ARC provided by NetGalley

Two seemingly different storyline, but one idea weave together to present this powerful and heartbreaking tale. Every summer the carnival rolls into town and for the first time ever Tessa is allowed to go to the carnival un-chaperoned with her best friend, Celina. The price to pay? Her younger sister Lulu gets to come along as well. All three girls hope to capture the eye of a boy for a summer romance, but jealousy enters their lives when the boy Tessa had an eye latches onto Lulu instead. A summer that began with promise spirals ever downward and tragedy strikes. In the other story, told in comic format, a young girl wakes up to a world that remains changed forever. They’ve all become beasts, characters out of Greek mythology, and she is Medusa. She wields considerable power, but all she wants is to be a normal girl again.

When I first started reading the story I was a bit confused. I couldn’t figure out why it seemed like we were reading two different stories that just didn’t seem to go together. But then...it blends. And the truth is revealed. This story really reminds of how “American Born Chinese” is laid out, with two seemingly different story lines and characters, but in the end they merge together masterfully.

It’s a bit difficult to write about this book without revealing the plot twists, but I love how the stories are told and blended together into one and bringing in Greek mythology is a stroke of genius. That feeling of being an outcast, of being different, is something that we can all easily relate to. And the fact that its done with Nate Powell’s gorgeous brush strokes is a treat.

This is the type of story that is perfect for young and old. And that once you get done reading it, you’ll want to go back and read it again to see what you missed. 4 out of 5 stars.