Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

72 reviews

trina8945's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book was hard for me to get through being slower paced but it was very much so worth it. I understand why some people thinking about it daily. It’s took me a few weeks to finish and I absolutely thought about its context in my day to day life. R.F. Kuang has done another beautiful job on  a incredible intersectional subject. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Violence, Physical abuse, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Racial slurs, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Colonisation

Moderate: Suicide, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic friendship, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Gun violence

Minor: Sexual harassment and War

anotherbigapple's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

What a wonderful read that deeply challenges identity, colonialism and the power of language. A touch of the magical very firmly rooted in all too real settings, a great read! 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Slavery, War, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, and Colonisation

lamoore72's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Blood, Racism, and War

Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Suicide, Classism, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Racism, Abandonment, Addiction, Drug use, and Murder

rotten_flesh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Abandonment, Colonisation, Slavery, Confinement, Death, War, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Torture, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Racism

uranaishi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Torture, Child abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Racism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Violence, Medical content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Sexism, Abandonment, Classism, Cursing, and Death

Minor: Car accident, Child death, War, Rape, Genocide, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Infidelity, and Deportation

shlymiller's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is a great read, a fascinating magic system, and an intriguing storyline. It’s also a hard, heavy read. I’m glad I read it, but be prepared to leave brain space for heavy, real themes.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Racism, War, Suicide, Death, Violence, Colonisation, Classism, Physical abuse, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Blood, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcohol and Confinement

hannah_beth_charles's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I love how the author infused history and magic seamlessly. Translation in silver working and its role in colonization was so smart and that struggle the non-white translation students have with having privilege that other POCs don't have and deciding to either use it and lose your prestigious position or being part of the system and deciding to ignore apart of yourself to be accepted by the white man. I learnt so much about the inner workings of colonization and how truly connected the countries that England exploited are. As a South African, I know about England's colonization in my country, but I hadn't really thought about the others places. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, War, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Death

tifftastic87's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a strong recommendation for complex world building, deep characters, analysis of colonialism, racism and sexism and their inherent ties to academia and the British Empire. It was brutal in its evisceration of both academia and the British Empire, but beautifully written and thoroughly researched. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Child abuse, Classism, Grief, Racial slurs, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Slavery, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Medical content, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Hate crime, Blood, and War

anxieteaandbiscuits12's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Violence, Racial slurs, War, and Slavery

Moderate: Murder, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, and Torture

Minor: Death of parent

thebankofbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Racism, War, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Gaslighting, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, and Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Torture