Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

56 reviews

amalas_bookstop's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-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? Yes

3.75

So the second book was battle after battle after battle. I really enjoyed the comedic relief parts between friends and I kind of wish this book had more of that. It seemed like this book was full throttle without a break. I would have gladly had less battle scenes for more friendship building. I honestly might feel more connected to the characters. 

However, she does have me still intrigued on how this war ends. I am glad this ended with Rin with some backbone. She got a little annoying to me throughout most of this book. But I totally get character development. 

I am looking forward to reading the last one! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug abuse, Animal death, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Classism, Abandonment, Colonisation, Genocide, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Death, Mental illness, Addiction, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, War, Cannibalism, Child death, Confinement, Gaslighting, Murder, Body horror, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Rape, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

cybeleflame's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Gore, Medical trauma, Genocide, Classism, Physical abuse, Murder, War, Drug use, Cursing, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, and Child death

blyberry345's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Addiction, Classism, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, War, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Rape, Violence, Racism, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Child death, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Abortion, Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Gore, and Blood

johnathanwet's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I have so much praise for this book but I just finished it and cannot get my thoughts in order yet.

Absolutely phenomenal read. Don’t think I’ve ever read a book that was just so difficult to get through, the brutality is next level.

For later:
- historical context
- bodily autonomy 
- substance abuse 
- reality of war 

I will come back once I’ve finished reeling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Child death, Death, Grief, Religious bigotry, Classism, Colonisation, Pregnancy, and Gore

tariana's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

The only reason I am not giving 5 stars is because from 20 to 60% of the book it was sooooo slow, too much details about sword fights, military strategies, extensive descriptions, which must be great for those that understand it and are into it, but for me it was boring, it was like the story was stuck. The whole thing happened in less than a year for the characters but for me it was like an eternity. In spite of that, the whole book is amazing. At two different moments I had to hold my tears, I have ene highlighted the passages. They were:
62%: “Rin… what am I going to do?”
88%: I heard what you did to that Hesperian soldier.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, War, Xenophobia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Racism, Self harm, Colonisation, Alcoholism, Addiction, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, and Forced institutionalization

akashapaulina's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Abortion, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Murder, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, and Death

swilko's review

challenging dark emotional 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

R.F. Kuang has proved the sentiment that ‘sequels are always worse’ completely wrong. This book was so good that I was left feeling PHYSICALLY ILL by the end and completely traumatised…

The second book of the trilogy is better than the first, but they are most definitely both 5 stars. 

I hate and love Nezha. I am obsessed with Kitay. Daji? DAJI?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Cursing, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Death, Genocide, Medical trauma, Addiction, Body horror, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Blood, Confinement, Grief, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Gore, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Sexism, Gun violence, Drug use, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War

potion96's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Violence, War, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Addiction, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Ableism, Colonisation, Rape, Animal death, Misogyny, Alcohol, Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Panic attacks/disorders

alex_salamander's review

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first book but that's not a fault of the writing at all and more personal preferences on how I like character motivation set up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Sexism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, War, Addiction, Body horror, Death of parent, Genocide, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Alcohol, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Classism, Gun violence, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic friendship, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Excrement, Animal cruelty, Alcoholism, and Bullying

Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, and Cannibalism

brynalexa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

It was an odd experience to want to know what’s going to happen next but also despise almost every decision made by every character. There were SO many battles that it got muddy in the middle.  Trying to remember which battle they were referring to later made the book tricky to follow at times. I think that experience would be different reading it in print. I’m excited to see where the third book takes the story… hopefully to some moral evolution but also revolution. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Misogyny, Torture, Toxic friendship, Slavery, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Blood, Child death, Animal death, Classism, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, War, Xenophobia, Body horror, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Drug use, and Sexual assault

Minor: Abortion