Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

31 reviews

lilly24's review against another edition

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

jklinck2's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Violence, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Torture, War, Sexual assault, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Grief, Genocide, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Hate crime, Rape, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Blood, and Slavery

alex_salamander's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Vomit, Rape, War, Grief, Death, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Violence, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Body horror, Gore, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Child death, and Racism

Moderate: Confinement, Body shaming, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

noosh_pdf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-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

When they say this book is dark, they mean it. Do not be fooled by the beginning chapters of this book that feign hopeful stories of aspiring soldiers. The darkness of this book has subjected itself to one specific chapter, chapter 21. There are gruesome, cruel, horrifying depictions of war crimes. Nothing will prepare you for it. Read trigger warnings. Please.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Mental illness, Abortion, War, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gore, Grief, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, Addiction, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Vomit, Violence, Self harm, Genocide, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Forced institutionalization, and Cursing

lillypillygooseberry's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.75

lots of horrific imagery in this book. Definitely read the trigger warnings, especially if you identify as female: I consider myself pretty numb to most things in book but some of the descriptions were truly horrifying, especially because they are based on real-life events.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Self harm, Sexual assault, Confinement, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Body horror, Body shaming, Colonisation, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, War, Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, and Infertility

hannahjoanx7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Murder, Violence, Addiction, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Slavery, Torture, Vomit, Bullying, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Classism, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Body horror, Death of parent, Rape, Self harm, and War

droggelbecher42's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

Very good book, but I didn't know what I was getting into. The beginning reads so much like a classic coming-of-age (gifted kid goes to academy) book that I didn't expect the graphic violence later on. But even the beginning, slow parts with lots of common tropes was very well written and I honestly wouldn't have minded reading a whole book about only Sinegard.
I think I do want to read the rest of the series, but might need a breather inbetween, because this was so heavy

The description of the massacre Golyn Niis genuinely made me feel sick, because it was so well written. Also Kitay is my favourite character and I don't care that he might have betrayed Rin & Atlan to the federation (let's be honest, he knew where they were going and that last conversation on the ship was very sus)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Racism, War, Classism, Violence, Xenophobia, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Genocide, and Torture

Moderate: Misogyny, Ableism, Body shaming, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Rape, and Grief

nat_kiverse's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Genocide, Rape, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Confinement, Drug abuse, Child death, Murder, Colonisation, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Vomit, and War

thedambookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, War, Addiction, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Misogyny, Murder, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Cursing, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Self harm, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Bullying, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual content, Drug use, Genocide, and Grief

juneylu's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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

For me, this book read like the story of Attack On Titan but with a Chinese, Maoist inspired coat. I really enjoyed it, the comparison doesn’t diminish the excellence of the book. The critique of pacing and the academy arch was valid, it was definitely not as exciting as later parts.

The Nanking inspired massacre was the emotional high point of the novel. I found it very moving as someone who is Chinese, it was personal. Some may say it was unnecessary, I felt it made sense as it was something that effected all of the characters in some type of way, it’s impact can be felt in later books as well. Its brutality still is lighter than the real events, and I hope this book has helped many people to learn about the Nanking Massacre.  Rin is a very complicated character. She went from a hard-working small-town girl to a genocidal warrior in one book, but the character development felt understood. Is she someone I should personally support? Not at all, but I enjoy the grey morality she exists in.

Overall, I loved this book, it’s a start of a great series. Is the hype deserved? Not entirely, because many misadvertise it as a romance. But it is still a great book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, Rape, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Physical abuse, War, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, Violence, Torture, Body horror, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Bullying, Addiction, and Cursing