Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

228 reviews

mirissab's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

4.75

I only picked this book up because I want to read Circe but I didn't want to feel like I was missing anything.

Spoiler

I'd been so against reading romance until this point, but I underestimated (or failed to get the hint when reading the back cover) the depth and centrality of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus when choosing this book at the library.

I was not in the slightest disappointed by my decision. I haven't read a book in a while to where it felt like I was halfway through running a 5k and this story was my rewarded tiny two ounce paper cup of water. My heart quickened in moments of peril or suspense, and ached in sadness and love. I couldn't get the words off the page fast enough. I haven't had much engagement with Greek mythology since primary school, but my interest has been struck anew. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, War, Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Outing, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Slavery

lillieb130's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

purechaos's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Classism, Physical abuse, Slavery, War, Cursing, Deportation, Genocide, Gore, Sexual harassment, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Grief, Xenophobia, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Colonisation, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual content

mama_marlene23's review against another edition

emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The book destroyed me 
I literally cried the thru the last 100pages. But I loved it. The writing, the scenery everything. And even if Achill fucked me up sometimes I kind of love him just like patroklos. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Murder, Blood, Death, Kidnapping, Slavery, War, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexism, and Sexual assault

yasaman's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Pregnancy, Grief, Rape, Murder, Misogyny, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, War, and Slavery

kylarenea_'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Alcohol, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexism, War, Cursing, Infidelity, Child death, Death, and Violence

nilsnoether73's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.75

Un conte tràgic i lleial a la versió original amb certs desviaments i expansions (òbviament). M'ha agradat el fet que el misticisme fos semi-realista; ha ajudat a arrelar la història. Tot i que en algun moment m'he perdut en el batibull de personatges, sí que he pogut distingir i recordar en tot moment els més importants.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Death, Sexual content, Grief, Violence, War, Sexual assault, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Torture, and Rape

Minor: Homophobia

kathrynleereads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

I’m not going to lie… this book was a chore for me. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was that I didn’t like, but every time I put it down, I felt absolutely no desire to pick it back up again. 

Song of Achilles is one I had such high hopes for after hearing so many amazing things about it, but I just didn’t feel drawn into the story. 

With every multi-year time jump, I felt as if I had whiplash. If I’m adding correctly the book spanned a total of 18 years (ages 9 to 27 for Patroclus), which was just too wide a time frame. 

Because of the time jumps, Achilles’ character development felt spotty and incomplete. Patroclus, on the other hand, seemed to go through all of his character growth within the final few chapters, which was just as jarring. 

Speaking of the final few chapters…

I’ll admit, I did shed quite a few tears at the end of the book, but that’s only because of the characters’ reactions to everything that unfolded. 

Spoiler

I didn’t even fully follow what happened to Patroclus until Menelaus carried him back into camp, at which point I went back and reread the prior chapter. 

One second Patroclus was in the chariot, and the next he was at the wall of Troy, being surrounded by the Trojan army. 

I understand that Miller was demonstrating the draw of power in the scene, but it was so out of character for Patroclus that it took me right out of the story.

The only aspect of this book I have no complaints about is Briseis. Her character helped demonstrate the severity of war atrocities, while also helping mark time.

Briseis’ friendship with Patroclus was the only thing that kept me reading this book. 

She was so kind and understanding, even after the horrors that she had gone through (and was yet to go through) because of the war. 

All in all, I think this book was just not for me. Reading other reviews for The Song of Achilles, I recognize all the aspects that are being applauded, I just think Miller’s writing style was not for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Murder, Sexual violence, Blood, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Body horror, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and War

Moderate: Torture, Child death, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death and Bullying

sshpurple1's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

It was slow to start. But oh, was it worth it. I loved this story.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual harassment, Slavery, Sexual content, Kidnapping, War, and Death

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Violence, Misogyny, Sexual violence, War, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Alcohol, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

Minor: Pregnancy