Reviews with content warning for Rape - Circe

finally!!! read this !!!! yay. no doubt a beautifully written book and a really cool concept, but idk how i feel about the world treating this as a great feminist story just because it follows a woman and her life but she (circe) gives no thoughts to the other women that are brought to aiaia in such a similar fate as she was -- n maybe thats the fault of readers for advertising this book as such and not the authors idk. also the relationship at the end do we not think thats weird. very greek mythology coded tho.

overall glad i read it and excited to read more retelling/reimaginings like this and also wonder if this means i won't like song of achilles as much as ppl do ? idk i just feel like ppl love this book w no faults but maybe i am wrong

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idkwhoisnita's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.5

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catesaav's review against another edition

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emotional reflective tense slow-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

3.25

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abucketbear's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

Reading this book felt like those late night discussion you have with friends, where they share secrets and life stories.

It made Circe's life, her struggle, fear, pain, joy, loss and sorrow even more real. Finishing this book felt like saying goodbye to a friend.

It is a beautiful story about self-discovery, about overcoming the need for external validation, about becoming our true self and about how it is to be a woman.

Madeline Miller's writing style is mesmerizing (funny for a book about a witch) and it was an absolute blast to read!

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okaychanly's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.25

Circe starts off kind of slow, making it challenging to dive in at first. But I’m so glad I stuck with it because it ended up being such a great read! With only a basic understanding of Greek mythology, I appreciated how Miller reimagines Circe’s story, infusing it with a powerful feminist perspective. The themes of empowerment and identity resonate deeply throughout the narrative. Miller's writing is captivating, filled with rich detail that brings the world to life. Overall, it's a beautifully crafted tale that transforms a familiar myth into something profoundly relevant and engaging.

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genhol's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

3.75

I enjoyed this book and loved the characters. I think it was really well written and if you like Greek mythology, you will love this book. My only criticism, which is perhaps slightly unfair, is that I preferred song of Achilles and didn’t feel that this was quite as evocative. The romance didn’t quite ring true for me. But over all a good read and interesting plot.

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