The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Published April 12th 2012 by Bloomsbury Publishing (first published September 20th 2011)

352 Pages

Goodreads Summary: Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their differences, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper – despite the displeasure of Achilles’s mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

Review: I think I was slightly affected by the hype monster on this one. I’ve had so many people urge me to read this one and tell me that it is absolutely amazing. While I think that it was a great book, it just didn’t hit that 5 star mark for me. I loved seeing a different side to Patroclus and Achilles that I’ve never seen anywhere else. Their relationship definitely qualifies for #relationshipgoals. There were a few times when I felt completely heartbroken for Patroclus and wanted to slap Achilles across the face though. His pride definitely gets in the way of himself sometimes.  And his pride eventually became his and Patroclus’s downfall.  The writing was beautiful but it did seem to drag it out a little too long at times.  That paired with the hype were probably the two main reasons I didn’t fall completely in love with this book.

4 Stars