Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

131 reviews

mir_frog73's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

This book man. Chapter 21 has probably the most gruesome account of war I’ve ever read or been told about and the fact that it was based on true events is horrific. I’m naming my bat rin because she’s an icon. Part 1 was incredible I read it in one day, the school setting was so much fun to read and learn about everything. Part 2 felt a little long but the end of part two was very intriguing. I enjoyed the plans and strategies. Part 3 was horrific, I also read it in one day I’ll never get over venka’s dialogue. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Kidnapping, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Vomit, War, Abandonment, Body horror, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Sexism, Trafficking, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Violence, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, and Cursing

juliekerr's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Torture, Trafficking, Vomit, Violence, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Addiction, Confinement, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Drug use, War, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Slavery, Gore, Infertility, and Injury/Injury detail

njstew's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.75

Ever so slightly predictable but it doesn’t take much away from the story which was so lovely. Incredibly dark and heavy themes and trauma but these made a lot of sense for the story and characters (and I’ve almost definitely forgotten to add some content warnings) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, War, Death, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Grief, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Classism

naisdayz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

absolute insanity. gonna need a day or two to recover

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Gun violence, War, Gore, Sexual violence, Animal cruelty, Violence, Physical abuse, Addiction, Trafficking, Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Kidnapping, Murder, Racism, Rape, and Sexual harassment

shortdj's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Murder, Drug use, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Excrement, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Bullying, Torture, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Grief, War, and Rape

sosa456's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

Plot switches up half way through and ruins the book. 
It also had no trigger warnings and was full of graphic rape and mutilation

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Genocide, Murder, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, Gore, Torture, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, War, and Racism

lilly24's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Dementia, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcoholism, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Abortion, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Abandonment, Alcohol, Death of parent, Deportation, Drug use, Murder, Self harm, Slavery, Stalking, Terminal illness, Torture, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Sexism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Cultural appropriation, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Excrement, Xenophobia, Classism, Cursing, Gaslighting, Racism, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Colonisation, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Rape, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit

lovall's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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

5.0

I LOVED THIS BOOK

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Death, Drug use, War, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Sexism

Minor: Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

stephsbookedout's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Sexual assault, Classism, Blood, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, War, Body horror, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Grief, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, and Vomit

wingsofareader's review

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, War, Addiction, Genocide, Child death, Colonisation, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Xenophobia, Bullying, Suicide, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Rape, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse, Colonisation, Trafficking, Sexism, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Racism, Confinement, Ableism, Animal death, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Excrement, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Self harm, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Author R.F. Kung explains - in a note at the back of the paperback edition - that the vivid descriptions of war violence, including sexual violence against women and children, we’re taking from historical documents and personal accounts from World War II survivors. Kuang’s rating offers specific sensory imagery, alongside a listing of violence observed by the characters as a means of connecting the reader with both the profound horror and the casual brutality of wartime atrocities. These descriptions do not seem gratuitous, when taken as part of the overall level of description of character experience and visual detail throughout the novel, as well as the context of author, intent bring awareness of historic events and truths that are buying large ignored in the West. The details are, however, unflinchingly described, as are the characters emotional, mental and physical trauma responses to what they see and endure. Some readers may find detailed descriptions difficult to read or process, particularly depending on personal circumstance and experience.