Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Circe by Madeline Miller

2 reviews

luminifera's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-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

5.0

I absolutely loved it. What a beautiful retelling of the myth. So many details!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, Body horror, Cannibalism, Confinement, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Animal death, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual content, Violence, Bullying, Child death, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Torture, Child abuse, Cursing, Rape, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, War, Self harm, Infidelity, Addiction, Incest, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Xenophobia, and Alcohol

It's a heavy book. However, very much worth the read, and

it has a happy ending!

ar_singh's review

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

2.75

This book was definitely over hyped. I love mythology and having read Percy Jackson, I was excited to try another Greek retelling.

Cons: I’m afraid to say that I did judge a book by its cover, and it was disappointing. 

This book was slow paced, except for brief moments, like facing down Syculla. I even contemplated DNFing this one. But I pushed through til the end.

As interesting as the idea of Circe was, I felt that the majority of the time, her character focused too much on her self pity and hatred of other gods. And while her hatred of her family was justified. I wished she had taken more power and wrath against those who had wronged her.

For me, this story was disappointing and draining because it only took place on her island of exile. All the characters that are woven in and out of the story show up on her island. Therefore landscape never changes.

Pros: Miller is a good with words, I can at least give her that praise.

This story helped me understand the  Scandinavian word ‘Ladgom’ which roughly translate to  ‘not to busy or not to idle but just right’. As Circe spent most of her days just living. 

In the end Circe wasn’t the hero of her story but a cursed women trying to find her way in a patriarchal world. That I can praise her for. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Animal death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Rape