Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

703 reviews

endlessallison's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring 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

This book is so relevant to today and captures the perspectives of both the colonizers and the colonized on such beautifully blunt painful ways I truly believe everyone should read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

This is a book of fiction that uses a slightly fantastical element of silver/magic to be a placeholder for any and all resources valuable to an empire. It deals with sexism, racism, colonization, revolution, workers revolt, strikes, rebellions, war, academia, and more. Within those topics there are really heavy pieces of content but it is handled tactfully and effectively to convey a message to look at the world today through the lens of this narrative.

erebus53's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

I do like the concept of the translation magic used in this story, but it feels a little flawed. The word-nerding dark academia feel reminded me a bit of Anathem by Neal Stephenson, only a little less insular. This is a really interesting infrastructure horror story, exploring ideas of Empire, Colonization, and extraction, and the inevitable collapse of systems that are dependent on one main monopolised resource.

There is a lot going on in this book, and balancing the world building and the characterisation seems to have been a major challenge. Hard, complex and uncomfortable things happen, which gives it less of a YA vibe that it starts out feeling like.

If I loved the characters and the setting more I think I would have rated it very highly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Slavery, Xenophobia, Murder, and War

aidamaria_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

This is a literary middle finger to colonialism, capitalism, racism, classism, sexism and all the other -isms, basically. I admire the way the author came up with the magic system (as a former translation student, it was truly amazing) and how it plays into the historical setting. The writing was wonderful. I wonder how long we’ve got until some government(s) bans this book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Classism

snowiceblackfruit77's review

dark emotional informative sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

theglossreview's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Sexual assault, Slavery, and Torture

Minor: Excrement and Vomit

crusoe's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.75

Can't give this the full 5 stars because I could not connect well to the characters but in every other regard I adore this book! From the slow world-building to a fantastic climactic end; everything lines up. Every character has their own motivations, even the sidecharacters and that breathes real life into the story. It feels like there is much under the surface that can be revealed at a second read. 

As someone who was once ensnared in the claws of academia, the way this story weaves theory with history and critique of the institution was quite nice. 

Can't wait to read more in the dark academia subgenre of 'WTF RICHARD?!'

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, and Alcohol

spaceykate's review against another edition

challenging dark informative 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

This story & stylistic approach to sharing language / historical notes in footnotes appealed to me greatly, and the Les Mis nature towards the end - students, standing against an oppressive national force - strikes an impressive chord. Loved the book. Makes me passionate about linguistics again, of sharing knowledge, of civic engagement. Fairly certain this will continue to resonate with me in the days to come. 

I found it fascinating at the end, where Victoire remembers her friends in their last moments & Robin, in his, thinks fondly back to better times. It speaks to each of their motivations for how they close out the story. I’m pleased it ended with Victoire, in giving her character a true chance to be free from the narrative she was shackled to by manner of circumstance, and able to fight for the freedom of others in her way. Robin, much like Griffin, burned too bright and too fast to be the hearth that was needed for the next stage of their revolution. Victoire was the anchor, the pièce de résistance to keep that concept moving forward.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail

ellanarose's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation

j_ups's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

I think I don’t really “get it” as much as I should but that is definitely the fault of sitting in the same spot for two hours finishing the last 20% of this. I feel so foggy right now. I still think this is a really important book with a lot to say. I loved the quotes at the start of each chapter that related to the content. Overall it reminded me of a mix of The Secret History and Harry Potter.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia

Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, and War

end3225's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Child abuse