Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

130 reviews

capt_janeway's review

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.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

rcroft's review

adventurous dark emotional informative 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, Child death, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Gore, and War

yourdelulureader's review

dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Slavery, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content

Minor: Rape

caitlinspeachyreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging tense fast-paced

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

2.5

I understand why there is such a hype around the genre of book but I struggled to connect with Achilles. Also the constant threat and statements of woman being SA’d really added to made the struggle to enjoy this. 

Loved seeing a LGBT+ story being so well regarded. Wish I liked it more! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexism, Animal death, Medical content, Gore, Child death, Blood, War, Pandemic/Epidemic, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Death, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual violence, Child abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship

baearles's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.75

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Gore

Minor: Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Animal death, Death of parent, Rape, Slavery, and Sexual content

olivia_piepmeier's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

Miller's mythological retellings have gotten a lot of attention and it's totally my thing, so it was just a matter of time until I actually read them.

My familiarity with Achilles/Troy was surface level. I was a little distracted at first about what's going on and who's telling the tale, but quickly fell into this world Miller painted so well balancing character development and plot progression. Trying to look back and quickly summarize it, it's just a love story with some godly interventions put against a setting of war. The narrator's role is a whole other layer of enjoyment, from a narrative perspective, near the end. I will certainly read Circe based on my experience with this!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Murder, War, and Medical content

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse

joonjxne's review

adventurous emotional 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Grief

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Rape

mconroy9137's review

adventurous emotional 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Violence, War, Sexual harassment, and Rape

Moderate: Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Torture, Classism, Deportation, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Confinement, Homophobia, Vomit, Abandonment, and Child abuse

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Death of parent, Sexual content, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Cursing

kjm19's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

Amazing writing - vivid and evocative. 

Love the realistic portrayal of how women are perceived in this world. I love that Patroclus grows in his opinions on women and people too. Contrasted with Achilles and his views because he can only be focused on himself. 

I think maybe a bit of pacing inconsistencies at the start of the war… partly felt rushed and partly felt weeded out a bit. 

More character distinction would’ve been good, but I’m being really picky now. 

The last chapter is amazing. Many tears fell. Amazing book and fleshed out story of a classic myth. 

I feel the 1984 pull to the book now. Beautiful and I loved it. I cried a lot in my final sitting of the read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, War, Biphobia, Death, Homophobia, Murder, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Slavery

Moderate: Biphobia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Outing, Pregnancy, and Rape

Minor: Alcohol and Adult/minor relationship

tallyswrldd's review

adventurous emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

its slow in the beginning but once it gets going it pulls you in. you will cry but its worth it, its the most beautifully written book ive ever read

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Child death