Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Circe by Madeline Miller

133 reviews

eule's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

The first half is gorgeous (5 stars). The next part is meh (3 stars). 
The thing is, I love Circe as a strong character. She is an independent women proving determination and strength against every hater of hers. Her father. Her siblings. The gods and titans. She brims all hate, loneliness, humiliation and especially sexual and emotional abuse. That’s what I admire most about this book. Furthermore, the writing is very lyrical and highly enjoyable. 
On the other hand, the story line of the second half of the book simply is boring to me. It just goes on and on about certain characters and their relationships. 
All in all, enjoyable and recommended by me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Grief, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Murder

aaminak's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

lajoy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: War

_azure76's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Toxic relationship, Blood, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Bullying

thereadinghammock's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

3.75

I think if I had tried to read this book as a physical or e-book, I would have put it down after a few chapters. Circe's early life was harsh, demeaning, and lonely feeling constantly othered by her family for her powerlessness. Perdita Weeks made this story engaging, heartfelt, and empowering as Circe grew in her power. I was overall pretty unfamiliar with her mythos and was able to enjoy how her story fit in with so many other classic Greek myths that I did grow up hearing about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Rape, Torture, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

macaronis_telegraph's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Rape, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

blanketenjoyer's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood

sunny_not's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I really really enjoyed this. Circe was a flawed but still lovable (imo) character. I understood where she was coming from and related to her emotions

Since I didn't remember her story when her son decided to leave her I felt my heart breaking. I don't understand the need to be a hero in all of these myths, I couldn't stand Achilles because of his quite selfish desire to be a hero and to be remembered forever and I didn't like that Circe's son left her just like that as well. At least Achilles regretted it in the afterlife. Also even though I know Ikaros' story, it's still made me sad.

Overall it was a solid read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

alicia_m_andrews's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and War

Minor: Incest

kimveach's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

3.75

Fantasy is not my favorite genre, but I enjoyed revisiting my college Greek Mythology classes via this story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism