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_polaris_'s review against another edition
- 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
It challenged me, touched me deeply and is so well structured and written.
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Slavery and Grief
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use
senga15's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Confinement, Drug abuse, and Drug use
Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, and Car accident
majorbeardo's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Racism, Sexism, and Colonisation
Minor: Torture and Violence
princess_azula's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Blood, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Sexism, Islamophobia, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jetpackdracula's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide, and Death of parent
haleytaryn's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Colonisation
klarapd's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, and Death of parent
katherineshawwrites's review
- 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? No
5.0
If you're going into Babel expecting a high fantasy dark academia story, you're going to be disappointed, but if you go in with an open mind, you'll get a fascinating, powerful and tragic take on the magic of languages, alongside the horror and injustice of colonialism and racism.
With this story, R F Kuang delivers a gripping and moving narrative that's steeped in history, and her academic experience in language really shines through not only within the plot itself, but in all the wonderfully crafted notes that accompany the text. It gives the book an academic rigour you rarely see in fiction whilst never losing sight of the story.
Some of the hard-hitting commentary around the British Empire (and similar colonial nations) and its amoral actions can be tough to swallow, but isn't that the point? R F Kuang pulls no punches, and I love her for that. The characters show us through their own lenses, backgrounds and personal storylines what atrocities have been committed in the name of imperialism, economic growth and capitalistic greed, and right now I think we all need to be reminded of that.
Despite its academic nature, the book is full of twists and turns, a great deal of tension, and rising stakes right until the very end, and I was flying through the final pages to see how it would all end for Robin. R F Kuang's writing is superb throughout, and I would highly recommend this to anyone unafraid of some hard truths and powerful storytelling.
Graphic: Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Islamophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
raitherabbit's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicide, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism and Abandonment
prettieststar's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Racial slurs and Sexism
Minor: Physical abuse