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sarah_speaks's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Self harm, War, Murder, Child death, Blood, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery, Sexual content, and Animal death
Minor: Rape and Animal cruelty
therebeckening's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Animal cruelty
jennyrackel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Grief, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
louisaroselewis's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
The romance is beautiful, the action is exilerating, the characters are compelling, and the writing is magical.
I can not think of one bad thing to say about this book. It was heartwarming, emotional, heartbreaking, and I think educational.
I cried at the ending and because it ended.
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Homophobia, Sexual content, Rape, War, Murder, Blood, Death, and Slavery
acebooknerd_07'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? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Grief, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Animal cruelty, Blood, Child death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Animal death
akane_readsyt's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, Death, Medical content, Blood, Child death, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Pandemic/Epidemic, Slavery, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping
erebus53's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I think the book is fun but not super deep. Knowing roughly how the story goes before I delved into the book, leaves me wondering if I can even mention some parts of it without it being spoilers - what is the common knowledge here? Is it ok to mention which characters die when? I mean, this is ancient history ... so all the characters are dead by now (except maybe the gods).
This telling is in the first person, from the point of view of Patroclus who is the dearest love of Achilles.
--pedant mode--
I feel like it's spelled incorrectly, surely that's a "k"? Wiki says conventionally it's Patroclus but from Pátroklos ... wow there's argument about how that ought to be pronounced so that is a rabbit hole - but now I feel mollified.. it isn't just me being finicky. OK, fine, I'm being finicky. While I'm finicking, I kept raising an eyebrow when the author refers to heroes being painted onto vases. My high school classics led me to believe that black figure vases came way after the Trojan War, and red figure vases even later than that, so references to those forms seems anachronistic.
--end pedant mode--
The reason the two men like each other seems completely arbitrary because the author doesn't build that much. Patroclus is a devoted lover and sees his god-boyfriend through rosy tinted glasses. I find it really amusing that some people find this sweet, and others are nauseated by his witless swooning.
As far as this narration of the audiobook is concerned, I find it really strange that the narrator doesn't alter his affect for voicing young people. I was about 5 minutes into a conversation before I was reminded that this was a conversation between young children rather than adults. I got the same sort of feeling when the character of Pyrrhus is introduced as a pubescent youth. I honestly think there should be some sort of primer for Audiobook narrators where they learn how words like wretched are said.
OK, I'm going there. This is the first book I have ever read in the first person where the narrator dies and keeps telling the story. At first I wondered what the heck was happening because he was clearly deceased and yet, still talking. After a while it became clearer that according to the Greek practices around the passing of the dead to the underworld, he had moved on out of his body, but was still kicking around watching the proceedings. OK fine.. I'll let you have it. It still felt more clumsy than it ought to have.
It was an easy read and coming to the end of it, the themes of social change, and how things are perceived by future generations, are aired more explicitly. The story is true to the Greek trope of sage council that is ignored. This account is subverting the idea that glory is something that one earns by war and murder, and is focused on the idea that a person can be remembered for more than their body-count. All in all, I don't think the book is elegant, but it is interesting.
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Misogyny, Medical content, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Grief, Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, Physical abuse, Blood, Animal death, Slavery, Murder, Animal cruelty, War, Sexism, Rape, Death, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Pregnancy and Vomit
mayday_the_cleric's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Murder, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Gore, Violence, Child abuse, War, Slavery, Animal cruelty, Rape, and Sexual assault
ichthusangel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Sexual violence
ghostlyprince'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
2.5
Graphic: Pedophilia, Self harm, Child death, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Death, Sexism, Slavery, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Blood, Sexual content, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, and War
Moderate: Homophobia, Infidelity, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Bullying, Suicide attempt, Cannibalism, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, and Vomit