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fckastel's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Murder, and War
haskapberries'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
4.5
harrowing, devastating and beautiful portrait of a complex and traumatized girl. at times funny!! Didn’t shy away from the bleak and dark parts of war.
I’d say the best part of the book was somewhere around the middle. Near the end, it felt like I was being overly spoonfed the point it was trying to make, (I.e. “war bad”, “racism bad” which like yes of course) and it became so graphic that I felt nauseous. Not for the weak stomachs.
Although I will say that
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
pmaan0613'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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War
maddiiec's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The amount of suffering and trigger warnings in this book was a little much (see content warning list below) - although I know that it’s the point of the book and important to the world and characters.
RF Kuang has made strides in her prose and writing since The Poppy War (I adore Babel). I’m going to finish this series but I don’t think I would reach for this book again.
Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Classism
nmfigueroa's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Genocide, Slavery, Grief, Murder, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy
lalastitch's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Very intense trigger warnings. The second half of the book gets really intense, so read with carekris_tea516's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
freya_h's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and War
Moderate: Racism
whoisnyah's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
random spoiler notes:
- I cried reading this book.
- There is parallels to real life war in this book
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Murder, and War
ringofkeyz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
while the tonal shift between parts i and ii was jarring, it felt necessary in terms of story-telling. upon reading part i, you assume that you're in for a more magical/martial arts focused schooling story; something where the education aspect is the primary focus. when part ii hits, you're IMMEDIATELY thrust onto the frontlines of the war and kuang does not hold back. the tone immediately becomes gruesome and dark, almost unexpectedly so. however, this works narratively because it mirrors the experience of the protagonist, rin, in the novel. there is no lead-up, no warning to the prompt arrival of pillaging, murder, r*pe, and bloodshed for the reader because there is no warning for that in real life. while it was definitely off-putting at the start, in hindsight it not only makes sense but also feels necessary in order for kuang to accomplish what she set out to write.
the book was incredibly well-written, the world-building sucked me into the story immediately, and the downfall of rin's morality has me eager to read the second book.
it just needs to be said to incoming readers that this book is dark, gruesome, and describes the perils of war in extremely vivid detail to the point where i had to put the book down and walk away before picking it back up because it made me nauseous.
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Racism, Slavery, Grief, and Medical trauma
Minor: Infertility, Excrement, and Colonisation