Review: The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book had so much potential and I was so excited to read it after hearing so many good things from people that I respect! And its a good book but its not quite the book that I was hoping for ... and expecting. I am giving it a 4 star rating but its really more of a 3 and a half to me.

I love mythology so I was excited to read this book which centers around Achilles and Patroclus. The mythological aspects of the novel were fantastic and engaging. Overall, the book really started strong for me but it lost steam somewhere in the middle and I didn't feel like it ever quite recovered from that. And that is what is so sad for me - if it had stayed strong beyond the middle, I think it could have been a 5 star. I feel like it was perhaps in need of a bit more editing to be really great.

Many have called this a romantic book and although the novel centers around a romance, it never felt romantic to me for some reason. I loved getting to know Patroclus throughout the book - such an interesting and multifaceted character as developed by Madeline Miller.

I believe this is Madeline Miller's first novel which could perhaps be part of the problem I had with the book - the pacing was off and a bit more editing was needed. BUT, overall, it was an enjoyable read. I liked it. I just wanted to love it so much!

Definitely not one of my favorite reads of the year but definitely worth a read especially if someone has an interest in mythology. I am eager to see what Madeline Miller brings in the future as she has intrigued me with this effort.

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