Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

43 reviews

talis_turner's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Slavery, Murder, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

mitta_girl452's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I really liked this book. It was a good read. I really enjoyed Achilles and Patroclus's love for each other, and that it wasn't afraid to talk about how war, honour and pride can really negatively affect people, especially those like Achilles, who were in charge, had much at stake and had too much pride. 

I especially love Briseis, and how she is described and talked about. Patroclus tries to save her from being raped, and succeeds, and saves other girls from the same fate. He looks after those girls, with help from Breseis, who was the first, and they all become part of the camp, and can decide to have relationships if they want, and most do. But Briseis doesn't and becomes an aunt to the camp and a close friend of Patroclus. she supports him, and respects him when he doesn't return her love. She is a gorgeous, powerful, female character, who tries her best to write her own destiny, and I love her. 

I have heard some amazing things about this book, and personally for me, it didn't live up to the hype, which was VERY high. It was still a very good book! I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it to others. The writing style was lovely and engaging, and I really enjoyed that it was obviously written by a woman and it wasn't over-sexualised or sexist, as books written about Ancient Greece often can be. 
Overall, I really like this book and it was a fun read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Cursing and Suicide attempt

lilo000's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

:'( all of my journal entries were deleted but overall - a more sad-toned book than I'm used to. Maybe I don't read enough sad books, but I don't know if this overall qualifies as sad. Overall a good read, good writing: I mean it's greek mythology. Did very much appreciate the themes of Greek mythology and always love the idea of a known story from a different perspective. 98% good pacing - very few spots where I wasn't happy with the plot/writing's pacing.

I guess it's sad because - yes they both die,

but I think that was to be expected and kind of fit with the way the story was flowing/going.  The main character is flawed of course (he is only human) but to a relatable degree. I thought it was really interesting that the two main characters toward the end seem so opposed on values, as fundamental as violence

Would definitely recommend, I think the only thing keeping it from a 5 star were that the character arc for our main character didn't come as grandiose as I wanted it to, but I think that made it more real (which isn't why I read fictional books haha). I was disappointed in Achilles character arc, but it was a little more understandable humanity wise. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Outing, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gore, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

honeyteags's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense 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

5.0

I have never cried over a book before. Such an enthralling and devastating love story. I am not usually one for history, but the pacing of the story and the historical details blend perfectly. Definitely recommended to everyone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Homophobia, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Pandemic/Epidemic

strange_and_unusual's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery

justaddwater's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Homophobia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

bluedilly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Rape, Slavery, Vomit, Medical content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Homophobia, and Death of parent

vaguely_pink's review

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

5.0

 It's always wyd and never "If I had words to speak such a thing, I would have. But there were none that seemed big enough for it, to hold that swelling truth." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Blood, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

odette_tbdk's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad tense medium-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

4.25

Tengo sentimientos encontrados con este libro, por una parte me pareció muy emocional y profunda la relación que tenían Aquiles y Patroclo, pero el ritmo de la historia no me convenció del todo. Hacia el final del libro el ritmo fluyó muy bien, pero el principio es difícil de continuar, la vida de Patroclo de niño y en sí todo el proceso que les lleva a la guerra de Troya es bastante lento y tedioso. Pero aún así, me hizo sentir muchas cosas y también me enseñó de mitología (cabe aclarar que yo no sé nada de estos temas), así que sería injusto darle mala calificación por eso.

Me faltaron personajes femeninos que no giraran en torno a los protagonistas, pero eso ya no es culpa de la autora, simplemente no hay muchos porque así es la mitología. Cuando lea Circe tendré lo que me faltó aquí.

En general, un libro muy triste cargado de mitología y de referencias muy extensas a los ornamentos, política y costumbres de la época. Tedioso a ratos pero al final te deja con un buen sabor de boca (en parte). Buena lectura.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Colonisation, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Infidelity, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Alcohol

dilani's review

adventurous emotional sad medium-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

3.5

Miller describes a beautiful relationship growing between Patroclus and Achilles. I feel like Miller could have gone more in-depth about them though. It is still a thrilling, yet heartbreaking story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and War

Moderate: Rape, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic