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Droga Meduzo
W pierwszej klasie
potrafiłam latać.
Później wydarzyła się druga klasa.
Szesnastoletnia Alicia Rivers ma reputację, która ją wyprzedza. W jej historii kryje się jednak coś więcej niż słowa prześladujące ją na szkolnych korytarzach – szepty rozpadające się na milion różnych wyzwisk, które sprowadzają się do tego, że „sama się o to prosiła”.
Trauma zamieniła ją w kogoś, kogo nie poznaje. Świat odrzucił ją niczym mitologiczną Meduzę. Nie jest ofiarą, ale potworem we własnej opowieści.
Alicia została opuszczona przez najlepszą przyjaciółkę, odeszła z drużyny biegaczy
i spędza teraz dni, czując się odizolowana i niewidzialna. Kiedy tajemnicze liściki zostawiane w jej szafce wskazują na istnienie kolejnej ofiary, Alicia z trudem próbuje zachować mur, który zbudowała wokół siebie.
Dziewczyna musi zdecydować, czy jest gotowa na przejęcie kontroli nad swoją historią, gniewem i ciałem w świecie, który wydaje się zdeterminowany, by ukarać ją za grzech przetrwania.
Poruszająca powieść w wersach o odzyskiwaniu swojego głosu i prawa do własnego ciała. Będzie idealna dla osób, które pokochały „Sezon luster”, „Wilki się czają” lub książki Kathleen Glasgow.
potrafiłam latać.
Później wydarzyła się druga klasa.
Szesnastoletnia Alicia Rivers ma reputację, która ją wyprzedza. W jej historii kryje się jednak coś więcej niż słowa prześladujące ją na szkolnych korytarzach – szepty rozpadające się na milion różnych wyzwisk, które sprowadzają się do tego, że „sama się o to prosiła”.
Trauma zamieniła ją w kogoś, kogo nie poznaje. Świat odrzucił ją niczym mitologiczną Meduzę. Nie jest ofiarą, ale potworem we własnej opowieści.
Alicia została opuszczona przez najlepszą przyjaciółkę, odeszła z drużyny biegaczy
i spędza teraz dni, czując się odizolowana i niewidzialna. Kiedy tajemnicze liściki zostawiane w jej szafce wskazują na istnienie kolejnej ofiary, Alicia z trudem próbuje zachować mur, który zbudowała wokół siebie.
Dziewczyna musi zdecydować, czy jest gotowa na przejęcie kontroli nad swoją historią, gniewem i ciałem w świecie, który wydaje się zdeterminowany, by ukarać ją za grzech przetrwania.
Poruszająca powieść w wersach o odzyskiwaniu swojego głosu i prawa do własnego ciała. Będzie idealna dla osób, które pokochały „Sezon luster”, „Wilki się czają” lub książki Kathleen Glasgow.
416 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2023
About the author
Olivia A. Cole
13 books414 followersOlivia Cole is an author and blogger from Louisville, Kentucky. She spent eight years in Chicago and two in South Florida before finding her way back home. She is the author of PANTHER IN THE HIVE and its sequel, THE ROOSTER’S GARDEN, as well as her latest young adult series, A CONSPIRACY OF STARS and its sequel AN ANATOMY OF BEASTS. She is on the Creative Writing faculty at the Kentucky Governor’s School for the Arts and is the founder of the sci-fi art show for young Kentucky women, KINDRED: MAKING SPACE IN SPACE.
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October 29, 2023
‘This world is full of wolves…’
Long depicted as a fierce monster to be hunted and killed, the mythological figure Medusa has had a much needed revival in the modern era as a symbol of feminist resistance. The story of Medusa still resonates today, particularly in the way the young girl was thought of as a monster in order to ignore the fact that she was the victim of sexual assault and then, later, public opinion. Dear Medusa, a YA novel in verse by Olivia A. Cole, takes this premise into the modern day high school where 16 year old Alice must survive the vicious rumors and social outcasting after she is sexually assaulted by a popular teacher. Like the greek myth, the victim has been turned to a monster, a life sacrificed in order to uphold the toxicity of patriarchal values so ingrained in society that instead of supporting the victim everyone jumps to blame and chastise her instead of the perpetrator. Cole handles this with grace and Dear Medusa is a very empathetic and healing novel as well as offering sharp social criticisms on a wide set of issues from victim shaming, racism, homophobia and the misogynistic policing of women’s bodies. A heavy but heartfelt novel, Dear Medusa uses poetic form to cut right to the heart of these issues to explore the maelstrom of emotions therein while demonstrating the healing power of friendship and illuminating the struggles faced by teenage girls in a patriarchal society that objectifies them.
I’m quite fond of the recent trend of YA novels in verse. As a major fan of poetry, I enjoy seeing the form introduced to teenage readers in a way that is engaging and enticing, making it far more accessible to enjoy than the usual academic introductions. It also demonstrates to readers that writing, like journaling, can be an excellent avenue for self-reflection and emotional processing. But most importantly, I find poetry to have a unique ability to plug in directly to the main vein of emotions and present them in all their abstractness and ambiguity. Cole handles the prose quite effectively and can harness both narrative plot and internal struggles in a rather gorgeous manner.
Which is good because there is a lot to unpack in this novel. The story centers on the aftermath of a sexual assault by a popular teacher and the way Alice, despite being the victim, becomes a symbol of shame in the school. I wrote quite extensively on this in relation to Medusa earlier this year here and I feel Cole does an excellent job of adapting the thematic insights of the Medusa tale to the modern age. Towards the end of the novel, Alice begins to write letters to Medusa (hence the title) and while I enjoyed this I felt it came so late in the novel and wasn’t utilized enough making it feel tacked on in case anyone missed the Medusa theme and would have been more effective had it been used for a greater portion of the novel. That said, Cole uses this book as an excellent way to highlight a lot of themes on the abuse and oppressions faced by teenage girls. We see right away what Kate Manne coins as himpathy in her book Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny, namely that people will sympathize with a man over a woman even when he has wronged her. The teacher is popular and instead of accepting their idol has been tarnished, the public opinion turns against Alice. We sadly see this far too often, people asking of a victim “well what was she wearing” or that she invited the abuse. Anything to make it her fault and not his, anything to reframe the conversation into a moral indictment of the victim to dispute their victimhood while completely turning a blind eye on the actions of the perpetrator.
A major issue with this is ignoring the massive imbalance in the power dynamics. The idea that a girl has the power because of her body is wildly problematic and merely a misogynist excuse for bad behavior. It even comes in the form of weaponizing sexual positivity, such as older men praising young women or underaged girls for being “so mature” or “confindent” as a manipulation tactic to avert their attention from their lack of power in the dynamic and away from the awareness they are being groomed or assaulted. In an incredible essay on the subject, Tavi Gevinson discusses how much language is couched in ways to manipulate the perspectives on the scales of power in this way:
Similarly, in her book My Body, Emily Ratajkowski writes:
These are real struggles teenage girls face, and the most horrific part is that the looks from older men are not just strangers on the street but often men that are in positions of power over them or tasked with their protection. Like Alice’s teacher.
Another issue here is that this is so much a part of society specifically because it upholds patriarchal order. As Simone de Beauvoir discusses in The Second Sex, girls learn at an early age that society is coded in the male gaze. Men are gazing at them, making them objects. This makes a young girl see her own body as valued only by its status as a sexual object, and as they too are objectified by their bodies, it can cause girls to grow up seeing their entire being as an object given value through the male gaze, and girls such as Alice are manipulated into confusing their sexualization with their identity. Furthermore, girls bodies are often policed (ie double standards in dress codes) with girls told to cover up or being victim blamed for "dressing provocatively" which then teaches girls that their bodies are the problem but not the abusers utter inability to control their behaviors. Cole probes all these issues in the novel and it is quite well done.
Though there is much more beyond this issue, and introducing the array of friends in the novel opens up the opportunity for further dissections of society and sexuality. Alice is bisexual and Deja is both asexual and Black, and Dear Medusa does better than most other books I’ve encountered on presenting what asexuality is. The therapy sessions also open up a great discussion on misogynoir (the intersection of misogyny and racism) and other intersections of oppression girls face.
Dear Medusa covers a lot of ground and can be quite heavy, but it is also extremely well done and effective at bringing these issues to light. The poetic style also makes it a quick read that can seamlessly shift between topics and helps present these themes in an accessible way. A really valuable read for anyone, especially as Alice reminds us:
“to have men
in your life
who know
that the battle
we face against
men who are
wolves can only
be won
with the help
of men
who are not.”
Worth the read and worth thinking about and addressing in your own life.
4.5/5
Long depicted as a fierce monster to be hunted and killed, the mythological figure Medusa has had a much needed revival in the modern era as a symbol of feminist resistance. The story of Medusa still resonates today, particularly in the way the young girl was thought of as a monster in order to ignore the fact that she was the victim of sexual assault and then, later, public opinion. Dear Medusa, a YA novel in verse by Olivia A. Cole, takes this premise into the modern day high school where 16 year old Alice must survive the vicious rumors and social outcasting after she is sexually assaulted by a popular teacher. Like the greek myth, the victim has been turned to a monster, a life sacrificed in order to uphold the toxicity of patriarchal values so ingrained in society that instead of supporting the victim everyone jumps to blame and chastise her instead of the perpetrator. Cole handles this with grace and Dear Medusa is a very empathetic and healing novel as well as offering sharp social criticisms on a wide set of issues from victim shaming, racism, homophobia and the misogynistic policing of women’s bodies. A heavy but heartfelt novel, Dear Medusa uses poetic form to cut right to the heart of these issues to explore the maelstrom of emotions therein while demonstrating the healing power of friendship and illuminating the struggles faced by teenage girls in a patriarchal society that objectifies them.
I’m quite fond of the recent trend of YA novels in verse. As a major fan of poetry, I enjoy seeing the form introduced to teenage readers in a way that is engaging and enticing, making it far more accessible to enjoy than the usual academic introductions. It also demonstrates to readers that writing, like journaling, can be an excellent avenue for self-reflection and emotional processing. But most importantly, I find poetry to have a unique ability to plug in directly to the main vein of emotions and present them in all their abstractness and ambiguity. Cole handles the prose quite effectively and can harness both narrative plot and internal struggles in a rather gorgeous manner.
Which is good because there is a lot to unpack in this novel. The story centers on the aftermath of a sexual assault by a popular teacher and the way Alice, despite being the victim, becomes a symbol of shame in the school. I wrote quite extensively on this in relation to Medusa earlier this year here and I feel Cole does an excellent job of adapting the thematic insights of the Medusa tale to the modern age. Towards the end of the novel, Alice begins to write letters to Medusa (hence the title) and while I enjoyed this I felt it came so late in the novel and wasn’t utilized enough making it feel tacked on in case anyone missed the Medusa theme and would have been more effective had it been used for a greater portion of the novel. That said, Cole uses this book as an excellent way to highlight a lot of themes on the abuse and oppressions faced by teenage girls. We see right away what Kate Manne coins as himpathy in her book Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny, namely that people will sympathize with a man over a woman even when he has wronged her. The teacher is popular and instead of accepting their idol has been tarnished, the public opinion turns against Alice. We sadly see this far too often, people asking of a victim “well what was she wearing” or that she invited the abuse. Anything to make it her fault and not his, anything to reframe the conversation into a moral indictment of the victim to dispute their victimhood while completely turning a blind eye on the actions of the perpetrator.
A major issue with this is ignoring the massive imbalance in the power dynamics. The idea that a girl has the power because of her body is wildly problematic and merely a misogynist excuse for bad behavior. It even comes in the form of weaponizing sexual positivity, such as older men praising young women or underaged girls for being “so mature” or “confindent” as a manipulation tactic to avert their attention from their lack of power in the dynamic and away from the awareness they are being groomed or assaulted. In an incredible essay on the subject, Tavi Gevinson discusses how much language is couched in ways to manipulate the perspectives on the scales of power in this way:
‘I now view some of my “empowering” experiences as violating, exploitative, and manipulative. I noticed that “gray” and “complicated” were words I used to stop questioning whatever had happened, rather than to understand it. “Formative” revealed itself to mean “traumatic.” “Creep” or “bad guy” or “pervy but not Harvey Weinstein” now strike me as wildly nonspecific euphemisms for a danger that was too uncomfortable to grapple with at the time and that, again, prioritizes men’s identities over their actions. This slow-motion aftershock has been its own traumatic event.’
Similarly, in her book My Body, Emily Ratajkowski writes:
‘In my early twenties, it had never occurred to me that the women who gained their power from beauty were indebted to the men whose desire granted them that power in the first place. Those men were the ones in control, not the women the world fawned over. Facing the reality of the dynamics at play would have meant admitting how limited my power really was—how limited any woman’s power is when she survives and even succeeds in the world as a thing to be looked at.’
These are real struggles teenage girls face, and the most horrific part is that the looks from older men are not just strangers on the street but often men that are in positions of power over them or tasked with their protection. Like Alice’s teacher.
Another issue here is that this is so much a part of society specifically because it upholds patriarchal order. As Simone de Beauvoir discusses in The Second Sex, girls learn at an early age that society is coded in the male gaze. Men are gazing at them, making them objects. This makes a young girl see her own body as valued only by its status as a sexual object, and as they too are objectified by their bodies, it can cause girls to grow up seeing their entire being as an object given value through the male gaze, and girls such as Alice are manipulated into confusing their sexualization with their identity. Furthermore, girls bodies are often policed (ie double standards in dress codes) with girls told to cover up or being victim blamed for "dressing provocatively" which then teaches girls that their bodies are the problem but not the abusers utter inability to control their behaviors. Cole probes all these issues in the novel and it is quite well done.
Though there is much more beyond this issue, and introducing the array of friends in the novel opens up the opportunity for further dissections of society and sexuality. Alice is bisexual and Deja is both asexual and Black, and Dear Medusa does better than most other books I’ve encountered on presenting what asexuality is. The therapy sessions also open up a great discussion on misogynoir (the intersection of misogyny and racism) and other intersections of oppression girls face.
Dear Medusa covers a lot of ground and can be quite heavy, but it is also extremely well done and effective at bringing these issues to light. The poetic style also makes it a quick read that can seamlessly shift between topics and helps present these themes in an accessible way. A really valuable read for anyone, especially as Alice reminds us:
“to have men
in your life
who know
that the battle
we face against
men who are
wolves can only
be won
with the help
of men
who are not.”
Worth the read and worth thinking about and addressing in your own life.
4.5/5
December 11, 2023
Nie mam słów. Niech moje łzy mówią za mnie.
Read
February 17, 2024"To niesamowite, że chłopcom tak długo pozwala się być chłopcami, podczas gdy z dziewczynek robi się kobiety lata przed tym, nim staniemy się gotowe."
niezwykle trudno jest mi ocenić ten tytuł, bo widzę, jak wiele ma do zaoferowania i na jak wiele istotnych aspektów zwraca uwagę czytelnika. Nie mogę jednak zignorować faktu, że oczekiwałam czegoś "więcej" i wydaje mi się, że wynika to z tego, że czytałam już wiele innych książek w podobnej tematyce, które bardziej mnie poruszyły. Może to kwestia oryginalnej formy, która choć interesująca, nie przekonała mnie do siebie? Nie zrozumcie mnie źle - uważam, że jest to tytuł godny uwagi i polecenia, który porusza MNÓSTWO niesamowicie ważnych kwestii. Oddaje głos skrzywdzonym, ale też w subtelny sposób zwraca uwagę i krytykuje inne dysfunkcje, z którymi mamy do czynienia codziennie związane z systemem, w jakim żyjemy. Nie poruszyła mnie, jednak tak bardzo, jak liczyłam. Choć mam w niej mnóstwo znaczników, bo autorka bardzo trafnie komentuje naszą rzeczywistość, co pokazuje fragment, który przytoczyłam na początku, obawiam się, że nie zostanie na długo w moich myślach. Jeśli się mylę, dam znać. Mimo wszystko jestem wdzięczna, że książki, które w ten sposób uświadamiają nastolatków, ale też dorosłych powstają i pozwalają na uwrażliwienie.
niezwykle trudno jest mi ocenić ten tytuł, bo widzę, jak wiele ma do zaoferowania i na jak wiele istotnych aspektów zwraca uwagę czytelnika. Nie mogę jednak zignorować faktu, że oczekiwałam czegoś "więcej" i wydaje mi się, że wynika to z tego, że czytałam już wiele innych książek w podobnej tematyce, które bardziej mnie poruszyły. Może to kwestia oryginalnej formy, która choć interesująca, nie przekonała mnie do siebie? Nie zrozumcie mnie źle - uważam, że jest to tytuł godny uwagi i polecenia, który porusza MNÓSTWO niesamowicie ważnych kwestii. Oddaje głos skrzywdzonym, ale też w subtelny sposób zwraca uwagę i krytykuje inne dysfunkcje, z którymi mamy do czynienia codziennie związane z systemem, w jakim żyjemy. Nie poruszyła mnie, jednak tak bardzo, jak liczyłam. Choć mam w niej mnóstwo znaczników, bo autorka bardzo trafnie komentuje naszą rzeczywistość, co pokazuje fragment, który przytoczyłam na początku, obawiam się, że nie zostanie na długo w moich myślach. Jeśli się mylę, dam znać. Mimo wszystko jestem wdzięczna, że książki, które w ten sposób uświadamiają nastolatków, ale też dorosłych powstają i pozwalają na uwrażliwienie.
December 27, 2022
Dear Medusa is a story about 16 year old Alicia dealing with sexual trauma from a popular teacher. As expected, it has completely altered her as a person - making her lose her best friend, drop out of track, and begin to constantly get herself into detention. She drifts from her family as well and struggles with being alone.
Alicia slowly breaks out of her shell when she begins making new relationships at school and finds it within herself to begin healing. She also relates to Medusa, from the greek mythological woman who was an outcast from sexual trauma as well.
The book is told in a free form verse which at some points didn’t really flow for me. It felt a little disjoined which was fine, you can still follow the story. I thought some important topics are hit in here as well and it didn’t feel like the author was doing too much so that felt nice.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy for this book coming out in March 2023!
Alicia slowly breaks out of her shell when she begins making new relationships at school and finds it within herself to begin healing. She also relates to Medusa, from the greek mythological woman who was an outcast from sexual trauma as well.
The book is told in a free form verse which at some points didn’t really flow for me. It felt a little disjoined which was fine, you can still follow the story. I thought some important topics are hit in here as well and it didn’t feel like the author was doing too much so that felt nice.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy for this book coming out in March 2023!
Read
June 22, 2023DNF
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
March 3, 2023
Books like this are so important, and I really appreciate that this book exists. I did end up with somewhat mixed feelings though, mainly because I just expected a little... more in some ways. Considering the title, I expected the story of Medusa would be a larger part of the story, but it was only mentioned a couple of times.
I usually love the writing in verse novels, and at times I loved it here as well, but there were also parts I found to be less well-written and flat-out cringy. I will say I thought the writing got better from 40% onward.
My main issue though, is that not all of the relationships in the book felt fleshed out enough, and a lot of them didn't get the resolution they deserved. I absolutely loved Alicia's friendship with Deja, which plays a central role in the story. But the other relationships, like those of Alicia with her mother and her brother, really took a backseat to that. I also feel like we didn't get to know the love interest very well.
I usually love the writing in verse novels, and at times I loved it here as well, but there were also parts I found to be less well-written and flat-out cringy. I will say I thought the writing got better from 40% onward.
My main issue though, is that not all of the relationships in the book felt fleshed out enough, and a lot of them didn't get the resolution they deserved. I absolutely loved Alicia's friendship with Deja, which plays a central role in the story. But the other relationships, like those of Alicia with her mother and her brother, really took a backseat to that. I also feel like we didn't get to know the love interest very well.
March 30, 2023
This meant a lot to me. I think sexual assault and trauma can happen to anyone, at any age, but this author speaking from 16 year old Alicia's pov really gave this particular trauma a strong voice.
Alicia's whole life changed after being sexually assaulted by a popular teacher. The girl who ran track and wanted a future was gone, but throughout this story told in verse, Alicia does regain her strength. Particularly with the help of other girls, other strong girls that show her that she is worth fighting for.
I loved the tie-in with Medusa, particularly the ending. I have heard and read many variations on Medusa's story at this point, and it has become so clear to me that she was not the monster in her tale. I am so thankful to all the strong people out there, including this author, writing these stories and helping everyone no matter where they are in life with a problem that is so much more common than what I believe many people think.
Alicia's whole life changed after being sexually assaulted by a popular teacher. The girl who ran track and wanted a future was gone, but throughout this story told in verse, Alicia does regain her strength. Particularly with the help of other girls, other strong girls that show her that she is worth fighting for.
I loved the tie-in with Medusa, particularly the ending. I have heard and read many variations on Medusa's story at this point, and it has become so clear to me that she was not the monster in her tale. I am so thankful to all the strong people out there, including this author, writing these stories and helping everyone no matter where they are in life with a problem that is so much more common than what I believe many people think.
Read
February 13, 2024wow, nie wiem co powiedzieć, bo mnie dusza boli.
February 24, 2024
Bolesna, obrzydliwa a zarazem piękna
Currently reading
July 13, 2024
(If I had to rate it, it would be 3902390429032904290349024390249043/5⭐)
"My mother thinks I’ve dyed my hair red
for attention—
How can I explain to her the ways that she is
right
and
wrong.
As of last night,
my hair is the color of a brick
the moment before it goes through
a stained-glass
window.
My hair is the color of a fire engine
driving through a burning building.
My hair is the color of a dart frog:
generations of death adapting
into this exact shade of poison.
It’s called aposematism—
we learned about it in bio.
It’s when an animal advertises
to predators that it is not worth
the attempt to consume.
Bright red and orange,
the colors of pain,
I WILL MAKE YOU SICK
I WILL KILL YOU FROM INSIDE YOUR THROAT
ATTENTION!
I MAY LOOK LIKE PREY
BUT I WILL END
YOUR
LIFE
My mother says I want attention
and maybe she’s right
My mother says I am just making a statement
and maybe she’s right
But in my mind it’s not saying
please—
it’s saying
don’t
and this is how I know men
are not really wolves
because maybe
a wolf
would listen."
Q2: What do you think about books written in verse? How do you absorb it?
Q3: What is difficult for you in literature or in processing certain works/trends, but is somehow important to you when breaking it down into its first parts?
!TW!: Rape, Grooming, Slut-shaming, Body-shaming, Sexism, bullying, exploitation, sexualization of minors, victim-blaming, depression, queerphobia, anxiety disorders, racism, classism, addictions, social/peer pressure, fanaticism, syndrome lolita, drug abuse, mental illness and personality disorders, sexual harassment, pedophilia, self-harm, religious fanaticism
This book is suggested as a book for ages 16+
At the beginning, I would like to point out that it was not as difficult for me to write a review of "Girl in Pieces", I fellin Love with Hope", or "The Mirror Season" as a review of this title, which is "Dear Medusa" by Olivia A. Cole . This book shook me so much that I consider it a great excuse to use it to strengthen and shake down not only my experiences, which I have often talked about here, but also manifesting, reflecting on certain aspects, experiences, experiencing it, but also putting it into words. In the end, the plans changed and I hope that this book and "Girl in Pieces", which I also intend to publish at some point, will hopefully come to a head and hit where they should. But above all, this book, because it is a milestone that I did not expect it to be (even though I knew from the beginning what kind of reading it would be, I knew it would not be easy) it was pushed to such an extent - despite knowing what books can do - and that it will be so important in my taste, circumstances and my experiences and roots. Because I think it is clear that sometimes it happens with some of the titles we choose and the content they present to us that they are, in a sense, difficult to describe on many levels. Usually, these are the ones (as I often mention) that not only cannot be said to be indifferent to us, but we can easily process them and process them in our experiences. Not only taking into account many different issues and components that intertwine our impressions, personal reception, or embedding and juxtaposing this book with us and what we experience, but also how we present it and how a given composition and form of the novel intertwine how we describe and infuse meaning or charge into our certain voice.
Many times, some books have these in themproperties and tenderly penetrate certain areas of our depths, or issues that we keep inside under our hair, and somewhere they influence and mark our path, our life dimension and beyond. Or they simply refer to and attach importance and focus on issues in such a way that we start not only naming certain things differently and giving them a different character, or showing the transparency of certain things/our reality.
„My mother offers to iron my school uniform and even though I want her to,
I say no, because sometimes in this place where I am
it feels good to refuse
help, because saying yes to even something like an iron feels like saying yes
to everything else when my whole life has become a pipe bomb
full of pieces that explode in a furious
no”
In my case, taking into account all the variables that constitute the entire main idea of what I want to convey, all of this can be attributed to the book "Dear Medusa". This is a book that I will not only defend like a lion, but above all, with its form, emotionality and fury, it has touched areas that no book has ever touched me before. I didn't even get this from titles that are so close to me and so embedded in my life (see "Girl in Pieces") that it's impossible to enforce it in any way or to change it. Because the form of this book and the way of moving through and mentioning many threads in this book is certainly something rarely seen, if not rare. It is written in free verse, which simply has such a huge impact on the whole novel and the fact that it is a bit of a "retelling" of the mythological Medusa - it made such a great combo for me that over a month passed, it was in my top list right away, and I still can't get myself together. Because showing it in this and no other light made it completely revolutionize my reality, I would say violently, but in a completely different way. Because I could still assert myself and outline some of my spheres differently, but the very fact of what aspects it reveals and how our reality takes on a different shape and size and, I would say, a simulation/illusion of the face and how certain things immediately project and they do not project from the other side, illustrating a fragment that illuminates the face and gravity of matters - I cannot come to order. And to show you the nuances of why I said so much at the very beginning and what causes such reactions and how certain things can build and sculpt and at the same time destabilize reality - I will tell you more later in the review and manifesto. I would like to emphasize that it would be very important for me that what I have already enforced here should be something that would give some idea of my release .
I sensitive to the fact that certain content here may be triggering, as well as in my review and book. That's why I'm begging you, read TW
DESCRIPTION:
The book "Dear Medusa" tells the initially quite inconspicuous story of Alicia, who generally has a fairly high reputation at school, which I would say is very "non-obvious" and not something strictly positive. Even though she is quite famous at school, commented on, and sometimes even respected, the mentioned "respect" has a certain purpose, they humiliate the heroine at times, but they are also very subtextual and obscene, taking into account the comments in the plot, for example. However, Alicia Rivers has it somewhere in her mind at the very beginning and she tries to deny it, plus this reputation precedes it, it is true that she tries to somehow cut it down and cut it off, separate it from herself, so as not to fall into anyparanoia. Which is very hard, considering how every cell in her body begins to burn and become angry with each new event, stimulus that surrounds her. It requires a lot of energy from her, because the comments they give to the main character when it comes to "having sex" and other comments relating to her figure, physical/intimate areas, etc. - this makes her very angry because they humiliate her and distort her image and the feelings that accompany her. They have no idea that the main character of the novel was raped by a popular teacher and he continues to take advantage of her through many advances of a psychopath who literally eats away and at the same time adds more boulders and flaws to her life, completely disturbing her compass of thoughts, her life, her problems, but their transparency and face. She transforms and turns by manipulating each card, the event in her life, the phenomena and their supports around which the entire action of the novel takes place, but also the reality, thinking and views of the titular Medusa, fueling frustration, devastation, rage as well as any of her seriousness and self-esteem - he eats it and takes it away from her, bending everything for her. On top of that, Alicia was abandoned by her best friend, quit the track team, and now spends her days in detention, feeling isolated and invisible. When mysterious letters left in her locker point to another victim, Alicia struggles to maintain the wall she has built around her trauma. At the same time, her growing attraction to the new girl at school makes her wonder what these walls are really protecting. At some point, through the form of these novels, we have certain lines very portrayed and illustrated in the form of free verse, defining and giving a patch to one's reality and whether it really is and whether it really has a chance to be reflected truly.
The plot of this book is only a tiny grain, the seed of a number of spheres and threads that adhere to and shape the entire convention of this book and the plot and construction axis of this book. What you need to pay attention to in this title, what pumps up and somehow gives some colors, pace, rotation and generally a better arrangement of the load of what is revealed to us with each subsequent page, is the form of the previously mentioned free verse, which at the beginning it builds for us some appearances of this book that are very... mysterious? They are very hidden in the shade of a lake that no one has ever experienced and no one knows for sure whether it is a legend, plus or things that we try to prove and show and which are the axis of our reality and our mirror and the barn that we create for ourselves. in our lives and whether it is not only what it actually is and whether we reveal its true face and convergence, but whether it is related to reality and related to what we understand through certain concepts, ourselves as well as the conception of the face and its dimension in our areas of life. This novel "Dear Medusa" is like that - it interweaves perspectives, grinding them and motivating them with subsequent elements and discoveries of milestones that meet us. Emphasizing the portrait of powerlessness, which manifests itself not even in strength, but I would say in its "illusion", its "concept", which in fact is the source and pipe that brings us to even greater depths. Destroying anddestabilizing every sphere of our thoughts, but also the foundation of how our thoughts spill over into our eyesight and our digging into the mine of our sensations, experiences and the reality of the world. And the top form itself is very encouraging, because it has very large connotations with how it is generally disseminated by the heroine and the author herself, and how generally the heroine herself lays down certain foundations of how she recites certain matters here - THIS IS SIMPLY SCARY AND DRAINING
“Sometimes I'm torn about eyes
because there are times when I'm
riding the bus
walking to class
shopping with my mom,
when I look up to find
eyes on my body,
hungry stare, sometimes someone
my age and sometimes
not, a stare that turns me
into a meal.
And sometimes I like the way it feels
like someone has lit a torch
in my stomach in the deepest night
and all the moths come seeking.
Is it possible
to like something sometimes
and hate it other times?
Am I allowed
to decide when
I want to be
a feast?”
This is one of many aspects that I notice, because yes, I could also mention everything else here, such as, for example, focusing not even on a fait accompli, but within the limits of experience, when it comes to emotions, experiencing certain things in your own way, etc. A portrait of fanaticism and its broad formation in the plot, its mechanisms and generally ambiguous and perverse behaviors that are apparently not related to it, but are generally intended to arouse a certain sense of guilt. There are a lot of threads here, and although each of them caused such revolutions and blood-curdling emotions on me, and in general, the accumulation of building and founding reflection on wounds in such a way, this book gave me a crisis that I had to discuss with a psychiatrist and therapist. And listen, I basically finished it some time ago, but I can't collect my thoughts after what I read. I won't lie to you when I tell you not only that this is one of the closest stories I've ever read in my life, BUT AND THE FORM and, in general, the divisions of this form, face, silence of our histories... Silences that change the meaning of this on various levels, what is happening in our lives and our thinking about it, but also our course of thinking about it, the intensity of phenomena, the course of reasoning, but also their tangibility.
This is such a heartbreaking story and gives so much new shades not only of my history with my experiences and what flows from them and how they diverge and emphasize certain tracks and give new dimensions of my experiences, but also in these experiences is juxtaposed the world and the remnants of this history that are described, I would say, in a "letter poem" and a manifesto of what the thoughts and things that are happening in her head enforce and evoke. What stays in place throughout the entire thought process and the environment around oneself, and what does not stay in place. What this place really is and how what is happening and what happened to her is confronted and actually outlined in words and not only how it throws certain cards in her reality, but also, above all, in the transformations and stages of experiencing, its consequences and more. The nuances of the entire reality and the possibilities of the course of certain events, In fact, it not only projects the image of its trauma in all this and the meaning of certain stimuli, but also the face and level of importance and outlining the charge, meaning and general pattern of defining and reality of what is happening, what it is means and how it touches the ground of trauma and coincidence with our thinking about what is happening and the relationship of what we do with the actual existence and transience of life. The passing of reality, the purposefulness of certain things and connections with us and how certain things influence us and how what then emerges from us and somewhere illustrates certain considerations and the interior of ourselves, then gives consideration to certain phenomena, truth, priorities, but and generally whatcreates our surroundings. The surroundings and areas of our spheres with which I feel a connection with Medusa and the fact that she does not feel that she gives it such a charge that would even illustrate certain weights... The consequence of what this actually is is a beautiful painting of the fact of how differently processed and our self-awareness is processed, the cut-out and not listening to someone else's voice, as well as how each of us, when dealing with certain things, gives a certain charge through the field of our spheres, as well as the stream of our melody of sensations.
“I don't wear dresses. But sometimes
when I'm trying to transform myself
into someone with a heart made of iron
I tell myself this is what I am,
that my hair is red like a siren
and not a salamander
that I am a vicious man-eater
and not a rabbit
not a rabbit
not a rabbit
not something so easily so consumed
I am the thing with fangs.
Not a wolf but something more monstrous,
not a sad girl with a scar across her soul
but a creature who eats souls
for breakfast.”
Well, my dears... A terribly painful book and I can say that it solved my crisis and turning point in my life, as well as new nooks and crannies and what's in my head. I don't even know if it's a book that hasn't surpassed some of the most personal, personal, exerting and giving new considerations, and how they straighten out and clarify certain things in my head.... It took some time before I gathered myself and gave in. space to write what really lies in my heart and describe in any way what this book did to me, because I can say with full responsibility that it did not do such things (apart from Girl in Pieces then and Season of Mirrors, where even they until they did as much at once with such accumulation and intensity as this book) as this novel. It gave me areas that completely overturned them, broke them down, glued them back together, but at the same time it left me with depth and emptiness, and not only did it give me new considerations and authenticity, but it also revealed certain areas and burdens in me that can be shown and reverberated in my skin. To resound in such a way that they reflect my perspective and sculpt my own reality and this and the connection with our field of trauma. It gave me hope for a different kind of justice, but also for the above-mentioned crisis and what this justice leads to.
This is probably the longest and heaviest review and manifesto I have written, but I want to say here that you have the right to space and your own reality, but also before reading, which I will not only encourage you to read, but also prepare yourself and get acquainted with warnings, emotional stage, age warnings, moment, way of processing, etc., but also how it stays with you later - get ready for it and consider it carefully, because this is a book that gives you such a kick that you have to consider every aspect with great awareness and consideration before reaching for it.
Take care my dears
February 2024 (1 official reread): I have the impression that no words will convey, add value or reveal how many things flow from me from this book and my cauldrons of thoughts and the weight that I feel during the manifestation of resonance and its circulation ...don't change my mind
April 3, 2023
Beautifully written! This novel in verse is everything that you would expect from a book written like this. You can feel the pain the shame the anger and the loneliness of the character. You can feel the hurt and how alone she feels in this cruel world. Loved it!
September 10, 2023
Oliva can WRITE. This novel in verse dealing with mental health and depression was so absolutely compelling, beautiful and heartbreaking.
March 1, 2024
Bardzo ważny temat, wiele pięknych zdań, ale dla mnie niestety przerost formy nad treścią 😢
February 15, 2024
raw, honest, breathtaking
Read
February 2, 2024i’m to stunned to speak.
to nie książka, która powinna być oceniana w gwiazdkowej skali.
każdy powinien ją przeczytać, bez wyjątku
to nie książka, która powinna być oceniana w gwiazdkowej skali.
każdy powinien ją przeczytać, bez wyjątku
October 26, 2022
CW: Slut shaming, rape mentioned, grooming mentioned, racism, d**e used as a slur, lesbophobia, biphobia, sexual assault, religion used as a weapon to alienate, drug references, parental separation.
Rep: Alicia (MC) is bisexual. Deja (SC) is Black and asexual. Geneva (SC) is Pakistani-American and lesbian.
This one was heavy. I knew this going in but gosh did it still hurt. The book is powerful. It hurts. It feels hopeless at times. It was incredibly well written though. I know verse books aren’t everyone’s thing, but this wouldn’t have worked any other way for this book. It packs an emotional punch, that’s for sure.
I talk about books at these places: Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / Blog
Rep: Alicia (MC) is bisexual. Deja (SC) is Black and asexual. Geneva (SC) is Pakistani-American and lesbian.
This one was heavy. I knew this going in but gosh did it still hurt. The book is powerful. It hurts. It feels hopeless at times. It was incredibly well written though. I know verse books aren’t everyone’s thing, but this wouldn’t have worked any other way for this book. It packs an emotional punch, that’s for sure.
I talk about books at these places: Instagram / Twitter / TikTok / Blog
February 22, 2024
"czasem trudno wyjaśnić
że bycie obiektem pożądania
nie jest tym samym, co bycie chcianą"
[ TW, zgodnie z książką: slut-shaming, grooming, molestowanie, gwałt ]
chciałabym rozmawiać z alicią oraz blake, by odpowiadać im: ja też ja też ja też ja też ja też
że bycie obiektem pożądania
nie jest tym samym, co bycie chcianą"
[ TW, zgodnie z książką: slut-shaming, grooming, molestowanie, gwałt ]
chciałabym rozmawiać z alicią oraz blake, by odpowiadać im: ja też ja też ja też ja też ja też
May 14, 2024
the message for this book is very important, and i think it was delivered well. normally i hate novels in verse but this book made it work. the one thing i disliked was, that there were parts in the middle that felt slow.
April 1, 2023
I have no words
March 11, 2023
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Netgalley for review purposes; this in no way influences my review.
This book is so important and so good and I am full of feelings and my heart hurts in the best way and I hope so many find their way to this story, especially those who need it.
Full review closer to release.
Full review:
This is the kind of story that burrows into your heart and scrapes you raw in the best way. Alicia’s story is relatable in the worst ways, but I love the community and friendships she’s able to develop and the strength she finds over the course of her journey.
Last year, the school’s beloved science teacher raped Alicia, but she hasn’t been able to tell anyone, especially because he is so beloved by the entirety of the school. But holding her pain and rage and sadness inside makes Alicia act out, lash out, and act in ways that hurt herself - connecting with random men and seeing if they recognize she’s just a sixteen-year-old girl or if they care, or if they see her as a sexual object. But even as she’s a burning fire turning herself to ash, Alicia makes new friends with Deja and Geneva, who help her find herself anew.
This is such a poignant story and I’m so glad it exists, even as it utterly gutted me. So many of Alicia’s experiences are too familiar - grown men looking too long, lingering touches, inappropriate comments - and I hope reading this story can be validating in showing that those experiences aren’t okay and young girls aren’t inviting those kind of interactions. I really, highly recommend picking up this book if it is content you’re able to handle because it’s so wonderfully handled and especially the ending is such a great reclamation of power and self. Also, the weaving in of the myth of Medusa and Alicia’s letters to Medusa were such a fantastic touch that just add depth and nuance to the book.
This book is so important and so good and I am full of feelings and my heart hurts in the best way and I hope so many find their way to this story, especially those who need it.
Full review closer to release.
Full review:
This is the kind of story that burrows into your heart and scrapes you raw in the best way. Alicia’s story is relatable in the worst ways, but I love the community and friendships she’s able to develop and the strength she finds over the course of her journey.
Last year, the school’s beloved science teacher raped Alicia, but she hasn’t been able to tell anyone, especially because he is so beloved by the entirety of the school. But holding her pain and rage and sadness inside makes Alicia act out, lash out, and act in ways that hurt herself - connecting with random men and seeing if they recognize she’s just a sixteen-year-old girl or if they care, or if they see her as a sexual object. But even as she’s a burning fire turning herself to ash, Alicia makes new friends with Deja and Geneva, who help her find herself anew.
This is such a poignant story and I’m so glad it exists, even as it utterly gutted me. So many of Alicia’s experiences are too familiar - grown men looking too long, lingering touches, inappropriate comments - and I hope reading this story can be validating in showing that those experiences aren’t okay and young girls aren’t inviting those kind of interactions. I really, highly recommend picking up this book if it is content you’re able to handle because it’s so wonderfully handled and especially the ending is such a great reclamation of power and self. Also, the weaving in of the myth of Medusa and Alicia’s letters to Medusa were such a fantastic touch that just add depth and nuance to the book.
May 11, 2024
Uderzyła we mnie.
September 3, 2023
Alicia is seen in her local town as the school slut, someone you call for a good time and can never call again....or call again and again. However the story of Alicia and how she came to embrace this identity is there for the taking, if anyone cares to dig deep enough. TRIGGER WARNINGS: sexual abuse, rape, and grooming(mostly all off page, but enough to elicit strong emotions).
As a survivor it was easy to see myself reflected in Alicia at her age. It was the only thing I was good for, and without it I would become invisible all together. I needed that pain, even to the point I would seek out individuals I knew would treat me the ways Alicia is treated throughout this novel. As a mother, and avid watcher of Undercover Underage this novel just hits.... different. It's sickening, not only for Alicia, but for younger me. Not only for younger me, but for the current young generation. When so much is out there in the open now days, can we actually protect our children from the monsters? Some of the quotes that really stuck with me were:
"I read that anger can grow of trauma. That it can turn a human into a volcano. I want you to know I’m here. It’s okay to be angry. I can stand your lava."
"I am tired of salting the wound— I am ready to salt the earth."
Five stars and a hope that this can be a beacon of hope for some, even when the cave seems incapable of light. Age appropriate for those 13 & older, and I honestly wish a book like this had been featured in my school when I was that age. I think it would have really been a lifeline, and can still be.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
As a survivor it was easy to see myself reflected in Alicia at her age. It was the only thing I was good for, and without it I would become invisible all together. I needed that pain, even to the point I would seek out individuals I knew would treat me the ways Alicia is treated throughout this novel. As a mother, and avid watcher of Undercover Underage this novel just hits.... different. It's sickening, not only for Alicia, but for younger me. Not only for younger me, but for the current young generation. When so much is out there in the open now days, can we actually protect our children from the monsters? Some of the quotes that really stuck with me were:
"I read that anger can grow of trauma. That it can turn a human into a volcano. I want you to know I’m here. It’s okay to be angry. I can stand your lava."
"I am tired of salting the wound— I am ready to salt the earth."
Five stars and a hope that this can be a beacon of hope for some, even when the cave seems incapable of light. Age appropriate for those 13 & older, and I honestly wish a book like this had been featured in my school when I was that age. I think it would have really been a lifeline, and can still be.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 16, 2023
Just... just give me a minute.
Wow.
I wish I had this book when I was in highschool. This showed the rage and confusion and pain a young individual feels when an adult, a predator, preys on them, steals their childhood, turns them into an object. It shows the way you can't accept love and you lose trust and your heart aches for something softer but the walls you put up are so hard and so thick that it feels impossible. But it's not. It's almost impossible and it is such an unfair struggle, but it can be done.
I feel so grateful and so lucky that I was give this book to read. It reminded me of when I was a kid, of the things that I lost, and that it's never too late to try and get them back.
TW: dyke used as a slur, sexual assault, racism.
**Thank you to NetGalley & Random House for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.**
Wow.
I wish I had this book when I was in highschool. This showed the rage and confusion and pain a young individual feels when an adult, a predator, preys on them, steals their childhood, turns them into an object. It shows the way you can't accept love and you lose trust and your heart aches for something softer but the walls you put up are so hard and so thick that it feels impossible. But it's not. It's almost impossible and it is such an unfair struggle, but it can be done.
I feel so grateful and so lucky that I was give this book to read. It reminded me of when I was a kid, of the things that I lost, and that it's never too late to try and get them back.
TW: dyke used as a slur, sexual assault, racism.
**Thank you to NetGalley & Random House for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.**
March 17, 2024
"Muszę was zapytać, dziewczęta:
ile z was idzie
przez ten świat jako kobieta
włożona do ram, które są za ciasne,
i ile z was kiedykolwiek,
choć na moment,
chciało mieć gniazdo
węży na głowie,
by robiło to,
czego wy nie możecie?"
***
Nie miałam żadnych oczekiwań względem tej książki. Dawno żadna młodzieżówka nie wzbudziła we mnie zachwytu, więc nie nastawiałam się na nic wyjątkowego. Pierwsza połowa była w porządku, ale bez rewelacji - tematycznie bardzo ważna, poruszająca masę istotnych wątków, a do tego napisana inaczej niż większość powieści dla młodych, ale było mi bliżej do zdania, iż to lektura typu "istotny temat to za mało". Czegoś mi brakowało... Trochę miałam wrażenie, że to przerost formy nad treścią.
Jednak później coś ruszyło - ta historia zaczęła poruszać moją emocjonalną stronę, a niektóre fragmenty chwytały za serce, sprawiając, że mówiłam: "hej, ja też tak mam, ja też tak czuję!". Już nawet przestały irytować mnie decyzje głównej bohaterki, które najpierw wydawały mi się totalnie nieracjonalne, ale w końcu zaczęłam zadawać sobie pytania - kim jestem, aby ją oceniać? Każdy radzi sobie ze swoimi traumami jak potrafi, prawda?
"Droga Meduzo" nie jest idealna, ma swoje mankamenty, do których można byłoby się przyczepić, ale... tym razem nie chcę tego robić. Poruszyła mnie w taki sposób, że na pewno będę jeszcze o niej myśleć. Warto po nią sięgnąć, bo...
...ta historia mogłaby być historią każdej z nas. Nieważne czy jesteś osobą nastoletnią, czy -naście lat skończyłaś dawno temu. Nieistotne jaki masz kolor skóry, przekonania, pochodzenie czy status materialny. Jestem pewna, że znajdziesz tutaj cząstkę siebie.
ile z was idzie
przez ten świat jako kobieta
włożona do ram, które są za ciasne,
i ile z was kiedykolwiek,
choć na moment,
chciało mieć gniazdo
węży na głowie,
by robiło to,
czego wy nie możecie?"
***
Nie miałam żadnych oczekiwań względem tej książki. Dawno żadna młodzieżówka nie wzbudziła we mnie zachwytu, więc nie nastawiałam się na nic wyjątkowego. Pierwsza połowa była w porządku, ale bez rewelacji - tematycznie bardzo ważna, poruszająca masę istotnych wątków, a do tego napisana inaczej niż większość powieści dla młodych, ale było mi bliżej do zdania, iż to lektura typu "istotny temat to za mało". Czegoś mi brakowało... Trochę miałam wrażenie, że to przerost formy nad treścią.
Jednak później coś ruszyło - ta historia zaczęła poruszać moją emocjonalną stronę, a niektóre fragmenty chwytały za serce, sprawiając, że mówiłam: "hej, ja też tak mam, ja też tak czuję!". Już nawet przestały irytować mnie decyzje głównej bohaterki, które najpierw wydawały mi się totalnie nieracjonalne, ale w końcu zaczęłam zadawać sobie pytania - kim jestem, aby ją oceniać? Każdy radzi sobie ze swoimi traumami jak potrafi, prawda?
"Droga Meduzo" nie jest idealna, ma swoje mankamenty, do których można byłoby się przyczepić, ale... tym razem nie chcę tego robić. Poruszyła mnie w taki sposób, że na pewno będę jeszcze o niej myśleć. Warto po nią sięgnąć, bo...
...ta historia mogłaby być historią każdej z nas. Nieważne czy jesteś osobą nastoletnią, czy -naście lat skończyłaś dawno temu. Nieistotne jaki masz kolor skóry, przekonania, pochodzenie czy status materialny. Jestem pewna, że znajdziesz tutaj cząstkę siebie.
Read
March 4, 2024nie wiem.
December 9, 2023
za dobre by mogło być prawdziwe
March 25, 2024
Droga Meduzo, która nigdy nie była potworem. Meduzo, która została wykluczona, odrzucona, opuszczona, znienawidzona i zabita, mimo że była ofiarą. Nie byłaś winna. Nie byłaś potworem. Byłaś głodna zemsty. Płonęłaś zemstą. Ogień cię trawił.
I trawi też Alicię. Czerwone włosy. Zła reputacja. Wyzwiska. Brak kontroli. Wilki. Gniew. Ciało. Mur.
Odrzuciła ją przyjaciółka, Alicia odeszła z drużyny biegaczy, jest odizolowana, niewidzialna, traci części siebie, oddaje innym ciało, by mieć kontrolę. Lista ostrzeżeń o treści jest wyszczególniona na początku książki, więc zapoznajcie się z nią przed przeczytaniem, bo mimo że nie porusza tych tematów w taki obrazowy sposób jak np. „Sezon luster”, to kręci się wokół nich w dość jednoznaczny sposób. Na pewno odbieram tę książkę inaczej niż osoby, które w jakimś stopniu mogą się utożsamić z główną bohaterką, ale mimo tego dystansu i różnicy doświadczeń czułxm wyraźnie emocje, które przez jej myśli przekazała autorka. Jak możecie wiedzieć, uwielbiam, wręcz kocham, prostotę. I ta forma, wiersza wolnego, choć może się wydawać oszczędna w formie, na pewno oszczędna w formie. Trafne obrazy i porównania, piękne zdania, często dobitne stwierdzenia, ale też mądre i głębokie przemyślenia. Ta forma nie pasuje do każdej historii, ale tutaj moim zdaniem się broni. Wykorzystanie Meduzy do pokazania historii Alicii strasznie mnie przyciągnęło do tej książki, ale szkoda, że było tych nawiązań tak mało. Subtelnie zaznaczony element miłosny (bo na pewno nie wątek), cielesność, seksualność, trauma – to też zajmuje autorkę. Wszystko splata się gładko i łączy w narrację dziewczyny, która kiedyś latała. I może kiedyś poleci znowu… Najmocniejszym punktem tej książki jest zakończenie, które odkąd ją skończyłxm, przeczytałxm ponownie co najmniej 5 razy. Nie wiem, co w nim jest takiego, ale uderza mnie bardziej niż inne wcześniejsze słowa. Wow. Nie jest to z pewnością powieść mojego życia (nie mogłaby być), ale za to właśnie doceniam literaturę – bo można usłyszeć głos kogoś, komu się go uprzednio zabrało.
I trawi też Alicię. Czerwone włosy. Zła reputacja. Wyzwiska. Brak kontroli. Wilki. Gniew. Ciało. Mur.
Odrzuciła ją przyjaciółka, Alicia odeszła z drużyny biegaczy, jest odizolowana, niewidzialna, traci części siebie, oddaje innym ciało, by mieć kontrolę. Lista ostrzeżeń o treści jest wyszczególniona na początku książki, więc zapoznajcie się z nią przed przeczytaniem, bo mimo że nie porusza tych tematów w taki obrazowy sposób jak np. „Sezon luster”, to kręci się wokół nich w dość jednoznaczny sposób. Na pewno odbieram tę książkę inaczej niż osoby, które w jakimś stopniu mogą się utożsamić z główną bohaterką, ale mimo tego dystansu i różnicy doświadczeń czułxm wyraźnie emocje, które przez jej myśli przekazała autorka. Jak możecie wiedzieć, uwielbiam, wręcz kocham, prostotę. I ta forma, wiersza wolnego, choć może się wydawać oszczędna w formie, na pewno oszczędna w formie. Trafne obrazy i porównania, piękne zdania, często dobitne stwierdzenia, ale też mądre i głębokie przemyślenia. Ta forma nie pasuje do każdej historii, ale tutaj moim zdaniem się broni. Wykorzystanie Meduzy do pokazania historii Alicii strasznie mnie przyciągnęło do tej książki, ale szkoda, że było tych nawiązań tak mało. Subtelnie zaznaczony element miłosny (bo na pewno nie wątek), cielesność, seksualność, trauma – to też zajmuje autorkę. Wszystko splata się gładko i łączy w narrację dziewczyny, która kiedyś latała. I może kiedyś poleci znowu… Najmocniejszym punktem tej książki jest zakończenie, które odkąd ją skończyłxm, przeczytałxm ponownie co najmniej 5 razy. Nie wiem, co w nim jest takiego, ale uderza mnie bardziej niż inne wcześniejsze słowa. Wow. Nie jest to z pewnością powieść mojego życia (nie mogłaby być), ale za to właśnie doceniam literaturę – bo można usłyszeć głos kogoś, komu się go uprzednio zabrało.
February 25, 2024
4.5
wow. wow
narazie muszę wszystko uporządkować, ale wow.
wow. wow
narazie muszę wszystko uporządkować, ale wow.
July 30, 2024
Oszczędna w słowach, a przy tym bardzo obrazowa. Dobitna, ale i niepozbawiona subtelności. Ostra, przepełniona solą zastygłą w niezasklepionych ranach, ale i delikatna jak opatrunek plastra. Bolesna, ale i kojąca. Słodko gorzka.
Raniąca, boląca, podnosząca ciśnienie krwi w żyłach, drapiąca. Trochę kobieca, choć bardziej dziewczyńska. Siostrzeńska. Wspierająca w tych samych miejscach, w których zadaje rany. Dla wielu z nas tak smutnie codzienna.
Rozdrapała stare rany, przypominając o wilku, który przez wiele lat czaił się tuż za granicą mojego pola widzenia, a także o wszystkich innych drapieżnikach, które przez ostatnie lata ostrzyły sobie kły w mniej lub bardziej subtelny sposób na mnie i inne dziewczynki, którymi wszystkie byłyśmy oraz na kobiety, którymi jesteśmy teraz.
Równie rażąca jak wycie wilka w ciemnym lesie, kły żmii pełne jadu tuż przy twojej kostce, blask czerwonych włosów w morzu szarych głów. Od punktu siedzenia zależy, jakie wywoła odczucie, ale nie przejdzie nieusłyszana. Nie zostanie niezapamiętana.
Raniąca, boląca, podnosząca ciśnienie krwi w żyłach, drapiąca. Trochę kobieca, choć bardziej dziewczyńska. Siostrzeńska. Wspierająca w tych samych miejscach, w których zadaje rany. Dla wielu z nas tak smutnie codzienna.
Rozdrapała stare rany, przypominając o wilku, który przez wiele lat czaił się tuż za granicą mojego pola widzenia, a także o wszystkich innych drapieżnikach, które przez ostatnie lata ostrzyły sobie kły w mniej lub bardziej subtelny sposób na mnie i inne dziewczynki, którymi wszystkie byłyśmy oraz na kobiety, którymi jesteśmy teraz.
Równie rażąca jak wycie wilka w ciemnym lesie, kły żmii pełne jadu tuż przy twojej kostce, blask czerwonych włosów w morzu szarych głów. Od punktu siedzenia zależy, jakie wywoła odczucie, ale nie przejdzie nieusłyszana. Nie zostanie niezapamiętana.
January 8, 2023
As soon as I finished this book I told all of my friends they had to read it. Dear Medusa is a hard hitting, beautifully written story about a high school aged girl who is sexually assaulted by a teacher, and from that has lost all of her friends and connection to her family. The story compares her to Medusa, who when attacked by a "man" in a position of power, was turned into the victim.
Alicia is struggling, but the story offers her the opportunity to grow. By the end she is not saved or "whole", but she is growing from her pain, has made new friends, and is becoming more of who she wants to be. She's still angry and she's still hurting but there is hope.
Most of the book focuses on women/girls and how they are taken advantage of by men. Many of our girls in the book had their childhood stolen, because of their bodies. Alicia becomes friends with this black girl, Deja, who helps her understand more about whiteness and it's power. Deja talks about how black girls are expected to grow up faster than anyone, and how using white as a modifier to words like trash implies black is trash by default.
Deja also comes out as asexual in the story, I'll discuss this more at the end.
Alicia's eyes are also opened when she starts to talk more with Geneva who is Pakistani-American, a lesbian, and the main love interest. Geneva is so kind and helpful in the story of Alicia learning to trust others again. Throughout the book you see so many women protecting each other and through growth and understanding, Alicia starts to heal.
This was my first book in verse that I had ever read, and it inspired me to check out some more. The writing flows so well, while also being impactful. I felt so many things while reading this book, and cried heavily at the ending.
Beyond an amazing story, there is such great representation. Our main character is bi/pan and struggling with the fact that she has never been with a girl. There is also amazing acesexual representation. I was highlighting so many quotes that so perfectly summed up what coming out as ace is like:
"The thing that bugs me about virginity is that everyone seems to think being a virgin means you're saving sex -- for God, for prom, for the right person at the right time. But I'm not saving it. Why don't people see that sex is not part of my reality?"
or
"It would be so freaking great if people stopped talking about liberation like it begins and ends with the decision of when and where and how someone says yes to sex, like no is always temporary or a placeholder."
Thanks to Random House Children's and Netgalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Alicia is struggling, but the story offers her the opportunity to grow. By the end she is not saved or "whole", but she is growing from her pain, has made new friends, and is becoming more of who she wants to be. She's still angry and she's still hurting but there is hope.
Most of the book focuses on women/girls and how they are taken advantage of by men. Many of our girls in the book had their childhood stolen, because of their bodies. Alicia becomes friends with this black girl, Deja, who helps her understand more about whiteness and it's power. Deja talks about how black girls are expected to grow up faster than anyone, and how using white as a modifier to words like trash implies black is trash by default.
Deja also comes out as asexual in the story, I'll discuss this more at the end.
Alicia's eyes are also opened when she starts to talk more with Geneva who is Pakistani-American, a lesbian, and the main love interest. Geneva is so kind and helpful in the story of Alicia learning to trust others again. Throughout the book you see so many women protecting each other and through growth and understanding, Alicia starts to heal.
This was my first book in verse that I had ever read, and it inspired me to check out some more. The writing flows so well, while also being impactful. I felt so many things while reading this book, and cried heavily at the ending.
Beyond an amazing story, there is such great representation. Our main character is bi/pan and struggling with the fact that she has never been with a girl. There is also amazing acesexual representation. I was highlighting so many quotes that so perfectly summed up what coming out as ace is like:
"The thing that bugs me about virginity is that everyone seems to think being a virgin means you're saving sex -- for God, for prom, for the right person at the right time. But I'm not saving it. Why don't people see that sex is not part of my reality?"
or
"It would be so freaking great if people stopped talking about liberation like it begins and ends with the decision of when and where and how someone says yes to sex, like no is always temporary or a placeholder."
Thanks to Random House Children's and Netgalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
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