Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

673 reviews

kredeprnz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

Absolutely incredible. 

It was hard to get into at first, people don't lie when they say it's slow and sometimes reads like a textbook, but after the first quarter it drew me in and I couldn't escape.

The things I originally disliked (character driven, historical context, footnotes) became my favorite parts. I found myself so attached to each of the characters and wrapped into their stories. 

As the story progressed you really grew with it, at least I did. Of course, a lot of the lessons I knew, but hearing them from a far more raw perspective was heartbreaking and eye opening at the same time. Looking now at the world we live in today, Babel is less fantasy than we think. The only magical thing about it is that the silver transforms, that is about it. Much of the basis of this book rang true during the time period, and still today. 

The world building is amazing. The characters are so lovable (and hate able) and complex all around. They felt raw and real. 

I'm so happy I picked up Babel, and it surpassed every expectation. Amazing. Truly, no words exist in the English language to explain my love for this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Medical content, Murder, Alcohol, and Deportation

rainbeauregard's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence

Moderate: Child abuse and Violence

Letty when I fucking get you, Letty

sherny's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated

4.75

This book should be taught in high school curriculum, right next to 1984 and Fahrenheit 451. It features a dystopian world very similar to our own at the height of the British empire. It covers topics such as racism, classism, colonialism, workers rights, woman’s rights, and more. The way it talks about these topics is insightful and well informed, while also being interesting and mirroring our world while also relying on the twist that makes this world different. It has queer characters, though they are not out given the time period. It could be listed as scifi/fantasy, but is more historical fiction with a twist.  Highly recommend as a read for white woman to understand intersectionality. 

Only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because it contributes to the literary trope of queer people not surviving

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, and Torture

Minor: Addiction, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and War

jffgldblm90s's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

kathrynwi11's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

oneqdprnjoy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

This is a great commentary on colonialism, white supremacy, and internalized racism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Islamophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War

booksthatburn's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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: Death, Racism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Child death, Excrement, and Deportation

sophielillybeth's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

vitoriaemi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective fast-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

Reading this book felt like a slap on the face, a punch on the mouth and a kick on the stomach

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, War, and Deportation

lizzyjean's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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

I thought I had cried while reading before. I thought I’d felt the grief and sadness and emotion that the characters were feeling and mourned for them, but the sobbing that took over me while reading Babel was something I’ve never experienced before while reading. I genuinely went through all 5 stages of grief (still working on acceptance) and had to close the book on multiple occasions because I couldn’t bear to read one more word. This book was a beautiful and heartbreaking story, and I cannot recommend it enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Child abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, Gaslighting, and Alcohol