Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

165 reviews

caitlindoesntread's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-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? Yes

5.0

Okay. The ending of this book was incredibly touching, and i loved how the character dynamics changed throughout and you really felt like the characters were growing up, however, it took me AGES to get through all of this thing. It was iNCREDIBLY slow paced for the first like two thirds and then in the last portion of the book it suddenly went crazy fast and ten years passed in the space of a few chapters??? despite this, there is practically no plot during most of this book. I LOVED I THOUGH. the imagery throughout the book is incredible. I loved the relationship between Patroclus and Briseis and actually felt like (SPOILERS!!!) she just randomly died way too abruptly and she deserved way more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Murder, Death, Violence, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and War

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Incest, Medical content, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

dragon_lord's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-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

4.5

Though I started reading this book already knowing some of Achilles’s story, and therefore some of the events that would happen, I never once felt like that detracted from my experience reading it. If anything, it added to it. I was in stitches trying to figure out how certain events would happen. I absolutely loved this book, and finished it in a single sitting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Homophobia, Sexism, Murder, Slavery, War, Violence, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Animal death, and Death

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Sexual content

leonormsousa's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Violence, Blood, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, Body horror, Death, Sexual assault, Slavery, Medical content, and War

inkdrinkers's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

How do I rate a book that I hated so much at the beginning, but loved so much at the end?

I feel like, after a decade past it's release, there are a lot of things that have already been said about The Song of Achilles, a majority of which boil down to naming this book a classic, heralding it as one of the best retellings, and giving it major props as a novel with queer representation - and to all that I say... I guess?

My biggest issues with this novel was the fact it's an adult fantasy that I've seen for years mismarketed as something for teens. Which, while the main characters are young - a majority of this book takes place during the preteens and teens of Patroclus and Achilles - it made me so vastly uncomfortable to have pages and pages (or hours, since I listened to the audiobook) devoted to the grown Patroclus reflecting on his sexual past with Achilles and mentioning his feet every chance he got. (His feet are an overarching mention and callback to the original myth of Achilles, but it's very heavy-handed.) Ultimately, this is an adult piece of fiction that contains a lot more than just a tragic love story between two fallen princes entangled with fate.

Yes, from a technical standpoint, this is a beautiful piece of work. It made me feel a lot of things, and though I didn't cry, the ending three chapters were truly some of the best literature I've listened to in a long time - but, I just feel like it fluttered to the floor for me, like a dropped sheet of paper - it's just kind of there. My favorite parts were few and far in between, the moments with Chiron shone as some of my favorites, but then were quickly dashed by how annoyed I got with Achilles' and his relationship with Thetis. Unfortunately, that annoyance only continued to grow as I really, deeply loved Miller's description of war once Troy was finally breached as a plot point - but was always annoyed when Achilles' unflinching love for his goddess mother reappeared.

I don't know how to rate this. I'm giving it a three because of that. The ending was beautiful, especially the ending line, and I particularly enjoyed the way the ending narration is set up. It was an unexpected surprise, but one that can't save this book for me. 

Content warnings: war, death, grief are present throughout. Rape and coercion are a huge plot point, beginning around chapter twelve/thirteen (with an uncomfortable scene, implications, then on page that I skipped) and then carry throughout the entirety of the Troy chapters which feature mistreatment of women heavily. I would urge readers to tread lightly and remember this is an adult fantasy, featuring multiple adult scenes. Separately, I will add that there are sex scenes, some of them between underage Patroclus and Achilles, some of them not, varying in their degree of description.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Rape, Death, War, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Racism, Transphobia, Slavery, Physical abuse, Outing, Misogyny, Child abuse, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Child death, Blood, and Sexism

captainoliimar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Rape, Abandonment, Death, Incest, Outing, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol

Minor: Self harm, Biphobia, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, and Suicide

josie24601's review against another edition

adventurous

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and War

Moderate: Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Kidnapping, and Slavery

fujo_cat'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Honestly, I overhyped this book. Don't get me wrong, it was enjoyable, but that's about it. Maybe it's because I knew the original story and liked that one more (the way it was told, I mean) - I cried twice listening to it the first time... I only got teary once with this one. I was expecting much more, but eh, I think this author is just not for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, War, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Animal death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Classism, and Rape

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Sexual content

books_and_rainydays's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, War, Violence, Grief, and Blood

Moderate: Slavery, Child abuse, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Torture

Minor: Deportation, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent

tatti's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Genocide, Rape, Body horror, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Trafficking, War, Blood, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence

emmareese's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

i have so many thoughts but to sum it up, this is beautifully written and i adore it with my whole heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Slavery, War, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, and Violence