A review by condygurl
The Silence of the Girls, by Pat Barker

challenging dark 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? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

Trigger warning!  There are quite a few scenes regarding violence towards children and women, these take the forms of not only physical abuse, but also rape, molestation, and murder.

This is a story of the war between the Greeks and Troy due to Helen.  Helen plays a very minor role in the story.

The story is from the perspective of a captured woman who once was going to be Queen, but instead becomes the slave to the most fierce warrior of all time.

The only part I was truly upset about is the author silencing the girls.  The beginning starts out very strong, but then we switch POV, and poof, out goes the female voice, and in comes the crazy male voice.  It also got a bit repetitive in the camp, but I guess that is par for the course because how different is daily living from day to day when you are a slave?

Very good story but I think it could have been better if the author stuck with one pov.

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