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nialiversuch's review against another edition
- 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
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
alexisgarcia'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
4.75
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
maaikereadsbooks_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Child death, Death, Slavery, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Animal death, Gore, Self harm, Sexism, and Death of parent
persephonefoxx's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
But of all the things I enjoyed about this book, the titular character was not one of them. I ate through this book and delighted upon Saint’s prose and writing, but whenever I saw Elektra’s name heading a chapter I knew I was in for frustration. And I know, I know, not all characters need to be likeable. But I had a hard time finding much redeemable about our dear Elektra. I couldn’t even attribute her (irksome) unwaving loyalty to her father with a silver lining.
But I gave this book four stars?! Yes, I did. Because two other characters share the POV spotlight in this retelling and I found them much more enjoyable. Although, it wasn’t that hard.
As Clytemnestra’s story evolved I found her more and more intriguing, looking forward to her voice. Some of, no, all of my favourite quotes in this book came from her chapters. The parts I had to stop to read out loud to my wife always in her voice. I began to love the savagery that lie in wait beneath the motherly archetype.
But even Clytemnestra wasn’t the highlight of this book for me. Cassandra. Desperate, tragic, Cassandra. I loved the far too few chapters from Cassandra’s POV. Truly my favourite parts of the story, probably because I am a sucker for tragedy and pain. Where Elektra dared to drag my rating of this novel down, Cassandra pulled it back up. There isn’t much more I can say, other than she was truly the highlight of this novel for me.
If you are happy to go into a book titled Elektra and not like Elektra at all, enjoyed Ariadne, love this surge of feminist Greek retellings, or are just a fan of Greek Mythology who doesn’t get too caught up on factual consistencies, you’ll likely like this book as much as me.
Anyway, I have to go listen to Cassandra by Florence + The Machine for the hundredth time since finishing this novel.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Rape, Slavery, and War
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
lindseyhall44's review
- 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
3.75
Elektra follows the titular character Elektra as well as her mother Clytemnestra and the Trojan priestess Casandra as their lives intersect in unimaginable ways.
Saint humanizes these characters in a unique yet tasteful manner, resulting in a a complex narrative. The continuous metaphor of a curse/circular pattern connects all three women deeper than surface level.
One aspect to know prior to reading is that Elektra is not the sole narrator, and many times is given less of a speaking role than the other women. It is particularly short read (though pretty dense) and I would have loved to read a bit more in certain areas.
Overall, I would recommend to any fans of Greek Mythology from a feminist perspective, though definitely check trigger warnings before reading.
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Incest, Rape, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
amelianotthepilot's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
Yet again I'm unimpressed with these retellings. I love greek mythology so much that I will read anything involving it but these retellings are really lacking for me. It's something with how the author depicts women.
It was a feminist retelling, highlighting the struggles the women had to endure and the unfairness of society but it also seemed like a dated feminist view. The women were powerless and trapped in their gender roles but it seemed like the author was content with that. I think a gender essay could definitely be written about the representation in this story which at least highlights the women's stories who were often overlooked but it really fell flat for me. There also could have been a lot more queer representation, especially since ancient Rome and Greece were known for having lots of queer relationships.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and War