Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

203 reviews

hantiqua's review against another edition

challenging dark informative medium-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Murder, Racism, Sexism, and Violence

Moderate: Xenophobia and Torture

Minor: Addiction

Suicide

marmaelade's review against another edition

challenging informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, and Racism

Moderate: Slavery, War, Addiction, Sexual harassment, Violence, Gun violence, Torture, and Drug use

Minor: Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Deportation

butilikeit's review against another edition

challenging informative slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Racism

Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, Sexism, Murder, Classism, Torture, Slavery, and Colonisation

Minor: Addiction, Deportation, Child death, and Drug use

juliatsang's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Blood, Colonisation, Murder, Grief, Violence, War, Racism, Emotional abuse, Death, Classism, and Death of parent

Moderate: Suicide, Addiction, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Slavery, and Drug abuse

celinbean's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad 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

4.0

well i finally did it lol only took me over a year to finish 

it was slow and took awhile to built up and get to the actually juicy part but in true rf kuang fashion the ending packed a punch and made me cry 🥲

i might write more later 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Classism, Suicide, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Child abuse

Moderate: Murder, Torture, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Slavery

Minor: Addiction

goldenlake's review against another edition

dark informative 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? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Torture, Violence, Toxic friendship, Racism, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Classism, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Body horror, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Gore, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Grief, Colonisation, and Death

Moderate: Misogyny, Genocide, Drug use, Child abuse, Cursing, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, War, and Sexism

Minor: Deportation, Slavery, Infidelity, and Alcohol

lamoore72's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring 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: Colonisation, Blood, Racism, and War

Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Suicide, Classism, Racial slurs, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Racism, Abandonment, Addiction, Drug use, and Murder

not_asha01's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

Moderate: Grief, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, War, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Blood, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Medical content, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Abandonment, Vomit, Alcohol, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia

Minor: Addiction

lizzie_b99's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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

This book. Wow. Just wow. It's amazing. Make sure you check triggers as needed because this books has A LOT of triggers. I love the reimaging of the Industrial Revolution as powered by silver rather than coal and the focus on how academia is implicated in colonial systems. The ending was so good. I wished for more, but the elisions I think are intentional and are part of Kuang's point. I both have too many thoughts and no thoughts. Be prepared to stay up super late once you get to the latter parts, because you'll need to know how this book ends immediately. I'm going to have to get The Poppy War trilogy ASAP now to read more of Kuang's amazing work. 

Did anyone else see Ramy/Robin's relationship as queer-coded? I'm wondering if part of the reason Ramy doesn't see Letty in a romantic light is because he's queer? (Though to be clear, there are A LOT of reasons why Ramy might not want to be in a relationship with Letty. Like so many). In a lot of passages throughout the novel, but especially Ramy/Robin's instant connection and Robin's response after Ramy's death really made me see their relationship as being more than just a close friendship

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Blood, Body horror, Classism, Death, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Violence, Torture, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Racism, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Genocide, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Gun violence, Sexism, Child death, Alcohol, Addiction, Drug use, War, Classism, Slavery, and Police brutality

Minor: Confinement and Infidelity

chaoticenby's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

I am sitting here after finishing this book, unable to form words and thoughts. The detail of the plot, the amount of research needed, the depth of character emotion and ethics and life. Kuang weaved a brilliant story of colonialism, resistance, history, and (sadly) present.

I am so utterly moved. As a person of color living the current moment in the US (Nov 2023), I cannot help but reflect heavily on how much we continue to fight the same fight for  freedom, for justice, for the end of a colonial empire. This book is not one easily forgotten, as the stories it is based off are not either.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Murder, Violence, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Suicide, Blood, Classism, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Misogyny, and Abandonment