A review by ginalucia
The Women of Troy by Pat Barker

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The Women of Troy had a lot to live up to. The Silence of the Girls is probably my favourite Greek Myth retelling to date, and I’ve read a lot of them. So, did it hit the mark? Well, almost.

This book continues the brilliant, easy writing style of The Silence of the Girls. It’s gritty, hard-hitting, and raw.

The focus of the book? Digging deep into emotions, memories, and each character’s internal struggles in the aftermath of the Trojan War. 

For this reason, the book is slow. We witness smaller decisions and politics that, while still life-changing, take a little longer to unveil. I liked that about it. 

The fallout of a war is complicated, and how characters navigate that new world is even more so. Our focus on mostly women in this book makes it all the more interesting.

I have, however, rated this book lower than The Silence of the Girls for two reasons. There's some fatphobia in there that didn't sit right with me, and the use of a certain word felt totally unnecessary. Some editing and minor character changes/dialogue could've easily fixed those issues.

Aside from these, the way Pat Barker shows us these incredibly complicated characters was honestly a joy. I’m ready for the probably gut-wrenching final book.

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