3.5 stars 
 Now, I have very mixed opinions about this book. Everyone I know really loved it and I did like it a lot but I don't think it was really that wonderful. 
 The book follows the life of Patroclus - Achilles' 'best friend' in the mythology and follows the theory that (view spoiler)[ Achilles and Patroclus are lovers (hide spoiler)]. This idea for the plot is the main thing that I fell unsure about - I'm interested in Greek mythology and I liked it as a book but it's not like she's had an original idea - she's just re-written a story that already existed in her own way. I do like it and I think it was well done but, if you know anything about Achilles or the Trojan war, it's going to be at least a little bit spoilt for you and so I feel that the very idea lacked the potential to produce a masterpiece. 
 I quite liked Achilles as a character - he was somehow simultaneously perfect (as he should be) and imperfect - being too trusting but also rather uninterested in most people. He has a human complexity but is also believably something more than human. I think this was very well done. 
 I was not so keen on Patroclus - he wasn't terrible but I did find him kind of annoying. I did like the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus. 
 Something else that I feel a bit mixed about is my emotional response to the book. I was fairly attached to the characters and I did care about them to some extent but I had no strong emotions, even when events occurred that should have been very emotional. I don't know if perhaps this is because of how they were written or because I knew what was going to happen but I wish that I had felt more. 
 The Song of Achilles is enjoyable but perhaps not memorable, nothing special. I know plenty do disagree with me though so who knows?