Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

48 reviews

kyajreads's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

This was a great introduction to Rin's world in Nikara, who overcomes the challenges she faces as a girl, a darker skinned person than her peers, and a poor, uneducated war orphan. 
I know it's the intent of the book (being based on the second Sino-Japanese war and mid 20th century China) but its very obviously drawing from real events which, as the reader, definitely made the events in the book hit even harder, knowing that there's an element of truth in the pages. 
The way the story is segmented felt so natural, and despite feeling like 'hard stops' in Rin's arcs, it definitely helped to show the passage of time/major event/environment change. I loved this approach.
The complex levels of each character, both main and secondary, and their relationships with one another were fantastic, heartwarming, anger inducing, heart-wrenching, triumphant.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Sexism, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, War, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Rape, Slavery, Child abuse, Racism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Genocide, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Self harm, and Torture

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

bookishbirdkid9's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Murder, Sexual assault, Vomit, Colonisation, Confinement, Drug use, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Child death, Classism, Violence, War, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Death, Abortion, and Body horror

samflowerv6's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I was assigned this for school. The poppy war is a bloody, scorching coming of age story of an angry orphan who finds power within herself. Rin is such an interesting and complex character. Based on historical tribulations of China. Check trigger warnings. Kitay, Nezha, Altan, Jiang and Rin are such deep and beautiful characters. I will be continuing this series.

“I have become something wonderful, she thought. I have become something terrible. Was she now a goddess or a monster? Perhaps neither. Perhaps both.”

“I don't love you. And I can kill anything.”

Well, fuck the heavenly order of things. If getting married to a gross old man was her preordained role on this earth, then Rin was determined to rewrite it.

“Nothing is written," said the Phoenix. "You humans always think you're destinied for greatness. Destiny is a myth. Destiny is the only myth. The gods choose nothing. You chose. You chose to take the exam. You chose to come to Sinegard. You chose to pledge Lore, you chose to study the paths of the gods, and you chose to follow your commander's demands over your master's warnings. At every critical juncture you were given an option; you were given a way out. Yet you picked precisely the roads that led you here. You are at this temple, kneeling before me, only because you wanted to be.” 

“Jiang was wrong. She was not dabbling in forces she could not control, for the gods were not dangerous. The gods had no power at all, except what she gave them. The gods could affect the universe only through humans like her. Her destiny had not been written in the stars, or in the registers of the Pantheon. She had made her choices fully and autonomously. And though she called upon the gods to aid her in battle, they were her tools from beginning to end. She was no victim of destiny. She was the last Speerly, commander of the Cike, and a shaman who called the gods to do her bidding. And she would call the gods to do such terrible things.”

“I don't need your pity. I need you to kill them for me. You have to kill them for me," Venka hissed. "Swear it. Swear on your blood that you will burn them.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body horror, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Infertility, Murder, Grief, Alcohol, Animal death, Sexism, Gore, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Death, Drug abuse, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Excrement, Genocide, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Addiction, Drug use, Rape, Animal cruelty, Deadnaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Classism, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual harassment, Vomit, and War

rsb12's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Racism, War, Child death, Drug use, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Moderate: Body horror, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, and Blood

Minor: Misogyny, Suicide, Classism, Confinement, Alcohol, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Infertility

sunriseat0519's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Violence, Blood, Drug use, War, Addiction, Murder, Rape, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Mental illness

Moderate: Colonisation, Racism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

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

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

dragongurrl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I swear Kuang is easily one of my favorite authors….this was brutal and amazing. Plot twists I actually didn’t see coming. Violent depictions that were so well written you couldn’t look away while you died inside reading them. Any book this woman writes I will read. I’m sold. Immediately ready for book 2

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, Grief, Drug use, Addiction, Body horror, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Genocide, Drug abuse, Violence, Child death, Death, Self harm, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, and Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Mental illness, and Colonisation

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Infertility, Bullying, and Animal death

katemarie99's review

dark sad slow-paced

1.5

Not a great time tbh. Might try to push onward into the series now that the worst (??) is over...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Torture, War, Xenophobia, and Rape

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Alcohol, Blood, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexual violence, Addiction, Fatphobia, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Violence