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gabydoesgrowth's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Classism, Death, Genocide, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Grief, and Infidelity
hayleemarie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Suicide
abhss's review
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Pregnancy, Infidelity, War, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Death of parent and Rape
stobo1kenobo's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
I enjoyed this book a lot! It switches back and forth between the third person perspective of Helen and Klytemnestra in a way that wasn’t confusing and allows you to get a sense of what both sisters are going through as they navigate growing up into wifehood and motherhood. Really enjoyed!
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexism, Violence, Animal death, Murder, Sexual assault, War, Genocide, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking
evemel's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, and Rape
amobrien's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Infidelity, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, War, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, and Murder
Minor: Animal death and Injury/Injury detail
isusp_65's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: War, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Murder and Rape
Minor: Suicide
indyjg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: War, Death, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Child death
Moderate: Death and Rape
nisireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Murder, War, Sexual content, Violence, and Child death
withlivjones's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
My one gripe with this book is that the pacing is rather inconsistent. The start is somewhat slow, and I am grateful for the time skips to ensure that the narrative doesn’t get boring. However, Helen’s “abduction” occurs over halfway through the book and the actual war doesn’t start until three quarters of the way through. From there, the pacing is almost breakneck as the author attempts to fit the nine-year Trojan war, as well as its aftermath, into under one hundred pages. I appreciate that retellings of the Trojan War, especially the events covered in the Iliad, have been done to death in other adaptations, but I feel that Helen’s perspective of more parts of the war, or even Klytemnestra’s reception of the news of certain events, could have enhanced the story. I was half expecting Kalchas to somehow make a return, either during the plague (which isn’t mentioned) or when the Trojan Horse arrives (which is alluded to in a single sentence), since he plays a significant role in the first half of the novel and then completely disappears after Iphigenia’s death. The book barely touches on the events of the Iliad and the Agamemnon and doesn’t even cover the Libation Bearers (leaving both Klytemnestra’s and Elektra’s arcs feeling somewhat unfinished), and I think that the author really could have taken advantage of the opportunity to discuss the motivations of Helen and Klytemnestra in these stories where their actions are so significant.
Graphic: Blood, Child death, Cursing, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, War, Genocide, and Grief
Period-typical attitudes towards women