My unofficial review of Being Medusa by A. Lynn Powers
Posted: 29 Jun 2015, 22:27
1. Having snakes for hair would suck, that's what I think!!
Poor Medusa is a young girl with very unique problems. One she's totally smokin' hot and doesn't know it at all, and two there is the little thing about snakes for hair. You can't comb a set o' snakes and they draw unwanted attention to a pretty young lady. What's a girl to do, freeze people who offend her, or become a loner and build up a tough exterior to keep people out?
Our story begins with Medusa in trouble for freezing some frigid girl for being a freakin' jerk
We follow the tale of Medusa explaining how she is always in trouble and she really thinks that it is all her fault, as, due to the way her sisters and everyone else treat her, she has low self esteem. The author does a great job of building interest in the character of Medusa, as well as empathy for her and her situation. We can all relate, right?! Am I right?! Yeah, you with the third nipple or that High School yearbook photo that you won't show anyone because you looked like a dang donkey with glasses, haha--a**glasses.(sorry, I've been reading too much young adult fare lately and am really enjoying the young potty humor hahaha)
Somewhere along the way, Medusa gets hit by a car driven by some jerk of a new guy at the school, and this is where her life begins to change. The new guy and his family feel so bad about what he has done, that they will not leave her alone with their stupid caring and bringing of food and other such contrite and apologetic behaviors. (Also their mom does not want to get sued. haha) She begins to make friends with these pesky people and soon she makes other friends as well. She begins to open herself up to realize that not everyone is against her like her stupid sisters that never clean up after themselves and answer the door in their underwear....(because they're gross!!)
There are twists and turns along the way that I will not reveal because no one likes a spoiler, but suffice it to say that Medusa continues to learn that some people can be trusted and others cannot. Just as she begins to trust people, some of them let her down. HARD!! She does not take this and become bitter and retreat back to her former self, partly because she has already learned her lesson, but mostly because her friends are there for her when this happens and help her to keep her faith in humanity. The villianous pair that hurt Medusa are not completely frozen in the end, but are handily taken care of by a plot hatched up by her and her friends.
Humor is also not lacking, which is always a plus in my book. At one point Medusa wonders, as young girl with snakes for hair would, "Is it ok to carry a brown purse with black snakes?" There is also a funny part where she relates how people are talking about her behind her back and she overhears, "I wonder if the carpet matches the drapes?"(hahahaha oh, the implications that has in this story) and, "I wonder if she stole Donny from his girlfriend using snake charming tricks?" Hahahaha
All in all a beautiful story about self consciousness and how our image of ourselves is typically an unfounded alternate reality that we create. What a better way to personify that in this genre than by using a character like Medusa who, although human in body, also has an obviously different appearance than everybody else. This is a story that most of us can relate to and a very refreshing and unique take on a very time tested theme.
***
Being Medusa
View on Bookshelves | View on Amazon
Already read Being Medusa? Discuss it here
Like escapeartist's review? Leave a comment below!
Poor Medusa is a young girl with very unique problems. One she's totally smokin' hot and doesn't know it at all, and two there is the little thing about snakes for hair. You can't comb a set o' snakes and they draw unwanted attention to a pretty young lady. What's a girl to do, freeze people who offend her, or become a loner and build up a tough exterior to keep people out?
Our story begins with Medusa in trouble for freezing some frigid girl for being a freakin' jerk
We follow the tale of Medusa explaining how she is always in trouble and she really thinks that it is all her fault, as, due to the way her sisters and everyone else treat her, she has low self esteem. The author does a great job of building interest in the character of Medusa, as well as empathy for her and her situation. We can all relate, right?! Am I right?! Yeah, you with the third nipple or that High School yearbook photo that you won't show anyone because you looked like a dang donkey with glasses, haha--a**glasses.(sorry, I've been reading too much young adult fare lately and am really enjoying the young potty humor hahaha) Somewhere along the way, Medusa gets hit by a car driven by some jerk of a new guy at the school, and this is where her life begins to change. The new guy and his family feel so bad about what he has done, that they will not leave her alone with their stupid caring and bringing of food and other such contrite and apologetic behaviors. (Also their mom does not want to get sued. haha) She begins to make friends with these pesky people and soon she makes other friends as well. She begins to open herself up to realize that not everyone is against her like her stupid sisters that never clean up after themselves and answer the door in their underwear....(because they're gross!!)
There are twists and turns along the way that I will not reveal because no one likes a spoiler, but suffice it to say that Medusa continues to learn that some people can be trusted and others cannot. Just as she begins to trust people, some of them let her down. HARD!! She does not take this and become bitter and retreat back to her former self, partly because she has already learned her lesson, but mostly because her friends are there for her when this happens and help her to keep her faith in humanity. The villianous pair that hurt Medusa are not completely frozen in the end, but are handily taken care of by a plot hatched up by her and her friends.
Humor is also not lacking, which is always a plus in my book. At one point Medusa wonders, as young girl with snakes for hair would, "Is it ok to carry a brown purse with black snakes?" There is also a funny part where she relates how people are talking about her behind her back and she overhears, "I wonder if the carpet matches the drapes?"(hahahaha oh, the implications that has in this story) and, "I wonder if she stole Donny from his girlfriend using snake charming tricks?" Hahahaha
All in all a beautiful story about self consciousness and how our image of ourselves is typically an unfounded alternate reality that we create. What a better way to personify that in this genre than by using a character like Medusa who, although human in body, also has an obviously different appearance than everybody else. This is a story that most of us can relate to and a very refreshing and unique take on a very time tested theme.
***
Being Medusa
View on Bookshelves | View on Amazon
Already read Being Medusa? Discuss it here
Like escapeartist's review? Leave a comment below!
It's nice to see a Young Adult book that's not about vampires, witches, etc.
If you do read it, I hope that you will enjoy it and let me know what you think. Potty humor and all 
