Reviews tagging 'Deportation'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

78 reviews

lipka's review against another edition

emotional sad tense 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

It is "a thematic response to The Secret History, and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell." 

I think my favorite was the fluttering. ᜋᜌ᜔ ᜉᜃ᜔ᜉᜃ᜔ ᜀᜅ᜔ ᜊᜎᜒᜆ. It ends only as it ever could. The audiobook narration is beautiful. The protagonist's voice ages and breaks. Please send birds.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Minor: Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

In the second half of the book, sinophobic slurs are weaponized against characters, several times.

millerkg9's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious 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

Easily one of the most important books ever written. Kuang managed to convey the intersecting dangers and conflicts of various types of privilege clearly without being patronizing or repetitive, making this an impressively valuable read for anyone, regardless of background. The characters and world building are carefully, beautifully constructed, and the plot and pacing are basically perfect. Absolutely brilliant, in every conceivable way. 

Only complaint I really have is that we don’t actually see the repercussions of

Babel falling.

They’re strongly implied/theorized of course, but I would’ve like to see them on the page. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism and Deportation

forced deportation is explicitly and implicitly threatened throughout the novel, but not actually acted upon as far as I remember.

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: Racism, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, and Classism

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

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

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

lilly24's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

A beautiful book, in and out. Loved it. Let you staring at the wall

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism, and Deportation

yzer2468's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Blood, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting

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

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

Minor: Infidelity, Slavery, Alcohol, and Deportation

allys_shelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation

uranaishi's review against another edition

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Torture, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and 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, and Pandemic/Epidemic

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

tasarla's review against another edition

adventurous challenging inspiring 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? No

5.0

If you liked the poppy wars you’ll like this as there are many parallels. It’s a very challenging book & goes in depth about things like colonialism, slavery, racism etc so it’s one of those books you have to be in the mood for but it’s SO good. It really enlightened me on the subject of translation, which I hadn’t really thought much of before. Overall highly reccomend

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic