Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

65 reviews

kellieisreading's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and War

georgiataylor's review

adventurous challenging dark informative sad tense medium-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

4.0

Clever concept and plot but a bit heavy handed

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt

stephhaigreads's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Trafficking, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

nerdlingsquid's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

This book made me feel so many feelings. At no point did I know what was going to happen next. <3

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Murder

sleepybythelake's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

Well, friends... it's almost 2 am and I did cry a little. I think I need at least a night's sleep to collect my thoughts.
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
As a linguistic and cultural mediation major myself, I was intrigued by the premise of this book and lots of things explained were concepts I was taught. I love to get to know the etymology of words, it is something that fascinates me.
I read this in translation, and as the translator pointed out before the beginning of the story, I knew some parts wouldn't give the original justice, but after all translation is always an act of betrayal in a way or another, so I knew what I was getting myself into. That said, I have seen some parts in English and although by the time I finished the book I knew I wanted to read it again, to understand some passages better, I also realised that that rereading will have to be done in English.

Storywise it had its ups and downs.  Sometimes things would drag on more than necessary and as someone else said, this book does indeed feel like a 'tell rather than show'. I can't really say I related to the characters 100% (though is that really that relevant? Perhaps not) and sometimes they felt flat. There is definitely something missing.

I was torn between giving this 4.25 or 4.5. For now I will leave it at 4.5, upon a reread I might change my mind.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Xenophobia and Classism

Minor: Slavery, Suicide attempt, and War

kaeschwalber's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful fast-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

Dark academia historical fiction about colonization. Thesis: no one is free until everyone is. Clever, concise, and incredibly well informed. One of the best books about translation in existence. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Suicide attempt, and War

Minor: Sexual harassment

mishasbooks's review

dark mysterious 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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Islamophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

yzer2468's review

dark informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Blood, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Genocide, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Religious bigotry, and Gaslighting

emsavors's review

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

allys_shelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation