OWN story from her OWN mouth. In mythology, she is always portrayed as ugly, dangerous and unpredictable - lethal. In this story, we see a young girl, afraid and alone, forced to live away from others in case she hurts them - or they harm her. Her only companions, a dog and her sisters, the Gorgons, who fly out to hunt during the day, returning to their sister at night with food.

One day, a boy lands his boat on the island - it’s Perseus.

We see the side of Medusa that the original myth writers would never have imagined: a young girl who is taken advantage of, vulnerable, used by men for their own pleasure, and then blamed for something that she has no control over.

In the original stories, she gets her just desserts. Medusa is ugly and not to be trusted. It gives an insight into how men regarded women at this time. Be subservient. Be a virgin. Don’t get raped, and if you do, it’s your own fault - you brought it on yourself (I can feel my blood pressure rising just thinking about this). Women don’t come out of myth and legend terribly well.

I absolutely loved this. Medusa isn’t a meek, mild victim, but neither is she evil. She knows, or has some idea anyway, her glance can cause a lot of damage - so she hides herself away.

And in this story, not a single head is lost.

The illustrations are gorgeous as well.

I wonder if Jessie Burton will write more Greek myths in this way? Because I’m all in!
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for my copy of this gorgeous book through NetGalley.
  
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David McK (3801 KP) rated The Dark Knight (2008) in Movies

Jun 23, 2019 (Updated Jul 23, 2024)  
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008)
2008 | Action, Crime
Summmer 2008: at the time of writing this, now 11 years ago (edit: now 16), and the cinematic landscape was rather different - the MCU was only just starting off (with Iron Man), and superheroes in the cinema were not as commonplace as they are today ( to the best of my memory).

While Christopher No.an had effectively rebooted perhaps DCs most famous character in Batman Begins, that film had (deliberately, IMO) kept the focus pretty much on Bruce Wayne/Batman rather than on his mos famous foes, ending with a deliberate tease of the introduction of the Joker.

And what an introduction he gets in this.

As portrayed by Heath Ledger (whose untimely death no doubt helped stoke the interest for this movie: his last full screen role), this Joker is very different than Jack Nicholson's 1989 portrayal. It's a definite magnetic tour de force from the actor, sure, although (personally) I've never really viewed the character as a Joker so much as as a genius psychopath.

"I'm an agent of chaos" he says at one point. "I'm a dog chasing a car. I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it". And that, to me, is what is missing from the character-as-written.

Alongside Ledger, Aaron Eckhart also puts in a brilliant turn as Harvey Dent, completely blowing Tommy Lee Jones portrayal of the same character (in Batman Forever) out of the water. It's a far more realistic interpretation of what drives Dent to become Two-face, with some frightenly realistic effects.

And, finally, it may be a small thing: but in this Batman gets and operates (briefly) out of Gotham city, making his world seem more 'real' as a result.
  
Gideon's Gratitude (Love in Mission City #5)
Gideon's Gratitude (Love in Mission City #5)
Gabbi Grey | 2025 | Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
GIDEON'S GRATITUDE is the fifth book in the Love in Mission City series, focusing on Gideon and Archer.

Gideon is in daily chronic pain, living alone with his dog, Lucky. He was married and had two children, but after suffering an accident and becoming addicted to painkillers, he was divorced and his children living with his ex, who didn't trust him to be near them.

Archer has bought the plot next to Gideon's home and turns up when he has run away from Vancouver after discharging himself from hospital. He ends up knocking on Gideon's door when a tree crashes on top of his SUV, luckily when he wasn't in it!

This story mainly focuses on Gideon and what he is dealing with - depression and parental alienation are just two things. I can honestly say that both topics are written well. It's nice to lose myself in fiction where these topics are talked about, but have a HEA ending, that unfortunately doesn't always happen in real life.

The relationship between Archer and Gideon takes time, so yes, this is a slow-burn. It wouldn't be right to have it any other way. The moments when they are 'together' together are sweet and sexy, with just enough burn, without taking anything away from either man.

A great addition to the series that can absolutely be read as a standalone, I thoroughly enjoyed this story and have no hesitation in recommending it.

** Same worded review will appear elsewhere. **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 18, 2025