To be published 21/01/2024…
From a young age, Medea’s powers have ostracised her. Even her own family hate her magic and spurn her for it. When the opportunity arises for her to use her powers and finally prove their worth to her father, she takes it. Yet it is still the magic he respects, not her. Cue Jason, the first person to look on her without fear or hatred and the first to offer an escape from the suffocating walls of Colchis palace…
This book hooked me from the very first sentence: “When I was a child, I turned my brother into a pig”. This simple statement opens up so many questions and the answers to these questions create an immediately engaging and sympathetic character. A young girl with power, but no idea how to use it for her own benefit, and surround by those who either hate or fear her. Medea is shown to be both clever and naïve, her sheltered upbringing making it difficult for her to read other people’s intentions with any real clarity. However the most enticing aspect of her character is the way she puts her whole self into everything she does, whether that be love, hate, magic, survival, or revenge.
In order to cram decades of Medea’s life into one book, Rosie Hewlett focusses on her character’s defining moments. A particularly big leap of ten years means that we miss out on witnessing Medea’s growth from a child to an adult, a daughter to a wife, and a girl to a mother. Although these would have been some great moments to read, the sudden jump works to emphasise the extent of the changes in her life. We go from hints about her future straight into seeing the full and lasting impact of her mistakes come to life. The detail and emotion in the second half of this book make it easy for the reader to build their own devastating images to fill the gaps of Medea’s life.
What I like most about this book is the ending. There is no concrete conclusion, either good or bad; just a recognition that life has happened. Medea is presented as a vastly different woman from the girl at the beginning of the book and the reader is able to recognise both her mistakes and the outside influences that led her to them. This left me with mixed feelings and a sense of connection to Medea as though I had shared her trials with her as I read them. Overall the complexity and depth to Medea’s character makes for an absorbing read and an unbeatable feeling of satisfaction.
Escape to the Bookshelf 