Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

30 reviews

edilyaaang's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.5

I have love-hate feelings for this book. I love how the story kept me on edge but I hate how events are vague sometimes. Like what the hell is happening and how did we get here all of a sudden. I love that it draws from real historical events but hate how some parts seemed exaggerated. Maybe because it is a fantasy fiction so that cant be avoided.
I love the other characters but hate how brutal and unreasonable and heartless they could be. I also love how fierce Rin's love for her people is but hate how she lets anger and revenge and her hunger for power consume her to the point that she refused to see reason. Her retaliation when things don't go her ways is immature and childish. Someone needs anger management sessions.

The battle scenes from this book also disturbed me. As someone from an Asian country who was under Japanese occupation in the past, the horrors narrated in the book regarding their brutality presented me a mental picture if the watered down versions I learned in school. It turned my stomach getting blow by blow descriptions of the atrocities done by the Japanese during that time. Sure, I learned what they did through history class and from what my grandparents who were kids during the invasion told me but never in graphic detail. It made me angry because it really did happen in the past and there are people still alive today who went through all that suffering.

Anyways, ranting aside, I really did enjoy the book even though here were "huh?" and "wtf!" moments. Reviews state that the 2nd and 3rd installment to this book gets better so, I am so looking forward to that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Death, Drug use, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Colonisation, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Police brutality, War, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Torture

cardanwine's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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: Trafficking, Misogyny, War, Xenophobia, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Child death, Child abuse, Blood, Addiction, Gore, Animal death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Racism, Police brutality, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Hate crime, Genocide, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Bullying, Animal cruelty, and Abandonment

lmanor's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.75

The graphic scenes were a lot, but as they were based in history I commend the author from not shying away 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Sexual violence, Rape, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Gun violence, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Gore, Body horror, Excrement, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Mental illness, Mass/school shootings, Gaslighting, Bullying, Self harm, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Genocide, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, and Death

sterilization of a minor

reddeddy'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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Xenophobia, Addiction, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, Abandonment, Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Excrement, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Trafficking, Abortion, Classism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, and Self harm

Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Police brutality, and Pedophilia

toastyreads's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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 book was phenomenal. it single-handedly pulled me out of my reading slump, and i could not put it down!!!!!! anyone who's interested in reading or curious of this book should really take the leap because the emotional distress is worth it. caution, this book is not for the faint hearted–there are a slew of triggers throughout. I hold Rin, Altan, Nezha, Ramsa, Kitay, and literally every character under the Nikaran sun (favourable ones, of course) so close to my heart. it simultaneously rips and beats for them. 

i really hope Nezha isn't dead. like i can't do this. especially after Altan??????????????? i'm really holding out on hope right now, that's literally all i have left. though i do have an incredibly strong gut feeling that he isn't, though he'll probably be extremely mentally distressed and fucked up because i'm assuming (if he's alive, which i'm 85% certain of) he's been held as a prisoner of war, and the universe fucking knows what the federation would have done to him. as i'm typing this, i just came up with a (paranoid) theory. what if Nezha isn't actually dead/captured and he's allied w the Empress and already knows of her plans and shit, so if Mugen "kidnapped" him, he wouldn't actually be a prisoner, but be unharmed. also, i'm super curious about what Enki said about Nezha being a shaman. i personally think that Enki is right, and Nezha never recovered from it, but did his spiritual/god/shamanistic mojo to walk again. and that's also why i think that Nezha isn't actually dead, because that seems like a hell of a foreshadow, and why would Kuang plant that if she wasn't intending on bringing him back???? idk just food for thought

and i don't trust Chaghan, i hope he doesn't have ill intentions. and Su Daji can suck my fucking dick, i've never trusted her. i hope Kitay doesn't turn his back on her forever; their friendship genuinely gives me so much happiness bc i feel like he's the first person that Rin has trusted/viewed as a true friend. I love Ramsa he's so adorable. and JIANG ZIYA IF YOU DONT COME BACK ISTG I WILL RAIN HELLFIRE ON YOU. and by the end, i understand why (because she felt like she was backed into a corner and there was literally nothing she could do to save Nikara from Mugen) but Rin was getting on my nerves. but i suppose that's what it means to grow into your own person, and not simple follow the formula of Sinegard's training (or just in general). and i feel like that's part of what Jiang taught Rin, even if it wasn't active teaching, but a passive learning that Rin adopted by observing him. and idk she went in the opposite direction of everything he taught her, but i feel like it's something that he simultaneously taught her too. 

sorry for the rant, i've never really reviewed/commented on something online, and none of my friends read *skull emoji* so i just had a field day of all the thoughts and theories running through my head :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Blood, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, War, Violence, and Vomit

steph_see's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Kidnapping, Addiction, Abortion, Death, Colonisation, Genocide, Vomit, Torture, Blood, Child death, Grief, Medical content, Police brutality, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Trafficking, and War

gwooby's review

adventurous challenging 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Xenophobia, War, Vomit, Violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Police brutality

christine_beatrice's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Police brutality, Murder, Misogyny, Hate crime, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death, and Colonisation

reeseq10's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Rape, Vomit, War, Violence, Xenophobia, Torture, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Racism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Grief, Gore, Emotional abuse, Death, Colonisation, Confinement, Child abuse, Child death, Body horror, Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Abandonment

This book is incredibly dark and filled with very heavy topics that were incredibly emotional to read.

veeronald's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny informative mysterious 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

4.75

Stunning. Thoughtful. Grim.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Excrement, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Sexism

Minor: Pedophilia, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Medical content