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stephhaigreads's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism
Moderate: Trafficking, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship
aoifeprettypurplepolkadots's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and Classism
taracloudclark's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Rape
celery's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
elia24's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
tardislibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
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
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Child abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Addiction, Drug use, Racial slurs, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and War
bookshelfmonkey's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug abuse, Torture, Blood, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Addiction, Child death, and Abandonment
ineedmorecoffee's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Trafficking, Death of parent, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
not_asha01's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Addiction
tbd24's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Sexism, Slavery, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, and War