Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

173 reviews

uselesspirateraven's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Death, Violence, Grief, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Slavery

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

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

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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

viaanne's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

chaterbox87's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Kidnapping

Minor: Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

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

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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. 

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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

shaun_dh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective 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? No

5.0

I came for the Greek stuff and stayed for the gay shit. The Song of Achilles is the most beautifully written love story I have ever read. It’s breathtaking. Stunning. A masterpiece 

I can’t remember the last time I cried this much over a book. I am a big Greek mythology nerd so I knew the story and the outcome, but Madeline Miller’s storytelling hits different. Her writing is so lyrical and plays out like a movie in my head

I cannot even come up with words for how much I love this because I’m still crying 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content

Minor: Pregnancy

nottheexplorer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Abandonment

Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Cannibalism, Alcohol, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

hoodsicle's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

The Song of Achilles is a complex and heart-wrenching tale of war, legacy, fate, and the complexities of human nature and the innate humanity of love. Over the course of an entire lifetime, readers can follow the tale of Achilles and Patroclus through honour, exile, education, relationships, and multiple grapplings of destiny. At once larger than life in its setting and impossibly intimate in its humanity. A tale of impossible war and of simple love at once. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

capt_janeway's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad slow-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

3.0

The way Madeline Miller wrote falling in love, particularly queer love, was very beautiful and moving. And that is why it gets any stars at all.
Abuse and rape of women being written in such an offhand and thoughtless way is at the very least upsetting. The fact that this book is written by a woman is shocking. Firstly, I do not understand the urge of historic fiction writers to include rape because “that’s what happened in history”. GIRL. You are a fiction writer, you choose what to write.
Secondly, to have a story that focuses solely on men, and anytime a women even comes close to entering their orbit it is to be raped and abused, and written with such flippancy? 
 Yuck. If you insist on making me read that, at least give it the weight it deserves. 
It isn’t just once in the book, its again. And again. And again. 
If you are going to write about how women suffered in history, at least give it more than a passing thought.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape