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samugranjo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Classism, Murder, Grief, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Toxic friendship, War, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Sexism
Minor: Confinement, Alcohol, Blood, Addiction, and Genocide
bookish_5280's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Murder, Violence, Toxic friendship, Slavery, and Colonisation
Moderate: Classism, Sexism, Violence, and Misogyny
Minor: Child abuse and Islamophobia
ka_cam's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Bullying, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Grief, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Hate crime, Torture, Murder, Racial slurs, Addiction, Death, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Misogyny, Violence, and Classism
Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Pandemic/Epidemic, Slavery, and War
bilal_shumuus's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, War, Self harm, Torture, Colonisation, Death of parent, Genocide, Child abuse, Grief, Murder, Classism, Infidelity, Death, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Blood, Police brutality, Abandonment, Addiction, Islamophobia, and Pandemic/Epidemic
teddie_valetine98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Still a five star read that needs to be read at least once.
Graphic: Misogyny, Islamophobia, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, War, Violence, Sexism, Gun violence, Hate crime, Grief, Emotional abuse, Death, and Colonisation
scytheria's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Death of parent, Grief, Sexism, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: War, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Violence, Trafficking, Suicide, and Slavery
Minor: Toxic friendship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child death, Police brutality, and Islamophobia
savvy999's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Xenophobia, Murder, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Colonisation, and Racism
Moderate: Islamophobia, Slavery, and Torture
koiolee's review against another edition
- 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
I love how symbolic the book is, and how soon the events are foreshadowed. This is an incredibly literary book. This book is about language and the nuances between languages and it challenges the space between language so masterfully. This book tackles the art of writing, translation, and the life beneath what is seen. And we haven't even got to the actual plot and story contents.
Each character felt fully fleshed out and incredibly real. Oh my boy Ramy, poor Ramy. Robin, the main character, makes so many mistakes in all the best ways. I love how he overanalyzes every opportunity he's given, weighing the pros and cons only to uncharacteristically act on emotion and impulse, the very thing he's been taught not to do. In a book where words are everything, Robin tends to give himself away in his mind, yet never quite says the words that give away what he truly means. Victoire and Ramy probably had the best setup to be the best revolutionaries. They had their brains and wits about them, and the ability to rally the crowd, but Robin was the best choice they could've made. Robin was the one with the most and least self-control, and they bet on that. Victoire is the moral compass of the group and they all respect that. Ramy a fearless leader. Letty was the unfortunate sacrifice they needed to make. The one who couldn't hear what the world truly looked like, what didn't confirm what she knew about her world. Robin described her best, if she couldn't have the world, no one could have it. To be loved is to be heard, and she was deaf to their pleas.
As for the story, it's very neatly organized and linear, there were the climaxes that have you on the edge of your seat mixed with the wonderful lulls of normality. I felt like I was with them with the way Kuang described their second and third years. It reminded me starkly of my third and fourth years respectively (and the fallout that occurred around that time as well), it's good to know that it's a common experience (minus revolution of course).
My only qualm thus far is that all the villains are white people. We could've realistically had some brown people turn their backs on their own like what happens in real life, and given how realistically based this story is, I'm surprised there were no brown traitors. I guess you could say that Robin filled that role actually, but he came back so?
The Dark Academia I was looking for to satisfy the itch fr.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexism, Colonisation, Abandonment, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, Murder, Death, Classism, Gore, Xenophobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism
Moderate: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Suicide, Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Gun violence
teabrewer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Classism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Torture, and Racism
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Islamophobia, Medical content, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Slavery, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Trafficking, War, and Genocide
wheatlyre's review against another edition
I have enjoyed it so far, with a couple parts in particular sticking out to me, especially [spoiler cw:
Graphic: Child abuse, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Confinement, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Classism, Misogyny, Islamophobia, Terminal illness, and Colonisation
Minor: Trafficking and Slavery
all content warnings mentioned were put in intentionally by the author and are seen clearly to be character flaws or problematic.