Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

72 reviews

rlinnyc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Death

Moderate: Physical abuse, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Racism, War, Blood, Bullying, Violence, and Body horror

lucy_shanners's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, Body horror, Blood, Torture, Murder, Colonisation, Death, Violence, Suicide, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Classism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, War, Gore, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Medical content, Bullying, Alcohol, and Gun violence

Minor: Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Vomit

sagema's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Death, Deportation, Genocide, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Violence, Child abuse, Colonisation, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, and Forced institutionalization

winterwoodbooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

One the best books ever written.
One of my favorite books of all time, this feels like my soul.

For everyone who loves Addie LaRue! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Suicide attempt, Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Ableism, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Torture, War, Addiction, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Body horror

donatio's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

I had some minor difficulties with the book, namely that action took its time, that action scenes felt somehow slow and that none of the characters ever considered changing their position. At first I adored the slow writing because it was a great introduction into fairy-tale Oxford but when action was called for I would have wished for less lingering. 
But that doesn't get in the way of the message: That colonialism, racism, classism and all the other problems mentioned have to be resolved, not only then but in our time and world too. 
Therefor I would say some little changes in the style would have made it a bit better but it still is a very important book and touches on topics not many fantasy stories touch upon. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Sexism, Misogyny, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Torture, Violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, Sexual assault, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Child death, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Grief, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

dixiecarroll's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Rebecca is a sadist and I am a willing participant. Babel is stunning. It’s uncomfortable. It’s upsetting. It’s magical. This is d e n s e so make sure you’ve got your literature hat on when venturing in. The footnotes are so small but they are so funny. It’s really so so incredible and I think I learned more about the world than I ever did in school… and this was fiction… please read this!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Blood, War, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Suicide, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Slavery, and Violence

gusarapii's review against another edition

challenging inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Racism, Sexism, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Colonisation, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death, and Death of parent

ripxw's review

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Death, Racism, Kidnapping, War, Colonisation, Genocide, Xenophobia, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Police brutality, Sexism, Slavery, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Islamophobia, and Torture

Minor: Addiction, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment

lokes's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Religious bigotry, Racism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Death of parent, Suicide, Slavery, Genocide, Death, Child abuse, War, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Gaslighting, Blood, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, War, Abandonment, Addiction, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Cursing, Hate crime, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Alcohol, Homophobia, and Murder

sakisreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

Babel was an absolutely astounding read. I adored Robin so much and found myself rooting for him and his friends until the very end 🥺

Ramy, Robin and Victoire were my absolute favourites, I appreciated the way in which R.F. Kuang captured Ramy and Robin’s love as well as Anthony and Victoire’s love 😫

I was unsure what to think of this book at first. I’d read the reviews, seen the BookToks etc etc. but it took me some time to get into it thoroughly. However, once we got to Book III, I was invested. I was all in. Kuang writes in a way that is elegant, eloquent and utterly heartbreaking.

Even in the grotesque scenes, for example when Robin kills Professor Lovell, I couldn’t stop reading and visualising how it panned out.

I want to shout about this book from the rooftops (but am scared that someone like that woman on BookTok will come for me 😭)! Truly incredible 👏🏼 I’m so incredibly happy to have read this, but so sad I won’t ever be able to experience it for the first time again ❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, War, Blood, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, Death, Racism, Racial slurs, Addiction, Classism, Misogyny, Police brutality, and Colonisation