Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

572 reviews

kredeprnz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Absolutely incredible. 

It was hard to get into at first, people don't lie when they say it's slow and sometimes reads like a textbook, but after the first quarter it drew me in and I couldn't escape.

The things I originally disliked (character driven, historical context, footnotes) became my favorite parts. I found myself so attached to each of the characters and wrapped into their stories. 

As the story progressed you really grew with it, at least I did. Of course, a lot of the lessons I knew, but hearing them from a far more raw perspective was heartbreaking and eye opening at the same time. Looking now at the world we live in today, Babel is less fantasy than we think. The only magical thing about it is that the silver transforms, that is about it. Much of the basis of this book rang true during the time period, and still today. 

The world building is amazing. The characters are so lovable (and hate able) and complex all around. They felt raw and real. 

I'm so happy I picked up Babel, and it surpassed every expectation. Amazing. Truly, no words exist in the English language to explain my love for this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Murder, Alcohol, and Deportation

booksthatburn's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Child death, Excrement, and Deportation

sophielillybeth's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

vitoriaemi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Reading this book felt like a slap on the face, a punch on the mouth and a kick on the stomach

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, War, and Deportation

lizzyjean's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I thought I had cried while reading before. I thought I’d felt the grief and sadness and emotion that the characters were feeling and mourned for them, but the sobbing that took over me while reading Babel was something I’ve never experienced before while reading. I genuinely went through all 5 stages of grief (still working on acceptance) and had to close the book on multiple occasions because I couldn’t bear to read one more word. This book was a beautiful and heartbreaking story, and I cannot recommend it enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Child abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

mariahmmm's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

3.0

Rescued from a cholera plague in China, orphaned "Robin" is taken to England by a mysterious benefactor and enrolled in Babel - the esteemed translation institute at Oxford University responsible for creating and maintaining the magical silver bars that underlay all societal progress. What follows is a story of found family, injustice and prejudice, violent revolution, and the necessity of violence.

What a book. An exhausting read with dense and heavy content that picks apart and lays bare the prejudice and injustice of white colonialism and the greed for power and control. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Child death, Gore, Physical abuse, Slavery, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Pandemic/Epidemic

cayliehausman's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

A beautifully written story of revolution in the face of colonization, racism and injustice. Though set in the 1830s, it’s startlingly relevant to the politics and issues of 2024; Kuang tells the fictional history in a way that makes you take a step back and see the bigger picture of the world, and it’s people, in 2024. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Violence, Vomit, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Religious bigotry, Murder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

redheadorganist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Moderate: Drug use, Gore, Blood, and War

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Sexual harassment

theasi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Drug use and Deportation