Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

352 reviews

thereadingmarshmallow's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Death of parent, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Ableism, Child death, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Slavery, Torture, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Animal death, Blood, Colonisation, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Cursing, Dysphoria, Drug use, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, War, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt

zweinst's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, War, Torture, Medical trauma, Xenophobia, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Violence, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

paperbacksandsnacks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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? Yes

5.0

This is one of the most complex books I’ve ever read, but because of that I couldn’t possibly give it anything less than 5⭐️. The writing was STUNNING. The talent pouring from these pages is honestly mind blowing! 

 I did find this book dense and slightly challenging. But not because of how it was written, I think the story was told wonderfully and clearly, I just had to re read parts as there is A LOT of information to take on board. So this is definitely a book that requires focus. 

The characters are all super complex. You’re constantly battling conflicting feelings for them and whether you agree with the way they’re conducting themselves. The elements of mystery and the curiosity it invokes in the reader is super clever. 

 I enjoyed the few (small) moments of humour and thought they did break up the heaviness well. Because take this as a warning, this book is HEAVY. It is a story spanning years that are filled with violence, war, fighting and so many horrors. 

Whilst a beautifully written tale, it is not the fun fantasies we may be used to. It is no ACOTAR, and you will need to enter this having read the content warnings. It is a real and vividly honest depiction of war, interwoven with friendships, found family, and fantastical/magical elements. 

If you’re in the market for a new fantasy to get your teeth stuck into, with a complex world and story then this might just be for you. But I would advise protecting yourself against the very harsh content and only reading if you feel safe to do so. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Bullying, Murder, Physical abuse, War, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Racism, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts

tinyplanet's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Blood, Misogyny, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Murder, Self harm, Sexism, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Hate crime, Violence, Addiction, Body horror, War, Physical abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Rape, Suicide, Infertility, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Classism, and Alcohol

Minor: Abortion, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Excrement, Ableism, Fatphobia, and Sexual content

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Body horror, Classism, Death, Addiction, Violence, War, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Xenophobia, Torture, Medical content, Drug use, Confinement, and Racism

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Bullying, Child abuse, Rape, Suicide, Colonisation, Animal death, Grief, Slavery, Child death, and Sexual violence

Minor: Pedophilia, Self harm, Alcohol, Infertility, Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Excrement

saraellington_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Genocide, Violence, Blood, War, Rape, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Colonisation

Moderate: Self harm and Medical trauma

lydia203's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Vomit, War, Violence, Cursing, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Classism, Body shaming, Torture, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Toxic friendship, Slavery, Animal death, Terminal illness, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Blood, Body horror, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Confinement, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

alyxbeau's review against another edition

challenging 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I'm having a hard time goving this a rating.

The sheer brutality of the second half of this book is nuts. Im not sure if I'm really up for a series that is bound to have increasing levels of this kind of horrific war atrocities. 
There were parts of this book that I loved, and characters that I loved. I thought it was well written and so well done, but whether I want to actually spend my time reading about what I think is coming is a whole seperate question.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Eating disorder, Bullying, Body horror, Sexual violence, War, Toxic friendship, Torture, Xenophobia, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Racism, Emotional abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Child death, Addiction, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Sexual assault, Death, Rape, Blood, Drug use, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Infertility, Gore, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement

jukebox1168's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

The book was somewhat dry. Run sees some terrible things and I never felt like she connected emotionally with what was happening. At times it felt like a list of things instead of the terrible things she witnessed. As this was a debut novel and Babel was so good, I will be reading the rest of the series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Animal cruelty, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Religious bigotry, Gore, Addiction, Body horror, Classism, Medical content, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Suicide, Drug abuse, Genocide, Murder, Sexual violence, Self harm, Blood, and War

shottel's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? Yes

5.0

I thought the hype over The Poppy War was probably unwarranted. I was wrong. If you can handle the visceral horror of the second half - without spoiling anything, it gets really dark - this is a must-read. Set in a fictional world heavily based on the interwar period, it takes heavily from the Second Sino-Japanese War, a topic western audiences are less likely to be familiar with. This gives it an unfamiliar, original touch even as it enjoyably uses well-established character types and tropes. It’s a great time - again, if you can get past situations that outstrip the darker parts of Game of Thrones.

The book rests on two interconnected themes. The first: The horrors that occur when humans think they are bigger and more important than they actually are. The second: The line between justice and revenge, and the consequences of pursuing the latter. These themes are explored through bigotry in the form of racism, classism, and sexism (primarily in the first half) and total war (primarily in the second half). It strikes a masterful balance between being too subtle and too outright as the story plays out and revolves around these themes. Neither preachy nor cryptic.

I recommend this book to any fiction reader who can handle the all-too-real depictions of human-inflicted atrocities. [If you’re on the edge, I attempted to be as thorough as I could with my content warnings attached to this review. This is one of the few times I’d actually recommend checking content warnings prior to reading a book.]

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Genocide, Child death, Murder, Physical abuse, Addiction, Torture, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Classism, Body horror, Confinement, Bullying, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, War, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Grief, Infertility, Excrement, and Pedophilia

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcohol, and Vomit