Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

810 reviews

hellokicia's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Death of parent

oneqdprnjoy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

This is a great commentary on colonialism, white supremacy, and internalized racism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Islamophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War

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

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

scifi42's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

This was an absolutely amazing book. I haven't read anything this long in a while - glad I gave myself the chance. 

Highlights: an absolutely fantastic cast of characters, meaningful but incomplete foreshadowing, several different and grounded perspectives (none declared "right") on decolonization processes. 

Kuang also makes several bold formal moves- I'm pretty sure this is the first "untranslated" fiction I've read that includes footnotes. The book is broadly accessible but definitely rewards readers with some understanding of British colonization. The characters are relatable, the magic well systemized, the situations absurd in their realism. 

Speculative fiction at its best. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Torture, Police brutality, and Colonisation

Moderate: Hate crime, Death of parent, Classism, and Deportation

noms01's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative 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: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Addiction