Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

87 reviews

biaaaa's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

Oh my god!!! This book!!!!! I wasn't expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did!!! 

It took me a while to really get into the book, tbh the first part was a little boring to me, but I think that if or when I reread I'm going to appreciate it so much more! 

But the second and third part broke my heart!!! And I know that the characters didn't make the best or the right choices but they're literally teenagers, Rin is just 19 years old at the end of the book and she's already gone through so much trauma, so I really can't dislike her even after what she did at the end, same with Altan, even if he was awful to Rin through the majority of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Genocide, and War

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Toxic relationship and Slavery

kasssidyy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad 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

This is one of the best fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. And while the plot felt respective sometimes it’s a 5 star for the absolute brilliant writing and how horrific it is. This book is dark. Kuang takes a no holds bar look at genocide and makes you look at it from every angel

Rin is a complicated character. She’s written so well. She’s just a girl, forced into lives she doesn’t ask for to make choices she doesn’t want. I hate what she does and at the same time I don’t blame her.

there was a few chapters I had to put the book down before reading it. That’s how you onow a book is good

“And she would call the gods to do such terrible things” 

Cannot wait to read the rest of this series. Keep in mind the content warnings it’s a brutal dark book. But one I think everyone should read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Genocide, Murder, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Death, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Torture, Racism, Child death, War, and Emotional abuse

bexnbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Genocide, Self harm, Drug abuse, War, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Violence, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

thegr1mreader's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Self harm, Racism, Rape, War, Violence, Torture, Death, Child death, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Medical content, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Drug abuse, Cursing, Body horror, Blood, Animal death, and Addiction

Moderate: Xenophobia, Gore, Genocide, Animal death, Medical content, Rape, Sexual violence, Addiction, War, Violence, Torture, Drug use, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Grief, Death, Colonisation, Child death, Bullying, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Cursing, Classism, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Death, Medical content, Vomit, Violence, Rape, Xenophobia, War, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Sexual violence, Self harm, Racism, Physical abuse, Cursing, Colonisation, Blood, Murder, Gore, Miscarriage, Grief, Drug abuse, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Classism, Child death, and Addiction

taemd58's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Murder, Rape, Infertility, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Body horror, Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Classism, Cursing, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, Violence, Vomit, War, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, and Hate crime

yyooh17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

I literally wanna cry everytime I think of this book. I settled on giving it a 5* over a 4.75 because of how much it has impacted me emotionally. 

The characters aren’t likeable at all but they aren’t meant to be, their choices are often questionable at best but honestly all the options are bad. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Death, Gore, Sexual violence, Violence, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Child death, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

Casual war crimes

chultman's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense fast-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

4.0

Thought Babel was better than poppy war

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Blood, War, Torture, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Violence, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Gore, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Death, and Classism

Minor: Rape

77mimi's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

[reread]
when i first attempted to read this book i had gotten 60% in and fully realised the route it was taking and paused; i returned to the book as i had a sudden thought about altan trengsin and wanted to pour over every sliver i got of him from kuang

historical context will be your best friend in order to understand the full depth of this story, but even with just surface level knowledge, i feel most readers will be able to grasp the significance of each moment
kuang’s writing and exposition of the story is very accessible despite the heavy and difficult topics; character complexities, flaws, greyness — all depicted so well, even in just tiny snippets, without also being condescending to the reader

(i’ll come back to this review once i can fully articulate my thoughts)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Genocide, Self harm, War, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, and Mental illness

pagesofpins's review

2.0

The story drew me in immediately. It suffers a bit from HP comparison in the beginning (poor kid doesn't "belong" at special training school but is still massively talented and can outpace kids with a lifetime of tutoring and training, a rich kid with a lot of henchmen becomes a mortal enemy and they face off a lot, poor kid has one friend who was already a social B lister). I thought for sure this section went on for so long for character development, or so that there would be a breaking point in the main character's self destructive spiraling. Instead it appears that it was just a device to add context to who gets gang raped and tortured later. 

I thought the story was really picking up when Rin begins training with one of the wackier and less respected masters, mastering the elements a la The Name of the Wind. At this point a war breaks out that is clearly the 2nd Shino Japanese War, and nearly every description of infant rape, mass murder of families, and creative torture was lifted directly from The Rape of Nanking. That work made some intelligent observations on what prompted men with no violent past to do such horrific things, but this work adds nothing thoughtful. There is no hint of how a nation heals after suffering atrocities like this. It's merely used as a device to add drama. I think sensitive elements in history can be responsibly represented in fantasy, but instead a team of X-Men wander the country wreaking havoc and our MC cries a lot about her abusive and problematic crush. Fantasy can add enough distance to see history clearly, or ask "what if it had happened differently?" I couldn't find either here. 

It's possible in the sequel the Taiwanese will be more than a red eyed bloodthirsty race used as bargaining chips in battle, the Japanese will have some context as wealthy oppressors, the Chinese will be more than torture porn, and human experiments like Unit 731 will be treated with more gravity than a device for our heroine to understand her boyfriends drug addiction. But I won't be reading to find out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, War, Torture, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Child death, Colonisation, Cursing, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Incest, Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death, Genocide, Medical trauma, Gore, Racism, and Rape

nadjaaaahhhh's review

adventurous dark emotional 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Grief, Physical abuse, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Sexism, War, Infertility, Misogyny, Murder, Child death, Drug use, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, and Vomit