Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

378 reviews

penofpossibilities's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

the first half was incredibly slow paced and at times a drag to get through. If it wasn't for some long train rides with nothing better to do, I would've taken much longer to finish. The last quarter or so was really exciting though! I even got emotional and started crying near the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Racial slurs, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Blood, Sexism, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Cultural appropriation, Ableism, Xenophobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Colonisation, Classism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Hate crime

Moderate: Addiction, Vomit, Islamophobia, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug abuse, Slavery, Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Child death, and War

kspickes's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

A masterpiece. The fantastical elements of the world felt fully integrated into the historical setting and served to even more starkly highlight colonialism’s insatiability. The characters were nuanced and compelling. Though the narrative felt a wee bit didactic in a few places, it was not enough to take me out of the story. It’s certainly not a book that coddles the reader’s feelings and is well worth a reflective read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Racism

Minor: Child death

philososquid's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad slow-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? No

4.0

This book was certainly an adventure. I was very excited to read it, because I love light fantasy, and I love linguistics. When I learned about how magic works in this world, I was so excited. And I loved all the footnotes going into explanations about all the language.

I loved reading about the academic life of Robin and his classmates, and it was so exciting to include the Hermes society in Robin's life. I think RJ Kuang is skilled at world building and describing everything I'm her world clearly (though this is my first book by her). 

I was so excited reading this book, seeing where it would go, but to be honest, that feeling fizzled out at the end. I think the story ended kind of quickly, considering all the build up. Perhaps the first 3/4 of the book could have been condensed, and we could have learned more about the Hermes society

before it was basically blown up, and all the members were killed

. 

Additionally, while I agree it's important to acknowledge the racism that all the characters experience, seeing as most of them are non-white, I feel that the author just beat us over the head with this message. I think I could have gotten the message even if it wasn't explicitly written over and over again how this white character was terribly racist towards this character of color. It just felt juvenile, like the author couldn't trust us to get the message unless she said it very clearly, over and over again. 

I gave the book 4 stars because for the most part, I enjoyed it and was excited to read it. But to be honest, I am disappointed how it ended. Not the plot, per say, but the way it happened, if that makes sense.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, and Racism

nie_fertig's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Babel is like Maus where I believe everyone should read it just for the intense experience and understanding. It's so incredibly wild how different the two acts of the book are, as it starts out pretty calm, although with a definite disturbing undertone (I hated the professor from the beginning for being so manipulative and abusive toward Robin, the main character). It's particularly calm when Robin starts college, makes friends, and studies and learns in his classes (btw kudos to the author for RESEARCHING linguistics omg you'll learn more about the overall study of language from this book then from a 300 level undergrad linguistic college class), but then it slowly comes crashing down and I won't spoil too much, but there's a sudden moment where everything gets extremely dark and Robin and his friends lose everything they've worked for, but I won't say it was their faults--not even Robin's fault--nor will I say losing all their privileges was particularly a bad thing because they escaped the biased, white privileged system where they'll never fully receive respect because they're not white (besides Letty and hoooboy her character and what happens,,,,)
I don't want to spoil anymore, but it's absolutely worth the read and I will say here and now ROBIN X RAMY !!! 🥺🥺🥺

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Murder, Misogyny, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death, Sexism, Colonisation, Drug use, and Death of parent

quinn24's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny informative reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

I am absolutely floored. I was so fucking stressed reading this I had to keep taking breaks and honestly I’m a little pissed at how intelligent R.F. Kuang is. Insane. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Blood, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racism, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Drug use, Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Vomit

mr_ryancowboy's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Xenophobia, Violence, Grief, Racism, Murder, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Misogyny, Blood, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Slavery, and Physical abuse

Minor: Addiction, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Drug use

bellsdixon's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Sexism, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Misogyny, Death, War, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Grief, Emotional abuse, Deportation, Classism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Trafficking, Gun violence, and Gore

adammuly's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Colonisation

Moderate: Violence, Physical abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Cursing

dua_liepard's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

• 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, War, Gun violence, Sexism, and Murder

emlibe's review

dark emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Colonisation, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Trafficking, Racism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Grief, Sexism, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gaslighting, Classism, Death of parent, and Blood

Minor: Suicidal thoughts