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ankiaisreading's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Blood, and Alcohol
twistykris'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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Outing
Minor: Animal death and Alcohol
elena2000rr's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence and Grief
Moderate: Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Outing, War, and Injury/Injury detail
maess's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Outing, and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
addienoah's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
5.0
I finished this in a short period of time because I am a fast reader that frequently reads. But I considered this a slow read because of how long it felt. Each page you had to pay attention and digest. The language was something you also had to adjust to. In all this was a medium read.
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
gabriella_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I have never read a love story convey so much closeness. Even the physical gap between their bodies must have been too much distance for them to bear.
The prose reads like poetry. The story was incredibly satisfying and kept my interest. I got teary-eyed a few times. This is a story where two characters dare to love in a world where marrying for love is an outlier.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
pitedavid'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
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and Outing
Minor: Child death, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Classism
dragonbornsandwaffles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, and War
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Transphobia
inkdrinkers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I feel like, after a decade past it's release, there are a lot of things that have already been said about The Song of Achilles, a majority of which boil down to naming this book a classic, heralding it as one of the best retellings, and giving it major props as a novel with queer representation - and to all that I say... I guess?
My biggest issues with this novel was the fact it's an adult fantasy that I've seen for years mismarketed as something for teens. Which, while the main characters are young - a majority of this book takes place during the preteens and teens of Patroclus and Achilles - it made me so vastly uncomfortable to have pages and pages (or hours, since I listened to the audiobook) devoted to the grown Patroclus reflecting on his sexual past with Achilles and mentioning his feet every chance he got. (His feet are an overarching mention and callback to the original myth of Achilles, but it's very heavy-handed.) Ultimately, this is an adult piece of fiction that contains a lot more than just a tragic love story between two fallen princes entangled with fate.
Yes, from a technical standpoint, this is a beautiful piece of work. It made me feel a lot of things, and though I didn't cry, the ending three chapters were truly some of the best literature I've listened to in a long time - but, I just feel like it fluttered to the floor for me, like a dropped sheet of paper - it's just kind of there. My favorite parts were few and far in between, the moments with Chiron shone as some of my favorites, but then were quickly dashed by how annoyed I got with Achilles' and his relationship with Thetis. Unfortunately, that annoyance only continued to grow as I really, deeply loved Miller's description of war once Troy was finally breached as a plot point - but was always annoyed when Achilles' unflinching love for his goddess mother reappeared.
I don't know how to rate this. I'm giving it a three because of that. The ending was beautiful, especially the ending line, and I particularly enjoyed the way the ending narration is set up. It was an unexpected surprise, but one that can't save this book for me.
Content warnings: war, death, grief are present throughout. Rape and coercion are a huge plot point, beginning around chapter twelve/thirteen (with an uncomfortable scene, implications, then on page that I skipped) and then carry throughout the entirety of the Troy chapters which feature mistreatment of women heavily. I would urge readers to tread lightly and remember this is an adult fantasy, featuring multiple adult scenes. Separately, I will add that there are sex scenes, some of them between underage Patroclus and Achilles, some of them not, varying in their degree of description.
Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Grief, and War
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Transphobia, Blood, Outing, and Injury/Injury detail
eatmytoe404'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Outing, and Alcohol