Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

464 reviews

confused_cat's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.25

 Ok, this is going to be a long review… 

• First, I love the concept, I was so excited when I started the book. This book is well written, researched and the author captured the feeling of being marginalised very well.
• The author spent a long time on world-building, discussions about language, and the silver working ( “silver+translation = magic” ). This book is great if you are into etymology. For me personally, these parts are way too long and hard to read.
• I am into plot and characters, so I was bored for quite a good portion of the book. When there is plot, the pacing is so quick, too quick even. E.g.
  death of Prof. Lovell
  . The first half of the book felt so slow for me - I was so happy when Robin was
  shot
  … I thought, here comes the action.. but then they all went back to school and it was back to language discussion for a few chapters again.
• There was not enough time spent on characters at all. We were told that Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty are best friends but we were not shown their daily life and interactions. Most of their interactions were mostly for author to showcase racism, how bad colonialism was, and how clueless Letty (the representative of white women) was towards her friends plights.
• There are just so many things that could be expanded.
  How could Robin turned to Hermes so easily at the beginning? How Letty betrayed everyone so quickly? What's going through Lovell's mind most of the time? Are Ramy and Robin queer?
    The ending chapters were so quick too. I wanted to read more about character's internal conflicts more, dammit.
• I am still not sure what the author's intention of the book. Who is this book written for? What does the author want to say? Does she want to remind us how bad colonialism was? How countries (esp China) have dealt with so much injustice? That violence is necessary for change? 
• As a mixed race person, the racism felt too close to home and very uncomfortable to read too.

I can see why this book is so popular. But it is just not for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Colonisation, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

Minor: Abandonment

passionatereader78's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious 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? No

4.5

If you like political fantasy stories this book is perfect for you! If you enjoyed Yellowface, and Atlas Six you will enjoy this book. It's well written and the story is told well. Robin, Remy, Victoire, and Letty are minorities at Oxford University.  They are translators and are in the Babel tower. They stick together because they have no one else. They aren't invited to the parties or to go to town. They each face discrimination daily. As they study and spend time at Babel they begin to accept their fates until they meet Griffin and learn about Hermes. Are they strong enough to face the truth about Babel and the part they play? Definitely, check out the trigger warnings!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, Gun violence, Infidelity, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Slavery, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, and War

snail_reading_on_a_mushroom's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Suicide, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, Racism, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Xenophobia, and Violence

moanareads's review against another edition

dark informative reflective tense 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Slavery, War, Colonisation, Racism, Toxic friendship, Torture, Sexism, Murder, Death of parent, and Child abuse

hagwife's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

Babel is all at once one of the most precise novels I've ever read and also one of the most tumultuous – precise and exact in the storytelling, the construction, and of the violence of colonialism and tumultuous in how the cohort of Robin, Remy, Victoire, and Letty have to navigate the spaces in which the reside. It is a stunning work, wrought in marvelous detail, scathing truths, beautiful relationships, and heartbreaking depictions of the choices anyone who is not in the majority must make to survive, let alone thrive, in the face of overwhelming abuse. And it is also a love letter to language, to meaning, to one's personal history, and to using those to form connection.

For anyone looking for another deep-dive into an alternate history that weaves magic and does not pull its punches, I recommend Dan Vyleta's Smoke. To anyone looking for the headlong rush of adventure and an unapologetic, vicious love letter to a place and its peoples, N.K. Jemisin's The Great Cities duology is the way to go.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, and Child abuse

Moderate: Grief, Death, Emotional abuse, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Sexual assault and Toxic friendship

nithyuh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.5

r f kuang’s writing is a form of art

Sorry to the people in the library today who saw me physically and verbally reacting to the end of Babel

would’ve probably started crying if my parents didn’t start talking to me while i was reading the last chapter

would’ve been 5 stars but didn’t get THAT one feeling

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Violence, Racism, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, and Death

Minor: Kidnapping and Physical abuse

mollyelyn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Suicide, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction and Drug use

Minor: Alcohol and Blood

awildeasriel's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, Torture, Child abuse, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Death, Racism, Misogyny, Murder, and Slavery

Minor: Grief, Alcoholism, Classism, and Religious bigotry

scytheria's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative 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

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

megnut'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? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This book is not for everyone.

It's philosophical about languages and tactics of struggle... while also anchoring them all in (modified) history.

There's a lot going on, but it's one I'd like to read again to really consider what is shared. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Grief, Racism, Sexism, and Torture

Moderate: Alcohol, Colonisation, Drug use, Racial slurs, War, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts