Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

88 reviews

rotten_flesh's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-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: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War

uranaishi's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Child death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Car accident, War, Deportation

shlymiller's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This is a great read, a fascinating magic system, and an intriguing storyline. It’s also a hard, heavy read. I’m glad I read it, but be prepared to leave brain space for heavy, real themes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Confinement, Alcohol

hannah_beth_charles's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional 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

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I love how the author infused history and magic seamlessly. Translation in silver working and its role in colonization was so smart and that struggle the non-white translation students have with having privilege that other POCs don't have and deciding to either use it and lose your prestigious position or being part of the system and deciding to ignore apart of yourself to be accepted by the white man. I learnt so much about the inner workings of colonization and how truly connected the countries that England exploited are. As a South African, I know about England's colonization in my country, but I hadn't really thought about the others places. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War

tifftastic87's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-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

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This is a strong recommendation for complex world building, deep characters, analysis of colonialism, racism and sexism and their inherent ties to academia and the British Empire. It was brutal in its evisceration of both academia and the British Empire, but beautifully written and thoroughly researched. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, Sexism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War

anxieteaandbiscuits12's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Colonisation, War, Classism

Moderate: Hate crime, Torture, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent

thebankofbooks's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Torture, Fire/Fire injury

jelliestars's review against another edition

2.0

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

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

scmiller's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

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Content Warnings

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

griffin_7's review against another edition

5.0

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

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation