Reviews tagging 'Fire/Fire injury'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

96 reviews

elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-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? Yes

I can’t even give this book a review. Heartbreaking. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Child death, Drug abuse, Gore, Terminal illness, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide and Vomit

winonareads's review

dark emotional informative reflective 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

4.0

Kuang hasn't disappointed me yet, and this book is no exception. The audiobook was told in a truly captivating way. This book had a slow and detailed progression where each detail built up to a magnificent story that explores colonization and power. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

findingnobody's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-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

3.5

Overall a solid read, there was some amazingly written character work, and the research added a good but of depth to the book. The back half of the book had some issues with feeling artificial, especially the political discussion felt contrived at times, but still had many good parts.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

chloemakesbooks's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

Devastating. Clever. Awesome. Irritating. Absolutely one of the best books I've ever read. All the possible plot holes and character foibles can't take away from the world building, masterful construction, and conceptual prowess. Achingly confrontational, righteous, and disappointing. I have several critiques (slow start, Letty... Just Letty, Robin was fairly boring, killing off characters, heavy handed ending, anachronisms, some lack of device clarity) but I can't argue with choices that were clearly made thoughtfully, intentionally, to serve and make her point so masterfully. I think this is actually magical realism, not fantasy, and I loved the footnotes. Injected some much needed humor and self-deprecation/meta-commentary. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexism, Torture, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Addiction, Child death, Drug use, Gun violence, and Fire/Fire injury

alixlowe's review

challenging dark 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? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

_marycappiello3's review

challenging dark emotional informative 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

seforaflorian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

feliscatusnum_1's review

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Mentions all things surrounding colonialism after the US independence, Haiti revolution, and during the opium war.

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

---

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