This book was truly a joy to read. Miller’s way with words is unlike anything I’ve read before, and I’d be lying if I didn’t feel super smart and awesome reading this due to the language she uses. But what truly astounded me was how this book drew you into the perspective of a goddess in a believable yet foreign way, and as the book continues, you grow more comfortable and familiar with it, much like how Circe grows into her own throughout her many years of life on Aiaia. A couple months ago I also read Song of Achilles, and I had a much harder time connecting with that book than I did with Circe. While Patroclus was a character I could sympathize with, I couldn’t really stand in his shoes completely, like a shoe that’s a half size too big or a musical note that falls flat towards the end. And it was even harder for me to understand Achilles. But the note of Circe rung long and true for the entire duration of the book, and ended in a beautifully delicate yet powerful way with her becoming mortal. Seeing her encounters and relationships grow and shift and change was surprisingly easy; I’m someone who easily grows attached to characters, but the fluid shift between each connection Circe makes with mortals makes it easier to let go, almost as if they were written in with a sort of distance to them to illustrate the slight disconnect between godhood and mortality. And this distance seems to constantly fluctuate too, like after she is raped she grows emotionally detached and bears no remorse for killing them or turning them to swine, but then is ripped from that detachment by Odysseus’s charm.
It’s such a stunning book from start to finish, and it’s certainly one of my top book recommendations for others. (cough especially those who grew up with Percy Jackson cough)
I’d love to hear what other people have to say about it! This is my first honest-to-god book review and I’d love to see what other people think.
by humuu_lee