The Song of Achilles

Author: Madeline Miller

Total Pages: 369

Personal Rating: 4/5

Here it is… one of the most infamous Book-Tok novels, The Song of Achilles, written by Madeline Miller. This book is quite lengthy so here’s a quick summary that can help determine if this book is for you: The Song of Achilles follows Patroclus, an ex-prince who gets exiled from his home after accidentally murdering a boy his age. His exaltation brings him to Phthia, where he meets Achilles, the soon-to-be “warrior of his time”. The two boys become best friends and this is where this book strays away from the typical Greek mythology novel, as Patroclus and Achilles pursue a romantic relationship. I didn’t read much into the plot of the book before borrowing it so the LGBT twist that the book brought was a nice surprise!

Did it live up to the publicity that it had on TikTok? Honestly, not really. I was not captivated by the plot or the characters until the very end of the book. The middle of the novel was pretty hard to get through because I felt as if the plot was going nowhere. It wasn’t until the end of the book which completely turned the tide regarding my opinion. Without the ending, this book wouldn’t have the rating I am giving it today. It’s as if Miller wrote this book to set up for this grand finale and it really worked. I was so captivated by the characters and the action that I kind of forgot everything that happened prior to the last couple of chapters.

I think if you’re really involved in the Greek mythology scene, The Song of Achilles would be the perfect book for you. Miller references various Greek characters, so someone that is knowledgeable in that area would thoroughly enjoy Miller’s writing style. Personally, the book got confusing sometimes because I kept forgetting characters, but overall it was a good read and I would recommend it!

Great review as usual! – Mrs. Long