Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

129 reviews

littlepaw's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

The book is twined in love and human err. The beauty and divinity love can create that is beyond Gods’. Yet the fragility of man to fail at the storm’s of life and choices that dissolves into the sea of stories, among the swirls of men and mortal wishes and their immortal goodness tweaked and juggled by Fates. “The Song of Achilles”, is one such book that beyond it’s magnanimity, speaks about the niche of human emotions. Patroclus and Achilles became the “best of all the Greeks” and “best of all the men” because they had each other at their best, worst and in their nothingness.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and War

kousseii's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective tense slow-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

3.25

This book is often described as a tearjerker, however as a regular crier, it did not move me. Enjoyed the first half a lot, the second half was a bit slow. Glad I read it, but no desire to re-read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, and War

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Slavery

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Self harm

mangofraiche's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

bethanwx's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

4.5

A romantic, morally complicated adaption of the myth of Patroclus and Achilles. Miller’s version of the world of the Ancient Greeks is misogynistic and violent, with Patroclus constantly trying to make the moral choice in a brutal world. Meanwhile, his relationship with Achilles is his constant rock, a love which holds them to each other.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Homophobia, Rape, Suicide, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Minor: Cursing and Outing

rebeltheflow's review against another edition

adventurous emotional relaxing tense medium-paced

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

4.25

4/5 Maybe?
I have mixed feelings.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The story was good and gripping, a page turner, especially by the second half.
I found myself not wanting to put the book down and thinking about it a lot in between reading sessions. (If I wasn’t reading it, I wanted to be reading it.)

I didn’t think the writing was great….it wasn’t poetic or lyrical and it was too straightforward at times….but it was also kind of addicting. If that makes sense? I suppose it is the pacing of sentences that I came to enjoy a lot. Though the one-liners that everyone admires on TikTok were not so memorable in my opinion.

I went into this book expecting/hoping to cry, which I did not. I did not even find it to be anymore sad than the average book. 

I liked both halves of the book a lot but will say that it felt more like 2 separate parts than 1 cohesive style. The story flowed nicely, but the heavy shift from slow and relaxing romance to fast and tense war might not be for everyone, it almost felt like 2 separate books written for 2 separate audiences but that still worked for me somehow.

I think part of the reason I didn’t like this book as much as I hoped to is because

Achilles & Patroclus were so frustratingly bad and annoying by the end of the novel that the end was not sad but actually a relief.

I also am not super familiar with the original story in Greek mythology (although I did read The Iliad in high school, I have forgotten most of it), so i am not sure if that helped my enjoyment or stunted it or both. It felt odd that many important details happened “off screen” or were rushed into exposition, but also it was refreshing to have a book not hold your hand for world building and just tell it’s confined story instead. 

Overall, I think this book is very overhyped, but I did still enjoy it quite a bit. It disappointed me in some areas but surprised me in others!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and War

tylerrose15161's review

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Murder, and War

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, and Sexual assault

cnannery19's review against another edition

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

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

barbarianmissy's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Wow, talk about a Greek tragedy!

I really loved this book. Summing up Patroclus’ entire life into 369 pages was a worthy feat. I felt like I lived it alongside him.

The love story in this book between Patroclus and Achilles was so beautiful and tragic and unapologetic. It was so good. I also found it super interesting how they truly shaped one another’s character. Patroclus started off his exile cynic and prideful, whereas Achilles was introduced as a breath of life and beauty. They really swapped those traits during the war. 

I got SUPER FRUSTRATED near the end with Achilles and Agamemnon in how both THEIR own prides cost so many men their lives. Gah, frickin MEN! Also Achilles’ stupid idiot son can EAT A CAR TIRE AND DIE. What a lil shit and a half. Glad he didn’t last long. 

Anywho, I really loved the ending. Reading about the immense grief had me in TEARS but it was so beautifully written. It was a nice switch up that Achilles’ crazy nymph mama really just was a protective mummy who loved her kid in the end. Happy she gave her son what he truly loved and wished for in the end. They found their peace and it was just a gorgeous finale. 

I JUST LOVED THIS STORY OK!?! Felt like I was back in elementary school obsessing over Ancient Greek Mythology again. Also, Madeline Miller is such an amazing author, I may read Circe next. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

jazjoyner91's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Self harm, Violence, Grief, Murder, and War

arulow's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Rape, Sexism, and Sexual violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Medical content