KJ's Book Reviews

  Circe Written by Madeline Miller Originally published in 2018 ~390 pages Rate 5/5 This is the second book I have read that was written by Madeline Miller. I think I like Circe a little bit more than  The Song of Achilles , however, there is no need to compare; I only mention The Song of Achilles for acknowledgment sake. I had never heard of Circe or really any characters within this story apart from what I had read in The Song of Achilles . So I started reading this book with little to no context or bias and I ended up really enjoying the story and Circe herself.  Circe's narrative was astonishing; in my opinion, she lived a long and rich life. She persevered through many difficult events throughout her life and met an array of people along the way which made for an excellent story. Although some parts of the story felt like they dragged on for a little too long, she was on an island by herself for most of the story so having somethings drawn out made the story feel re...

The Song of Achilles Written by Madeline Miller Originally published in 2011 ~370 pages Rate: 4.5/5 A spin on the myth of Achilles and the Trojan war. Told from Patroclus' point of view, in this story Achilles and he live majority of their lives together and fall in love. I am aware this is a spin on the Trojan War and it's probably not accurate. I only knew some information about parts of this story before I read it. I knew about how Helen was the reason for the Trojan War and that Achilles was a demigod, but that was really it. So given my vague understanding of the existing stories, I thought this story was good. Madeline Miller did a great job depicting all of the characters. Having Patroclus as the main character made the story so much more captivating. By his peers, Patroclus was looked down upon and thought of as stupid, however, throughout the story we can see how much he grows and learns throughout his life. The way he treats the people around him despite his circumsta...

  The Lightning Thief Percy Jackson & The Olympians (Book 1) Written by Rick Riordan Originally published in 2005 ~380 pages Rate: 5/5 The Lightning Thief is about a 12 year old boy named Percy Jackson. Before Percy can fully comprehend the fact that he is a demigod, he's accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt. He's quickly sent on a quest to find the bolt and return it to Zeus. Along the way he makes friends with other demigods, such as Annabeth Chase and a satyr named Grover. Together the three of them set out on a quest and learn how sometimes family doesn't mean friendly. The story is intriguing, fast-paced, adventurous, & enjoyable. The characters are inspiring, heroic, comedic, and smart.  The  Percy Jackson & the Olympians  book series recently got adapted into a TV show by Disney+; people have been comparing the two every week as new episodes emerge. I read the  Percy Jackson & The Olympians  series when I was younger, but as I wa...