Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Circe Excerpt: The First 3 Chapters by Madeline Miller

345 reviews

papayaya's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

There’s something in me that won’t give this book the whole 5 stars but I’m not sure why. It was a little slow at the start if I really had to nitpick. But other than that this book was perfection. Circe and her great mind. I feel like I got to know her so closely that she would laugh at me if I said she could not catch a break. But I love her, with all her pride. We follow Circe from her earlier years to when she is exiled on Aiaia. I’m happy for the ending she got in this. She deserved nothing but. Reading it made me emotional and warm. If there’s ever a time I want to come down from a bad day I would read this ending over and over again. A very fulfilling story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: War and Sexual assault

picaresquedreamer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Death, Murder, Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Animal death, Blood, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Bullying, Confinement, Pregnancy, and Torture

Minor: Domestic abuse

riv_erb's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Sexism, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, Misogyny, and Confinement

torismazarine's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Self harm, Confinement, and Infidelity

snips17's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Violence, Confinement, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Sexism

Moderate: War, Rape, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, and Torture

a_libra_library's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective tense slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Grief, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts

alina_mansur's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Abandonment, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

hello_lovely13's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective slow-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

4.0

The writing was, of course, amazing and right up my hill. This book did an excellent job of purposefully making you angry on Circe's behalf, with everything lined with underlying sadness as she works to embodying her own power. I liked seeing her progression as she transformed from someone that believed themselves weak and powerless to someone that was defiant and accepts and embraces how powerful they are. The ending wasn't quite my favorite, but it does make sense for the desires of the character.

I did not like that she gave up her immortality, but liked that she retained her powers and kept working as a witch. Due to the emphasis on isolation and her despair over the idea of eternity (everything always moving on, memories fleeting), it makes sense for her to want and then actually take the steps to become mortal with a more normal life, but I would have preferred her to find a found family or remain solitary, but learn to bask in her own power (she does this, but loneliness is a big aspect to her character). I absolutely loved that Penelope became the new witch of Aiaia. A refuge island for women would have been a great ending as well. I did not expect that she would actually achieve an end to her exile.

A majority of the book lacked a spark of rage, which made the treatment of Circe all the more sad. Everyone around her was absolutely terrible to her, and she would just take it. Very rarely would there be moments of catharsis where she would speak out and prove them wrong, and it was so unfortunate for her because she was always looked down on and underestimated.

The moment she achieves acquiring Trygon's tail is a good moment, and I delighted that her brother tried and failed. She didn't get much recognition on this accomplishment, but she was never concerned with such things. I more wanted it for her.

The third quarter of the book lost my attention a bit, due to the subject it focused on (

I don't particularly care about reading about motherhood; I find it a bit boring. The part about her having to defend her son against Athena was interesting because it demanded her to use the defiant side to her that acknowledges her power and uses it. The fact that she succeeds for so long only to lose him to Athena once Telemachus turns her offer down is something sad that I resigned myself to.

It was written effectively, but the subject matter is one I'm not attached to.). It was interesting seeing Circe connected to so many well-known myths. Circe always moves forward, and that is something admirable about her. Overall, a beautiful story underlined with sadness (mostly due to the audacity of men), and you will definitely be rooting for Circe until the end (I support women's rights, and I also support women's wrongs. There is also good work done making each character multifaceted, so even as you hate or love them, you are able to understand (and sometimes sympathize with) them. A definite recommend if you like slow-paced character studies.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Death, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: War

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

I really enjoyed this book! I think getting to know Circe more intimately and engaging in her story as one piece instead of the fragments created an engaging and creative 400 pages. Circe is both likable and unlikable, blunt and evasive, rude and considerate, caring and unfeeling, and selfish and selfless. She evolves from a naive doormat into a strong and wise witch. I wish I could give this 5 stars but it falls flat for me. I didn't need a battle or a death but I feel like the disconnect from other characters and how flat everyone else seemed made it hard to care about the ending. I dislike comparing books (especially when they aren't actually connected) but, after reading Millers other greek retelling, this feels like an emotional let down. Not sure if my expectations were too high or if this just didn't deliver. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Grief, War, Medical content, Murder, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Gore, and Toxic relationship

vvabecca's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, War, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Bullying, Incest, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, and Torture