A review by kthedestroyer
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

challenging emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

Look... I know everyone is obsessed with this book but I am highly convinced that those people never heard the whole story of the Iliad.
This book is a big mess and I don't even know what I should complain about first. The only good thing is the plot which is not original in the slightest. Yes, I have read Greek mythology when I was I child. I know what Iliad is about since we read parts of it for school. I have seen the movie Troy before.
This book is a copy. There is nothing original about it and if there are details that differentiate it from the Iliad they are not important for the flow of the story at all.

There will be spoilers later on if you are that one person who has no idea what the Troyan war was, but this is my only warning because I really don't care.

I have never read a book more predictable than this one. Oh look, the Troyan war... I wonder what this will bring to our characters. 

What??? Patroclus dies? Really? 
And Hector as well?
Wait Achilles too? 
Wow, I could never see this coming. This is definitely not the same story that I've heard thousands of times.

Okay but seriously... The book is awfully predictable. This probably wouldn't bother me if the characters were developed. 
Well, they weren't. 

Achilles and Patroclus are annoying little brats who change personalities like their underwear. There was no real development - at least it wasn't visible. Sure they were on their way to Troy for years and then there was a long war and blah, blah, blah... but the author describes the circumstances too much and forgets to focus on our leads and their relationship.
As a result, it feels like they changed from whiny teens to selfish adults overnight. In addition, their relationship lacks chemistry because they don't talk or share interests or something that would maybe make them seem perfect for each other.

Again, maybe I could still look past that if the writing style was like really good.
It's not. At the slightest. 
It didn't hook me to be interested and it certainly didn't help that the book had a 1st person POV. Patroclus lacks personality and consequently, a story told from his POV can't feel personal to the reader. At least not to me. Sorry not sorry.

Oh yeah, want to hear more negative stuff? Don't worry. I have more material.
Let me just list my other complaints.
- the book lacks HUMOR... I mean, can something be good if there is no fun to it?
- this is just a "wants to be serious but in its core, it's just cheap ya shit" novel 
- the pacing is too fast 
- well... switching heel with a heart doesn't make it creative and original

And one last thing that deserves its own paragraph... our bestie Patroclus in spirit form.
Just...why? Why did you feel the need to do that? It's not good. At all.
I don't get it. First, don't write a book in the first person if your main character dies. Second, if you really need to do it, use 3rd person when they die. Because they are dead and no one wants to have the spirit still around.

Okay, that's enough. I don't even want to think about it anymore. Read at your own risk. You have been warned.

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