Reviews tagging 'War'

The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker

318 reviews

_rowantree_'s review

dark emotional slow-paced

• 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

3.75

This is a perspective that is definitely missing from most of our stories, and it was written in a very nuanced way. That said, for some reason I felt a bit detached from the characters. For me, this book works better as a prompt for discussion rather than to take the reader into the experiences the characters are going through. This book very deliberately tells the story of the Iliad through a female narrator, but I think I would have got more out of it if it had been her story rather than Achilles’.

This book is unsurprisingly very violent and sexual violence plays a big role, but I did appreciate that it never felt like a gratuitous portrayal of rape

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, and War

whoisshelby's review

dark inspiring reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and War

Moderate: Rape

tetedump's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

gottheblues's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, and War

drj's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and War

Moderate: Gore, Suicide, Torture, Vomit, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Confinement, Blood, and Alcohol

natmorrall's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Violence, and War

rasha_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

A very well written retelling of a part of The Iliad from the perspective of Briseis - the woman whose presence almost derailed the Greek alliance.

Pat Barker does a wonderful job of showing the horrors of war and the price that, ultimately, is paid for by women. It is ultimately a story of survival and of reclaiming Briseis’ important part of the narrative.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Sexual content

natasza's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I just finished reading this book and I needed good 10 minutes to reset and lay on my couch. What an incredible but tragic story. I highly recommend it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and War

ylimets's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and War

Moderate: Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

kajasversion's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

While i do think its important to amplify women’s voices during war time, i felt like this book had nothing nee to offer on the subject. The original text was bot enhanced, and the author even strayed away from the whole purpose of the book when she started writting chapters in Petrocolous’s and Achilles’ perspective. It makes no sense to have their POVs in story centered around women that is meant to shed a light on them. I did like the book as a whole, as i am a slut for retellings and i would recommend it, bit it wasn’t the best i had read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, and War

Moderate: Child death, Death, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Animal death, Suicide, and Vomit