A review by lilith_hmr
Circe by Madeline Miller

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense 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

This book got me out of my reading slump. I had held 'The Song of Achilles' in my heart, dearly treasured and Circe only added to the stores. I loved the grappling beginning and how each page made you want to know more about what happened. I originally thought it was yet another romance, but it was so much more than that.

This literary piece had such a 'Explain-To-Me-Like-I'm-5ive' sort of energy while it told the readers of the Gods; Titans and Olympians, the mortals and the demi-gods, their histories, and futures. Very easy to follow. Miller's writing style made the book even more delicious. The prose, the way Circe recounted the events of her life so poetically, and the quotes in the book were numerous, all beautifully strung together. 

Circe's naiveté, innocence, trusting nature, anger, frustration, betrayals, disbelief, hopes, wishes, pains and realisations made her so relatable. While she endured the pangs of childbirth and the troubles of motherhood it only made me love her character more. Circe would do anything for her child Telegonus and that was such a powerful arch into her development. 

The last few chapters wove such a masterpiece of an ending, with a certainty that we as readers would have to believe in rather than know for sure. Overall, another beautiful book by Madeline Miller.
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