Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

57 reviews

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

min_grachi's review

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Body horror, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Torture, Chronic illness, Grief, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Violence, War, Genocide, Gore, Alcoholism, Blood, Confinement, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts

ehrycyna's review

adventurous challenging dark tense

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Classism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Torture, Addiction, Colonisation, Death, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, War, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

kibiiiariii's review

adventurous dark emotional funny sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Drug use, Slavery, Vomit, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abandonment, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Torture, Trafficking, Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child death, Toxic friendship, War, Xenophobia, Animal death, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Cursing, and Death

namjin's review

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Medical content, Violence, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Torture, Toxic friendship, Child death, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Misogyny, and Vomit

This book contains the most detailed descriptions of brutal killings, torture and rape I have ever seen. Please exercise caution. Personally it came as a surprise, so be aware of that.

atomicrobin'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: Child death, Child abuse, Animal death, Drug abuse, Death, Classism, Body horror, Blood, Infertility, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Violence, Sexism, Sexual violence, Bullying, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

themadbloodstone's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

I was never a real fan of fantasy books. They all felt the same to me and I always struggled reading them. However, The Poppy War was refreshing, unpredictable, and beautifully written. It did not shy away from the horrors of genocide and the aftermath of genocide, using Rin’s character development to symbolize the effects of war.
Even though there were some flaws in this book (such as the author reusing the same similes within pages of another or the odd will-they-won’t-they between Rin and Altan and Nezha), R.F. Kuang’s debut novel is definitely deserving of 5/5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Genocide, Death, Rape, War, Violence, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Bullying, and Classism

Moderate: Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Mental illness, and Addiction

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Death of parent

aya1403's review

adventurous dark emotional reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Rape, Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Colonisation, Slavery, Suicide, Genocide, Infertility, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gaslighting, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, War, Bullying, Addiction, Cursing, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Body horror, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

welkinvault's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Well written, thoroughly researched history.  Amazing background and world building.  

Chapter 21 (i think) especially was a brutal read. I don't think I will be continuing the series as it was dark and violent, and there did not seem to be much lifting of the angst for the characters that survive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Genocide

heli1403's review

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Rape, Child death, War, Torture, Addiction, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Self harm, Murder, Gore, Genocide, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Body horror, Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Sexual assault, and Sexual content