Beastmomma

From goodreads: 

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful— irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.

Pages: 378 (Paperback) 

Publisher: Published August 28th 2012 by Ecco (first published September 1st 2011)

Rating: 8 out of 10

Source: Checked out from the library

Date Completed: October 16, 2014

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller started off as a very interesting retelling of Greek history. I was especially excited to read the book as the author was going to be at the Boston book club meeting.  I started the book when my son was less than a week old. I did not have the ideal reading situation as I picked up the book when I was struggling to stay awake or waiting for him to fall asleep after nursing. The beginning of the book peaked my interest as I was drawn into the story of the budding romance. The middle started to drag; I had a hard time keeping track of all of the characters (like high school!) and the war parts seemed never ending. 

However....

the last part of the book was incredible. I found myself STAYING UP to read a few more pages. I was deeply concerned and invested into the characters. The long war and the feuds were humanized.  As strange as this sounds, I wish that the last part of the book was longer because I felt sad when the story came to an end.  

At the book club meeting, I enjoyed talking with the author. After hearing about her experince researching and writing the book, I appreciated the story more. 

I am counting this for the What's in a Name 2014 Challenge for the category of forename.