Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

85 reviews

wheatlyre's review against another edition

I didn't have enough time to read it, and need to return it soon. It also has been taking me a long while to read, and whether or not it's just my mood the past 5 weeks, but it takes me a while to feel motivated to actually read it. Once I read a paragraph or two I get sucked in for a couple 10-17 pages, but I've been busy and just haven't been able to really get into it in the right way. (Again, just my experience with it so far, and it might not necessarily have anything to do with Babel in particular.) The writing is more advanced than the typical YA novel, but not as period-accurate as a classic Literature novel, still leaning more to the YA style.
I have enjoyed it so far, with a couple parts in particular sticking out to me, especially [spoiler cw:

child abuse, physical abuse, and emotional abuse

]

when Robin is beat by the Professor for the first time. The way he describes his surprise and the numbness he felt during it was heart wrenching, and the way the professor was described as both detached, reserved, and aloof, yet swift and graceful, was incredible. I'm unable to describe with words how affected I was by it. I'm also in awe with how amazingly the author characterizes Robin through the way he reacts to the abuse, brushing past it and refusing to think about it for anything more than, 'I don't want that to happen again'. The rest of Robin's teenage years were brushed past, which, while I feel it to be a loss for me to see more of his adaption to life in London, I understand from a storytelling point as a reflection of the monotony of his years there, and could possibly be echoing off how the single beating affected him.

The writing in that part is just so beautiful, and I've frequently found myself coming back to that moment. I just wish we got a bit more of his musings.

I really enjoyed his reflections on the professor and cook's disagreement about scones.

Once again, I have not gotten too far in the book, but I have liked it quite a bit so far.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Confinement, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Classism, Misogyny, Islamophobia, Terminal illness, and Colonisation

Minor: Trafficking and Slavery

all content warnings mentioned were put in intentionally by the author and are seen clearly to be character flaws or problematic.

hannahcstocks's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Deportation, Dysphoria, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child death, Confinement, Hate crime, Misogyny, Violence, Abandonment, War, Racial slurs, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Grief, Islamophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Toxic friendship, and Trafficking

stephhaigreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Grief, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Bullying, Torture, Murder, Death, Child abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Trafficking

aoifeprettypurplepolkadots's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Classism, Gun violence, Colonisation, and Trafficking

taracloudclark's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

This book has a lot of juicy nerdy stuff in it. The tagline I’ve been considering is “This is the college Heroine Granger wishes she could go to,” and I think those who love the idea of magic school and love reading would agree. Kuang’s magical realism, alternate early Victorian setting reveals a lot about the power and nuance of language as well as historically-based realities of colonialism. I imagine she is very interested in the two subjects, and instead of writing two nonfiction books, she finds a more palatable vehicle for getting the ideas to readers. 

I really enjoyed it. I am recommending it to people who I think will like it. But I also give warning. 

It can be dense and dry at times. And it’s way longer than it needed to be.  

A review from a book influencer I follow noted the author talks down to the reader. I disagree, strongly, but I can see how someone may come to that conclusion. There are a lot of facts provided through exposition (tho creative devises are employed) and footnotes. 

I believe that, instead of the author showing the reader she’s smarter than them, she’s just indulging her own interests. And I’m here for that. Because she does know more about this stuff than I do, and I’m honored she’d share it with me. 

And there isn’t a lot of action. In the total book there is, but most of it is exposition loaded up front and action at the end. 

Also, if characters are a big deal to you, be aware that this book is not for that. The friendships and warmth we see in other magical school stories isn’t accomplished here. The characters don’t change much IMO and their relationships aren’t developed enough for me to care when there are divisions and worse. Unfortunately this hurts the author’s attempt to bring marginalized perspectives to the  reader’s understanding and becomes more of a telling than showing situation. I still appreciate the telling, because it’s helping me see what I’ve learned about marginalized peoples experiences in a different light, but it’s not done through character growth and rich “found family” presentations. But the characters and relationships aren’t terrible. It’s still yet readable and enjoyable. Just not as delicious as I’d like. 

The narrators were very good. The main reader, Chris Lew Kum Hoi, has a rich tone and switches accents well. The footnote narrator being female, Billie Fulford-Brown, was an excellent choice to help delineate. I do get a bit annoyed when female authors have male narrators (tho the main character is male, so I’ll allow it 😉), and white people narrate for authors of color. But the main narrator is, at least, Asian. Both gave nuance to foreign words that made them feel authentic and added to the intricacies on the emphasis of language in the story, though I’ve no idea if they are accurate.

I would like to add a special note about my personal experience. Because of the way Libby delivered by holds to me, I read Yellowface by the same author and then this. And half way through I read a scathing review of Babel that sounded a little more like white fragility than true criticism. The landscape within which I read this, therefore, was fascinating. I imagine this book to be much like the stolen novel in Yellowface, a passion project for the author with cultural ties to the subject matter. And the review similar to some of those mentioned in Yellowface. The juxtaposition of the two in two different time periods was super fun, as well. It was a much richer experience because of that, and I wish it was read this way in a classroom setting so I could indulge with other readers. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, War, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Classism, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Racism, Toxic friendship, Death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Rape

celery's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical content, Misogyny, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Trafficking, Vomit, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Torture, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Slavery, Drug abuse, Gore, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Terminal illness, Mass/school shootings, Antisemitism, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicide, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, Police brutality, Self harm, Abandonment, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Deportation, Medical trauma, Drug use, Emotional abuse, War, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Toxic friendship, and Confinement

elia24's review against another edition

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Colonisation, Classism, Child abuse, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Racism, War, Addiction, Sexism, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Police brutality, and Misogyny

tardislibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.75

I got stuck an out a third of the way in. But pushed through. Those last 100+ pages fly by.  
This is a hefty book. With language and world building so thick you can sink your teeth into it. 

Read it, it’s worth it

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Murder, Racism, and Torture

Moderate: Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Colonisation, Slavery, Trafficking, and Xenophobia

Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Racial slurs, Sexism, War, and Addiction

bookshelfmonkey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

 Oh god R.F. Kuang's broken my heart again.

Having read the Poppy War trilogy and sobbed for 30 minutes straight after finishing it, I should have been at least somewhat prepared for this, but R.F. Kuang broke down my emotional walls, got me attached to these characters and invested in their lives and futures and relationships and made me fall a little bit in love with this magical, corrupted, broken world, and then did... that.
 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Racism, and Sexism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Blood, War, Fire/Fire injury, Trafficking, Torture, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Abandonment, Addiction, and Child death

ineedmorecoffee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

I loved this book. An epic tale, with so many incisive observations about the nature of colonialism and power.

Ramy’s death, I felt like I’d been injured, he was that well written that I rooted for him.

A long book, but definitely worth getting stuck into.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Death of parent, Drug use, Trafficking, Suicide, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, and War