Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

7 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.

---

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

queenkath32's review

dark emotional tense

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, War, Addiction, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Dysphoria, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Animal death, Grief, Blood, Child death, Torture, Violence, and Genocide

bootsmom3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny sad tense slow-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Genocide, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Animal death, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Violence, War, Blood, Child death, Drug use, Dysphoria, Gore, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Torture, Animal cruelty, Rape, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Murder

winterwoodbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The beginning and end were really strong, however the middle part felt a bit like a disjointed slump.
Whlile I always want to give the benefit of believing that maybe that was just how the character felt, this does not seem to be the case here.

The Fact, that there were mere chapters between the setup of the facility and arriving there annoyed me SO much. And then they were out again just as fast, ugh

One of the strongest parts of this book is the bluntness of talking about themes- as well as just vivid and brutal pictures, actually depicturing horrors and topics often glossed over. I have to mention the feminism here, loved everything about it!
Overall a great book with some annoying points, I am interested to see more and hope for an in depth journey of the mind of our main character!

The worst part were the animal deaths tho :c

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Animal death, Suicide, Slavery, Blood, Death, Abandonment, War, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Murder, Infertility, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Cursing, Body horror, Hate crime, Violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Rape, Mental illness, Excrement, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Animal cruelty, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Child death, and Abortion

briesashes's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, War, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Genocide, Gore, Domestic abuse, Blood, Animal death, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual assault, Murder, Grief, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Animal cruelty, Violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Death, Child death, Ableism, Child abuse, Cannibalism, and Alcohol

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

---

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

afi_whatafireads's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Its my second time reading The Poppy War, in hopes to FINALLY continue the series, (this is due to the fear for emotional damage), and I am very much still in awe of this book. It was heartbreaking, emotionally draining, a start to a very well-written series, and best of all, one of my top fantasy books ever. Thanks to my friend Zara for gushing to me about this book the first time that I read it in 2020, even two years later now, I still love it so very much.

This book does not shy away from the gore and very graphic scenes of war, how brutal it can be to the survivors, and at one point, where everything has came to a standstill, all you had was yourself and a source of power that you don't understand, but is the only thing that can help you to save your friends and yourself. The Poppy War is one of the most well-constructed books I've read in a long time. With very powerful characterization of characters that are so-very-morally gray, where you'll doubt their actions to the maximum but you'll also understand why it is the way it is.

"Order is present in the earthly kingdoms when all beings understand their place. All beings understand their place when they fulfill the roles set out for them."

Kuang had shown a side of war that is brutal. The characters here are not people of power, but is from the perspectives of soldiers at the front of war, merely teenagers that were forced to grow up right after going out of school, and having through go such traumatizing events, there will come a time that we will emphatize with what they choose to do to survive. Fang Runin is a character that you can't help but love. Its like reading a very stubborn child grow up, where there are moments of vulnerability but there are times where you will question her judgment, but still, you can't help but just love her. Her strength and resilience to survive and her DESPERATION to prove to everyone around her that a war-orphaned, dark-skinned child like her can survive too in the very prestigious military academy and the war.

“War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who remains.”

There were two parts of the book that still broke my heart, even having read it the first time around. It was brutal and just very very graphic. The horror of war, the effects it will have on children and the living survivors, and mostly, what happens to each and every individual in handling war is just so painful to read, and one that I can't imagine going through myself. I love that Kuang does not shy away from showing how brutal war can be, and how someone can lose every piece of themselves, little by little until what remains is the act of vengeance.

“I have become something wonderful. I have become something terrible.

Kuang's writing is indeed exceptional, with very fast-paced plot, and almost none filler scenes, we will gobble her story right up. Despite being a grim-dark book, it also showcased friendship and comradeship among Rin and her friends. Her with her classmates, and her with her comrades after school, those are one of my favourite moments in the book. Even if short, those few chapters lived through to be support for me to keep going on .

I think my first review of this book, and even now, it does not does justice to the book. The Poppy War will remain one of the books that changed my life and reading game , in such a way that made me realize what I loved and craved in a book. Found family elements, politics and the rich history that was displayed, with the emotional toll that it left, it leaves to remain one of the books that I will still talk about in a long time.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Body horror, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, War, Abortion, Bullying, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Cursing, Drug use, Medical trauma, Violence, Genocide, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts