Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

230 reviews

cepbreed's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I'm still processing. To think that this book is a debut is insane to me. R. F. Kuang can do no wrong. I love her storytelling but I am so glad I started the Poppy War series after reading her two standalone novels. I fear the others would have disappointed me if they followed a read of this. 

The first half of the novel felt slow. I wasn't able to get into the storyline because it was so glaringly unoriginal. There, I said it. Sure, a tried and true plot is only tried and true because it works, but I picked up this book expecting more. It took weeks to find that more thanks to my modules and plain disinterest. Smack dab in the center of the book lies that gritty tonal shift that I could really sink my teeth into. I appreciate so much that Kuang is a historian because she never shied away from the brutality of war. The inspiration drawn from the atrocities committed by the Japanese made me sick to my stomach.

Venka, and the real women who were forced to become "comfort women" bring out a deep hatred for men within me.

That quality saved a novel that plateaued in the first half. I understand a world like this needs exposition and I also get that for that shift to take effect the beginning would have to be more tame in comparison (I'm struggling to find the right words here because I don't think "tame" correctly describes a girl

removing her own uterus

but alas). I can forget all of my grips with this book because any ending that makes me feel like this one did is deserving of innumerable praise. I balked when I turned the page and "Acknowledgements" stared back at me. I'm simultaneously thirsty for more and unbelieving that a book such as this one should or could be followed up. In a way, even with the loose ends in the plot, I think I would be content if the story just ended here. I thank Kuang for never being afraid to

kill off main characters, but at the same time, nearly all of the original cast is gone. New characters won't endear themselves to me in the same way the academy kids did. In the Tiktoks I sometimes get about this book people seem to have endless praise for Nezha so maybe he isn't dead? But that's lowkey overkill because c'mon, no way one teenage boy can miraculously dodge paralysis and death consecutively. Then again it is mentioned he's hiding something, maybe he's got like healing powers thanks to his family god or something.

The power system of this universe is convoluted in the best way. However, I can't entirely wrap my head around it so the confusion is getting to me. 

In the wake of the new Avatar live-action series I hope this never gets greenlit for any sort of on-screen adaptation. Not to deprive Kuang of her bag, but there's just no way in hell any show or movie would do this book justice. If they do make one though trust I will be watching the second it comes out. 

Song:

• Lipstick on the Glass - Wolf Alice

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Death, Addiction, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Physical abuse, Mental illness, War, Sexism, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Body horror, Bullying, and Infertility

Moderate: Animal death, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Confinement, and Abandonment

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence

thegr1mreader's review against another edition

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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Self harm, Racism, Rape, War, Violence, Torture, Death, Child death, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Medical content, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Drug abuse, Cursing, Body horror, Blood, Animal death, and Addiction

Moderate: Xenophobia, Gore, Genocide, Animal death, Medical content, Rape, Sexual violence, Addiction, War, Violence, Torture, Drug use, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Miscarriage, Grief, Death, Colonisation, Child death, Bullying, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Cursing, Classism, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Death, Medical content, Vomit, Violence, Rape, Xenophobia, War, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Sexual violence, Self harm, Racism, Physical abuse, Cursing, Colonisation, Blood, Murder, Gore, Miscarriage, Grief, Drug abuse, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Classism, Child death, and Addiction

cubbywasabear's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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: Genocide, Self harm, Torture, Xenophobia, Child death, Classism, Sexual assault, Colonisation, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Blood, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexism, Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and War

Moderate: Animal death, Slavery, Death of parent, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts

The content warnings are absolutely no joke. This is a brutal read, with a section that is

a retelling of the Rape of Nanjing. Read with care.

chronicacademia's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Drug use, Genocide, Kidnapping, Abortion, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Death, Gore, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, War, Child abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicide, Ableism, Colonisation, and Fire/Fire injury

trashgobby's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Violence, Murder, Colonisation, Child death, War, Blood, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, Racism, Drug abuse, and Torture

Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Bullying, Slavery, Classism, Cursing, Sexism, and Alcohol

Minor: Infertility, Medical content, Death of parent, and Racial slurs

maxcarwile's review against another edition

dark informative sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Genocide, Murder, Violence, Torture, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, War, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Addiction, Sexual violence, Death, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Kidnapping and Medical content

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

lily_kruse's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Drug use, Self harm, Torture, Violence, War, Sexual violence, Addiction, Animal death, Murder, Medical trauma, Rape, Sexual content, Gore, Infertility, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Slavery, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Grief, Physical abuse, Blood, and Gun violence

grandiose_r's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

5.0

This book really gripped me and shook me to my core. I recognized so many things from what my father told me from his time growing in immediate post WW2 China (born on the exact day of Japan's official surrender), and his growing up hearing first hand accounts of the Nanjing Massacre as well as further atrocities commit by remaining soldiers even after the official surrender.

On a different note, I loved the novel's approach to drugs and gods and hope it's explored further in the following parts of the series.

R.F. Kuang did an amazing job with this debut novel and I will definitely be returning to this series, but I'm gonna have to take a break from this kind of war literature that hits a bit too close to home for a while. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Torture, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Drug use, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Medical content, Vomit, Violence, Addiction, Child death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, War, Death, Genocide, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Infertility, Excrement, and Confinement

xx_salem's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

I liked the book and loved the main character and how far she was willing to take it. However I slowly began to dislike how she took over the motives of others and lost her own motives, I couldn’t understand her stake in anything or why she cared that much. The ending left a little to be desired, like it was brushed over, but I hope to see more consequences in the next book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Genocide, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Addiction, Animal death, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Murder, Body shaming, Colonisation, Self harm, Mental illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Torture, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Animal cruelty, Grief, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Vomit, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and War

viviandoeshaveaclue's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.75

Absolutely amazing and saddening at the same time. Definitely will be thinking about Rin, Alton, Kitay, Nezha, and Venka for the next few days.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, War, Sexual assault, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Genocide, Torture, Rape, Drug abuse, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Body horror, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Medical content, and Death

Minor: Vomit