The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (4/5)

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller is a Greek mythology retelling that takes place from the point of view of a young, exiled prince whose name is Patroclus. Patroclus becomes a companion to the brave and charming young prince named Achilles. Together, they are trained by the centaur Chiron, and sprout a strong relationship that grows into them beginning to have romantic feelings for each other. A war suddenly erupts and Achilles and Patroclus use the training they got from Chiron to aid in helping get back Helen of Sparta from her kidnappers. Yet, they know not of the tests and decisions they will go through that make them question their relationship.

Before reading The Song of Achilles, I had heard much about it and many people were giving it a positive review. The book started a little bit slow and then got into topics about war and battle. This is what made me realize reading about war was not my thing. Besides the heavy topics about war, the story was creative and it was some of the best writing I've ever read in a book. There were so many lines that I underlined because they were so beautiful. I was told I was going to cry my eyes out when I finished it but even though it was sad, I didn't shed many tears. Overall, I rated The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller four stars because the writing, characters, and story were gorgeous, but some events that took place aren't my cup of tea.

I think that this book would be a five star read to people who enjoy reading about war and battles. Although it is not entirely accurate to the original Greek myth of Achilles and Patroclus, I think people who enjoy Greek mythology or culture would really take pleasure in reading this. To anyone who is interested in picking up this book in the future, be prepared for a heavy plot and emotional moments. The mood that Miller creates with this retelling makes you fall in love with the strong relationship Patroclus and Achilles have. Overall, I enjoyed The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and think that most people would enjoy it too.