Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

16 reviews

lilly24's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book and the entire saga, is a piece of art. We can see the work behind. The author did a lot of work and depicted everything with so much precision that it became sometimes difficult to read (!chapter 21!). It's heartbreaking, it's horrendous and I love it.

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rubbertree14's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The world building was great in this story. I think, however, there is a lot that is thrown at the reader to focus on at all times, and a lot of mental work for readers. The author switches between beautiful, unique writing to cliches and cliche dialogue very quickly and often. Very slow, very dry at parts. 

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min_grachi's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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


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lavenderbtcpodcast's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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stitchof's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-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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nicole_schmid's review

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I went into this book with completely wrong assumptions. To my defense: It was placed with YA novels. It is most definitely not a YA novel. The description sounded like it would be a Harry-Potter-esque novel: new magical school with magical lessons and new friends and new enemies and at the end of the school year, it turns out that the bad guy we've been catching hints of throughout the book really does exist. As the worldbuilding established an empire on the brink of war with the overpopulated island empire next door with basically no chance of winning, I thought that we might get, at the end of the book, a hint that that war might actually come. tbc, nice of you to read, c u later.

That, however, was not the case. The book starts going and basically never stops. The school? Only relevant in the first third. The war? More detailled than you might have expected or wanted. Seriously.

But this quick pace comes at a risk: I never really got to know the main side characters. I knew their names enough to recognise them and they all had neat little archetypes to fall into like "bookish nerd who's BFF with the protagonist, but doesn't believe in magic" and "mean girl who wants to impress the guy" and "rich kid who cannot believe this audacious peasant (who is better than him)", but nothing beyond that.
This makes it hard to care when they are all killed off - presumably. I was impressed when Kuang built up Rin and Nezha into this unstoppable duo holding back an entire army by themselves until the general himself arrives to take care of the problem. They are this amazing pair and they finally buried the hatched and war is more important than personal grievances and - wait, Nezha is dead?! That really suprised and gutsy and it impressed me. However, when it later on turns out that he survived not only the crippling wound, but that he healed without an issue...  Disappointing, but okay. Makes sense that the most powerful family might have an ace up their sleeve in the form of (hinted at) healing through shamanism. Then, however, she pulls the exact same thing with the nerd friend... I just hope that Altan does not make a miraculous recovery, even though I liked him.

I did like it when Nezha started to grow out of his "school rival" category by apologizing, and I think Rin is an idiot for not doing the same. But just then, he "died" again, so let's see...

It'll also be interesting to meet the surviving schoolmates again in the next book and see how war and trauma has changed them, especially Kitay.


So, the school arc is a bit rushed without really giving the characters room to develop. The other two thirds are a complete tonal shift. 
Which makes sense, given that it's war, but that was a bit too much. We go from this lighthearted story of admiring Altan and wondering if Rin will beat spoilt brat Nezha with his fancy and ineffective martial arts with a few sprinkles of criticism against classism thrown in, to pre-mediated, cold-blooded, main-character-enacted genocide. Not to mention the account of horrendously detailed rape of, if "only" that was not bad enough, little girls. You can see how there might be some slight tonal differences, right?
 

There were also times I disagreed with the decision a character came to or how it was framed, though I understand the reasons behind it. Without going into the later thirds,
what comes to mind is Rin's first period. It does make sense for her to "eliminate" the problem, and it also makes sense for the doctor to okay and even speak out positively for the option of infertility, but she's only just had her first period. She's suddenly bleeding and in what appears to be terrible pain and hears that she has to suffer through this for decades to come. Of course she would jump on the chance! And I would be all for it if it was a rational choice she made after getting some more information and considering it. But she's a distraught teenager who just had the most painful week of her life. Any professional doctor would consider waiting at least a few months. Maybe her period pains would become almost negligible after the first few months. Maybe she would change her mind after thinking about it a bit longer. Maybe wait until she's no longer as vulnerable and helpless. Maybe inform her of the possible side effects besides "the worst pain you've ever felt"? Correct me if I'm crazy, but to me, it sounds like that medicine could be incredibly dangerous to that pesky thing called "life"...?
So, to cut my rambling short, I understand why she would choose this option so quickly. The doctor, of course, wants to rid women of those ridiculous "femaleness" so that they can be more man-like soldiers. But just because I understand it, does not mean I did not wish for a more detailed commentary or some comment about how utterly fucked up the doctor/system is for preying on ignorant girls and pressuring them into a choice with long-lasting consequences they should at least spare (and be given the time to spare) a second thought to before actually committing to it.
 

But overall, I was blown away by this story. The worldbuilding was intriguing, the twist at the end (though a bit predictable and partly revealed much too early in the POV chapter of Altan's boss) leaves the ending open for a sequel, the further progression of the story seems clear. War here is not depicted as a quick and easy way to gain power and recognition and, if you die, at least ever-lasting glory, nor as some higher-ups sending out numbers and discussing strategies, but it is actually depicted as the cruel thing it is, especially when it shows the helpless civilians who are too poor to flee and are left to become causalities in a war that has nothing to do with them.
As would be the case if the enemy army... I hesitate to call them cartoonishly evil with their complete disregard of civilians and the unspeakable tortures committed against them in the city that was supposed to be the war capital, because, well... unfortunately, there are way too many real-life examples...
I do hope that the problematic acts of the last chapters are not simply brushed under the rug and that the next book will confront Rin with what she has done, but I think it seems likely. 
She does seem to think that her genocide was wrong, though it was, of course, "necessary" and "do unto others as they do unto you" and the other members of Altan's squad all seem to agree with her, but at least our trustworthy nerd BFF has told us that her genocide was objectively wrong on all accounts, so I refuse to lose hope!
 

However, I must strongly warn you that this book is not for the faint of heart. Please take the trigger warnings in the corresponding section extremely seriously. They are not (yet, hopefully) dealt with in the nuanced and understanding tone that they should be by virtue of happening at the end of the book or not having happened to the main characters, so proceed with care!

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kimmio's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

honestly couldn’t put this book down when i started and now i’m on the third book after just a week

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violaceae's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

4.0


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_katie_reads_'s review

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adventurous dark emotional 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


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wrenxavier's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0


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