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Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Colonisation
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Genocide, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Islamophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Classism
Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Blood, Classism
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Deportation
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Classism
It is not without flaws. At times the handling of its themes is very heavy-ended, everything is spelled out for the reader and you can see the author's hand very cleary, so much so that you feel a bit pulled out of the narrative. The portrayal of some characters could use some more depth and exploration, in places it felt a little surface-level and stilted.
The ending is maybe a bit too open-ended for my liking.
That being said, the book is still a marvellous feat of the dark academia genre. I loved the reading experience, it was fascinating and gripping, it kept me on the edge of my seat with its twists and turns and put me on a roller coaster of emotions. Just, why did you have to crush my heart like that, R. F. Kuang? My poor boys.
Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world. No; a thousand worlds within one. And translation - a necessary endeavour, however futile, to move between them.
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Addiction, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment
Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Colonisation
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, War
Minor: Drug use