Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

1780 reviews

micahhhh20's review against another edition

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

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I loved the book from start until the last like 20 pages. I know it’s kind of the point throughout Rin’s maturation to realize what the world really is like but I’m disappointed in her decisions and her coping mechanisms which she explicitly said several times throughout the story that she would not succumb to. The ending gave Denaerys Targaryen in the worst way possible. Still one of my favorite reads of the year though 😇

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, Murder, Colonisation, and War

9brightshiners's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a dark, unflinchingly violent trilogy but the characters nestled close to my heart and won't let go. Even on my third reading I'm still on the edge of my seat watching everything unfold and wishing it could be different this time. The love, camaraderie, grief, horror, and rage leap from the page. Despite the fantastic nature of this world it is grounded in true atrocities and historical events which makes it all the more gut wrenchingly human. The addition of mythological creatures and gods adds to the beauty and terror herein. Emily Woo Zeller's audiobook narration of Rebecca Kuang's incredible writing is an act of true alchemy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

While this is fantasy set in a different world than our own it is at least partially based on real world atrocities and contains extremely explicit descriptions of violence, gore, torture, rape, desecration of corpses, war, use of opium and other drugs, fire/fire injuries, genocide, dehumanization, and medical experimentation on unwilling humans. There are graphic descriptions of child and infant death and forced abortion. There are also instances of animal cruelty and death.

bearowl's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.0

A well written story focused on unlikeable people driven by horrible circumstances based on even worse history. The text all but glorifies atrocities and does nothing to present the main character as one you’d want to continue following. A friend has said the series has a pay off, and I hope it’s true because the quality of the writing does not save how unrepentantly dark this story is.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Violence, Xenophobia, and War

emsavors's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

youraveragewarlock's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

sab7800's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Suicide

camifestari's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

Ok. So definitely a loooot of trigger warnings..

This was fun, very hard to read at times, very cruel, but super readable!
Definitely would recommend if you can stomach it~

The writing tough.. I don't know, something felt off. Like she would say something and later that was not actually the case, and the again, and it happended too many times throughout the book for my taste. Maybe it has a reason why? dk.
Also, like.. I don't think I really know what she is trying to convey with these books, but I guess I'll have to wait to finish the series!
Solid 4 stars!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Slavery

lorepanda's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Rape

freyajhugroo's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Reading this book feels like you are getting slapped in the face repeatedly. The first half you get slapped every 30 pages or so and then in the last half every ten and then every page. I will be reading the sequel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War

m4ximus_pr1m3's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative 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

If you hate Japan for what they did in the second-sino Japanese war. This is definitely going to solidify your hatred.  😭

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail