Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

129 reviews

carefulfearanddeaddevotion's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-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? No

4.25

 Excellently written and researched, loved the footnotes, but, and I hate to say it, I docked points for petty reasons.

As soon as Ramy and Robin met, I was like “don’t be a coward and make them gay”. Instead, she fucking killed Ramy (well, I guess she killed them both). I almost DNFd because of this. And like, ok, she did throw in that line on the last page about Robin falling in love. And like, ok, it was obvious (to me) that they were more than platonic besties the whole time. And like, ok, there was no explicit romance, het or otherwise, in the book. But still, if you’re not gonna let them kiss, at least don’t kill them 🥲. like yes, whatever, romantic tragedy, my love dies I go on a grief fueled rampage whatever whatever. Letty Price, you incel ass, you better not let me catch you in these streets.

Was really disappointed that, given the parallels between Griffin’s cohort and Robin’s, she chose to take Letty in the same direction as Evie. I think it would have been more subversive if Letty DIDNT betray them literally two pages after we found out Evie did the same.

Ok, maybe this is childish (I did say I docked points for petty reasons!), but DAMN, did she have to kill everyyyyyone what the fuck. I feel like she lost her thesis at times? It was difficult to understand the point she was trying to make. IS violent rebellion the only solution or no? IS martyrdom as a way to get the (white) man to take you seriously valid/fair or no? Maybe I just lack reading comprehension skills, but if most of your characters are dead by the last chapter of your book, their sacrifice painted as the only path to success, but you are ambiguous about the outcome AND the character you leave alive was the most levelheaded and logical, what am I supposed to believe about the necessity of violence?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Drug use, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Car accident

isha_p0702's review

DNF at 50%. This book is tedious and repetitive and i do not like any of the character work here either. This book should also not be a fantasy. If anything it is magical realism and a little of that. It also has a ton of historical imaccuracies and i can’t seem to get through another 300 pages with how the author hammers for the 1000th time how colonisation is bad and no white people can be actual allies. I also felt bad for how Letty was treated throughout the book by the other 3 main characters. Will get back to it after some time and give a full review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Slavery, Death of parent, and Abandonment

kri_29's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

ford_defect's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, and Abandonment

Minor: Islamophobia, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

jester_k's review against another edition

challenging dark informative

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Hate crime, and Racism

saraverboom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction and Child abuse

eefjeee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Islamophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Car accident

nanditha14's review

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Grief, Colonisation, and Classism

bakerindale's review

dark emotional 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

5.0

An act of translation is always an act of betrayal. Of the text, of the speaker and of yourself. 

Translate, traduire, tłumaczyć

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual harassment

delaneybarry's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.75

This book seems to be well researched and R.F. Kuang writes skillfully. However, while the story is compelling, it does at times feel like an exceptionally long lecture on etymology and colonization more so than a historical fantasy. The footnotes, a novel in their own right, are also a hefty weight to bear. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic