A review by graffitithesky
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-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

5.0

Through the first half of this book, I was thinking, "This book will probably be a 4 or a 4.5 rating for me, it's good but there are a couple parts that are putting me off/triggering (
Deidameia with Patroclus, the descriptions of Peleus taking Thetis
)". But I finished the book and as you can see, it earned its 5 from me. Throughout the book, the storytelling of this well-known and oft-rewritten myth was done spectacularly well. As someone who knows both Homeric epics well, I could truly appreciate the foreshadowing Miller used throughout the novel (and dear god did I want to bawl just at the foreshadowing). The characters were given new life and personalities that made me feel even more attached to them, and it allowed the tragedy I knew was coming to hit me square in the jaw.
The depictions of Achilles' grief were poignant and devastating, the despair of Patroclus watching his philtatos suffer his death and unable to join him in death was heartwrenching.
Overall, this novel was fantastic, and I absolutely loved it. Now I'm going to go ice my eyes because they're still puffy after sobbing for an hour over this book.
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