Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Circe by Madeline Miller

61 reviews

crowcrow's review against another edition

challenging dark sad

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

4.0

As always Madeline Miller delivers. Her writing style is a delight, it's comforting and you can tell she puts a lot of work into it. I was absolutely captivated the moment I started reading, Circe was such a compelling character no matter where she was. I was rooting for her the entire time. The side characters were also compelling, I was particularly excited to see Odysseus, but I was surprised how interest she made the others too. I think the book's best quirk was the complexity between all of Circe's relationships, it was so fun to read.

I'd also like to give it props for how it portrayed SA. I was afraid that it would change Circe's completely, completely rewriting her to be weak and scared, but no! It was handled extremely well! I like that it shows that trauma doesn't need to tie you down. I appreciate it!

All that aside I was extremely disappointed in the ending.

I found it morbid that Circe hooked up with Telemachus. Y'know? Her past lover's son. Icks all over the floor and sky. Wtf? Why was that necessary. And the daydreams she had of them having kids? Yuck, no.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Pregnancy

julia_kathleen's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Grief, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Classism

Minor: Incest

moond4ncer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Classism

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

I really enjoyed this book! I think getting to know Circe more intimately and engaging in her story as one piece instead of the fragments created an engaging and creative 400 pages. Circe is both likable and unlikable, blunt and evasive, rude and considerate, caring and unfeeling, and selfish and selfless. She evolves from a naive doormat into a strong and wise witch. I wish I could give this 5 stars but it falls flat for me. I didn't need a battle or a death but I feel like the disconnect from other characters and how flat everyone else seemed made it hard to care about the ending. I dislike comparing books (especially when they aren't actually connected) but, after reading Millers other greek retelling, this feels like an emotional let down. Not sure if my expectations were too high or if this just didn't deliver. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

peregrinwho's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.25

Absolutely incredible read. To span so much time and so many events is a great feat. I understand the direction it took halfway through to the conclusion was not made for me, and it was the best way to round out the character's arc, so don't take the fact this isn't 5 stars as a sign the story is flawed in any significant way. Glad I got to read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Infidelity, and Alcohol

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Death, Slavery, Medical content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

tashaxkate's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

I am heartbroken to have finished this book, I feel emptier knowing there’s no more story to read but fuller for having read through its pages. One of the best books I have ever read and it deserves every piece of hype and praise it gets.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

jesse_jellyfish's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Slavery, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Incest

ghulsona's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death, Sexual content, and Alcohol

passivewax's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

WOW! Blown away. Beautiful and dark and the best testimony I’ve seen to the worthwhile flaws of being human. 

“I had walked the earth for a hundred generations, yet I was still a child to myself.”

Something else I want to add is that often I have trouble being able to envision scenery when reading, like following along with an author’s depictions is usually pointless for me and something I will read twice and then skip over because the description just doesn’t do it for me. Miller’s writing never once stumped me or had me reread, even in complex visual scenes. And also - it was so beautiful! The world she created and the imagery of nature and feelings was so extremely vivid. Was a nice change for sure. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

enimiestolovers_13's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content