Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

641 reviews

dazzlingreader_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I think this is the saddest love story i've ever read. Heartbreaking, breathtaking, and beautifully written (also painful bc of how much sadness it has).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

norcana's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Incest, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

dennyiii's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

This was a predictably misogynistic and fetishizing read i’m the way only a book centering gay men written by straight women can be.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Murder, Abandonment, and War

shanslayyy's review against another edition

adventurous sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Upon reading this book, I felt like a spirit solely living with them with nothing to do but see them grow and take the path they are bound to tread on. There are times wherein the narrative is slow-paced, however it does add more clarity in the world building and most especially the growing relationship of Patroclus and Achilles. Do not be discouraged with the pacing, because time runs just as fast as Achilles' swift foot in the latter part; and I guess that's what I adore with Madeline Miller's writing skills — her ability to make these characters seem real that you get attached to it, and

the buildup of tension and destined tragedy

. There are certainly some moments in the book that pierced my heart, and for that I say that this book is well-written enough to evoke emotions in which I never thought I would feel. Despite the fact that I did a report regarding the Trojan War in our class, though not as thorough as this book may feature, this piece of literature did not fail to surprise me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and War

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Slavery

gayghostprince's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

the book is very hyped up and in comparison to the hype fell kind of flat. I'm sorry to the tsoa gays

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Child abuse, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Kidnapping

the incest is less than standard for greek myths. i just added it because they are greek myths

katbsc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A beautiful perspective on the Iliad/the battle of troy. Immaculate and visual writing, that transport you into a low-fantasy Greek warscape.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Torture, Blood, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia and Sexual violence

yikeslou's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

im so sorry i just did not find this book enjoyable. patroclus is baby boy, him and achilles are so sweet, but achilles can get in the bin

i do appreciate that miller made agamemnon exactly as bitchy as he should be. it's not in the book but clytemnestra did what she had to do i just wanna say that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Medical content, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

katie69's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and War

Moderate: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Slavery and Pregnancy

gbmillar2002's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I really enjoyed this book! Although, in my opinion, this book is not a good as Circe, miller was able to create a tense and heart wrenching ending of achillies death. Although I new vague aspects of the war of Troy. I was particularly stunned and ingrossed in her twist ending, this story beeing told by his dead lovers soul. Moreover I could hear the brokenness of achillies soul and anguish as agemenomn inferred him to get on with it

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and War

Moderate: Death

Minor: Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Vomit

krabinovitz's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

For the first half of the book, I would have put it at 3 stars. The prose was not particularly commanding and I didn’t love its simplistic style. As the boom reached its end I found the writing style stronger and more compelling.

I’m torn on the presentation of the characters - it leaves me wanting to go back to re read some original greek mythology to see how the characters presented here add to or contrast with those in the originals

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence