Reviews tagging Toxic friendship

The Song of Achilles, by Madeline Miller

7 reviews

fanboyriot's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

Finally finished reading this after having it on my physical TBR for at least five years.  

The hype of this was high.  Seeing great reviews and positive comments about how amazing the writing was and how sad but good it was.

I’m not gonna lie I only bought it because it was queer and it had Greek mythology in it.  I thought despite the angst and it being a historical fiction that I’d like it.  

The short review is that I did not like it.  I wanted to DNF it so many times but thought maybe I just wasn’t giving it a chance.

I don’t know if it was because of the slower paced chapters or because it was a historical fiction but this book was so boring.  I could not wait to be done with it.

There were so many moments that it was cringey or just uncomfortable to read.  All the spicy moments were awful to get through.  And  while I understand it was back when people were a lot younger when they were married off or forced to have children but it was just so uncomfortable to read lines like: “Her body, he said, was soft and small as a child’s.” (Chapter 13, page 147)… why is that necessary??  How did that make it into the final edits?? 

I will say the positive about this was that through everything Achilles and Patroclus had a healthy, honest, and trusting relationship for the most part.  

And while the ending was sad it wasn’t as bad as I expected.  I think that what Thetis ended up doing in the end helped with that.  It was the sweetest thing she had done in that whole book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Classism, Grief, Injury/injury detail, Gaslighting, Death, Violence, War, Blood, Murder, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Gore, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Animal death, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical content, Slavery, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Minor: Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Ableism, Vomit, Child death, and Trafficking

m_elisabeth's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Violence

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship

soshereads_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Misogyny, Abandonment, Violence, Trafficking, Sexual assault, War, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Injury/injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Animal death, Violence, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Sexual content

jantzi02's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.5

It’s excellently written, but

Spoiler

when Achilles dies, he’s shot in the heart. Not the heel. Which is the one thing that people know about him. He’s impervious to weapons everywhere except his heel, because that’s where his mother held him when she dipped him in the Styx. And he got shot in the heart.

Spoiler

Aside from that, it’s beautiful. I didn’t cry, which surprised me greatly, but it’s a wonderful read, and I’m glad I’m done with it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Death, Misogyny, Self harm, Cursing, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

selmge's review

Spoiler

 im not into graphic sex scenes of minors

Spoiler

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and War

dreareads_'s review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

I cried myself to sleep after I read this book.

I want to protect Patroclus with my entire heart. This story is NOT for the faint of heart, not only because it will make you cry but because of the topics that are presented. 

What a beautifully written book. 

I will say that I agree with the criticism that the sexual scenes between minors was completely unnecessary. You could have told this story with either a fade to black or just aging them up. It is for this reason that although I loved it, I will not be including it in my other socials.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, War, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, and Violence

adelll's review

adventurous challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Homophobia, Abandonment, and Bullying