Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - The Song of Achilles

I wasn’t sure if I would like this book as it’s not one I’d usually choose, but it’s excellent. It’s a bit slower in the first half, but I couldn’t put it down once I got further in. I already knew the general story of Achilles, so I knew the end was coming and it still tore my heart out.

The final chapter is a gut punch in the best way. I absolutely recommend this book, but it will make you cry.

I can’t speak to how true to the mythology she was as I haven’t read the Iliad (one day!), but the story is beautifully written and I like that it was told from the eyes of Patroclus, I found it interesting and it wasn’t what I expected.

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addienoah's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

This book was a slow start but once it got Achilles introduced I was captivated. And it just kept getting better and playing out every scene in my head while reading brought them to life. This was very well written and the characters were so interesting. Even after Protroclus died, he still narrated and the ending with Thetis brought me to tears.
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.

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nutmegandpumpkin's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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gabriella_'s review

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adventurous dark hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

Spoiler

“I thought, This is what Achilles will feel like when he is old. And then I remembered: he will never be old.”

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.

Spoiler

Odysseus was the only other person who was truly in love in this book?

I am at a loss for words for how beautiful this story was. It has renewed my interest in Greek Mythos, which is a tough task.

Spoiler

“Patroclus, I have given enough to them. I will not give them this.”

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