Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

100 reviews

hailsatan's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

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

sameeha_k's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Body horror, Blood, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, War, Murder, Misogyny, Violence, Torture, Genocide, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Sexism, Self harm, Rape, Racism, and Child death

Minor: Infertility

e_gracereads'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

4.5

This is as devastating as everyone says it is. Easy to get into, easy to understand, NOT easy to read. Incredibly rich fantasy world that explores the atrocities of war in IMMENSE detail. It’s devastating. It’s also realistic, both in the sense of the atrocities, but also in how people react to them. A HUGE fan of this book. It’s incredibly accessible and immensely devastating — a must read for anyone who’s a fan of political/military fantasy who can handle the triggers present. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Drug use, Grief, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Rape, Medical content, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic friendship, Drug abuse, Blood, Bullying, Violence, Emotional abuse, and War

_linnea_'s review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Cursing, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Torture, Toxic friendship, War, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

rejena's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Kidnapping, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Infertility, Murder, Addiction, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Death, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, and Toxic friendship

literaryinkling's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Sexual violence, Classism, Drug use, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Medical trauma, Racism, Torture, War, Xenophobia, Rape, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Child death, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

lover_boy's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.0

 

The book starts off with a very good hook and introduction and follows up on the promises made early on, but about halfway through the novel the story takes a very sharp turn into "grim dark horrors of war" that i wasn't prepared for, and i had to make myself power through the rest of the book. Too much of a grim slog.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, War, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, and Violence

major_tom's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

Tiktok really didn't disappoint! I'm so glad I've decided to read this.
It is amazingly well-written. The complex world building doesn't leave you confused and exhausted - instead, you actually get right inside this new world and it's so easy to imagine what's written. The main character is what I would say is a very good example of YA heroine - she has her unique character with actual flaws, she's interesting to be with and you sympathize with what she's going through. 

I really enjoyed the description of

school and classes - the introduction of class difference as well as the intensive of the environment that Rin was in definitely prepared well for the next chapters. Even war description was engaging - it didn't leave you hanging and not understanding what the hell is going on. Just this is worth giving 5/5.

It's a story about overcoming, finding yourself and suffering. And I think if you even remotely enjoy YA genre, light fantasy and good plot, you should read this ASAP.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, War, Classism, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Bullying, and Self harm

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Grief, Genocide, and Sexism

Minor: Xenophobia, Torture, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

maecave15's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-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

3.0

**I highly recommend reading the review by Nenia Campbell on Goodreads.

This is a Chinese culture inspired dark fantasy, with sections inspired by the Second Sino-Japanese War and the Rape of Nanking/Nanjing (neither of which I am familiar with). Honestly, it was dark and violent but boring at many times. 

The side characters were interesting enough, but the MC Rin was power hungry and didn't listen to anyone's advice. She was childish and annoying. I don't feel anything for her at all. I would much rather read about her step brother Kesegi, who has horrible parents and is abandoned by Rin (she never once contacts him even though she claims to have loved him and play a major role in raising him). 

The world building was pretty cool, and the plot was unique to me.The powers being attained through gods is a magic system I always enjoy. 

The middle section of the book lagged so much though that I almost gave up on it. I'm glad I picked it back up and finished it but I won't be continuing the series.

Trigger warning for chapter 21, it has VERY gruesome acts of violence. I can handle it but honestly with how horrifying this chapter is, the book should have a blatant warning for it. Apparently this is the section that is heavily based on the Rape of Nanjing/Nanking. Iris Chang authored a book, with explicit detail and pictures, about this dark time in history. (I have not read it, I am referencing it as another reviewer did so we know the point of chapter 21). 

I enjoyed this novel enough to finish it but I won't be picking up the next book in the trilogy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Abortion, Body horror, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Addiction, Blood, Rape, Sexual violence, and Torture

Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Violence, War, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

Minor: Misogyny, Vomit, Abandonment, Forced institutionalization, and Toxic friendship

gcjay1994's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Addiction, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, Infertility, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Death, Gore, Toxic friendship, and Violence