Medusa Gorgon's Bad Hair Day

By Author / Illustrator

Bethany Walker

Genre

Myths & Legends

Age range(s)

Publisher

Scholastic

ISBN

9780702340659

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

14-08-2025

Synopsis

12-year-old Meddy Gordon has serious anger issues... In this hilarious book for middle-grade readers, Meddy rants about family and friendships, using her diary as a way of letting out her anger and keeping her emotions in check. So far, so normal. You know the kind of thing: frustrations with her self-absorbed sisters; problems with idiotic classmates; disagreements with pompous teachers; and, of course, her troubles dealing with the occasional flock of owls, swarms of snakes, or even the odd many-headed dog.

And then there's the small problem of the snake hair that appears if she doesn't control her anger... You see, Meddy Gordon is not actually from the 21st century. She is, in fact, a human from ancient Greece and she has made a powerful enemy. Meddy G is MEDUSA and she just happens to have angered Athena, the goddess of war. And what happens when the goddess of war is on the warpath? You get a bad day. A very bad day indeed.

Meddy Gorgon is loosely based on the famous Greek myth of Medusa, ideal for young fans of Greek mythology! A highly illustrated book, great for fans of Loki and Lottie Brooks. Funny and fantastic illustrations by Katie Abey who has illustrated over fifty books for children.

"Packed with laughs, legends and just the right amount of chaos - I loved it!" - Tom Vaughan, author of Hercules: the Diary of a (Sort of) Hero. "A laugh-a-minute hair-raiser of hilarity, brimming with character and brilliantly illustrated; you HAVE to read this one!" - Alex Foulkes.

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Reviews

Sue

Medusa Gorgon works for the goddess, Athena, as a guardian in her temple. To help with her fiery temper, Medusa's best friend, Arachne, has suggested she keeps a diary as an outlet to process her feelings. But when Medusa angers Athena and is banished to the 21st century to retrieve Athena's shield which she (Medusa) might just have got rid of in a fit of temper, her life becomes a series of VERY bad days.

Medusa Gorgon’s Bad Hair Day is a brilliant read! Fast paced and funny, it is the perfect book to read this summer holiday! Accessible and entertaining, the dairy-style format is really popular with lots of children as the first person writing easy to engage with and this particular one is highly illustrated and hilarious.

Medusa's frustrations with the gods and the unfairness of life and her bewilderment at life at secondary school and navigating the perils of friendship groups make for very entertaining reading - with many a true word spoken in jest!

Obviously, the book draws heavily on the Greek myths, but readers don't need to be familiar with the story of Medusa or Arachne or any of the other Gods to thoroughly enjoy the story. The author uses characters from these myths, but very much makes them her own, developing their personalities and allowing Medusa and Arachne to choose their fate.

Friendship is at the heart of the story. Although quick tempered, Medusa is a loyal, kind friend, far from the cold hearted monster of myth, easy to relate to and easy to like. The illustrations are just wonderful and add much to the story, making this an excellent addition to any bookshelf.

288 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher