Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Babel by R.F. Kuang

984 reviews

noms01's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic friendship, Violence, Classism, Misogyny, Sexism, War, Death, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Death of parent

Moderate: Physical abuse, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Slavery, and Suicide

Minor: Addiction

bubblybelle's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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? No

4.0

this is a beautiful and powerful book. the magic system is very unique and well developed. as a language nerd, i really enjoyed all of the interwoven etymology lessons. my biggest critique is that the pacing felt a bit off at times, especially in the first half. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Murder, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, and Gun violence

Minor: Sexual harassment

redheadorganist's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Death of parent, Racism, Suicide, Death, Racial slurs, Grief, Colonisation, Slavery, and Torture

Moderate: Blood, Gore, Drug use, and War

Minor: Sexual harassment and Fire/Fire injury

lohock's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Violence, and Racism

This is truly one of the best books I’ve ever read.

theasi's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Body horror, Classism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, War, Blood, Bullying, Death, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Grief

Moderate: Slavery, Child abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol

Minor: Deportation and Drug use

serendipitous_mess's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Racism, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Islamophobia and Slavery

giulia_rossi's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, War, Racial slurs, and Racism

Non credo ci sia davvero un modo univoco per definire questo romanzo, é un’enciclopedia di conoscenze, di storia, di amicizia, di rabbia e di violenza allo stesso momento. L’autrice guida il lettore attraverso la storia dei protagonisti e nelle pieghe degli eventi storici che nei libri di scuola vengono lasciati da parte, non si può uscire da questa lettura senza essere ammirati, arrabbiati e spaventati al tempo stesso. Credo che questo libro verrà annoverato tra i classici della nostra epoca.

ingju's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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? No

4.75

This book made me feel so many things. It made me appreciate having a rare first language. It made me see how broken the world is. It made me want to go to a protests. It made me see everyone as humans. 
There was some things in the plot that i saw as unnecessary but mosly this book was just amazing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts

trashbinfluencer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Torture, Blood, Confinement, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, War, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Classism, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Abandonment, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Drug use, Xenophobia, Suicide, Sexism, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Alcohol, Cursing, Death, and Slavery

thelibraryskeeper's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

Babel is easily one of the most intelligently written novels I have ever read. This is my first book Ive read by the author so I cannot speak to the Poppy War Trilogy.

I first tried to read Babel in physical format and found I was struggling and getting rather caught up in the finer details. I switched to the audiobook and was golden. Chris Lew Kum Hoi is an outstanding narrator. 

Babel is what I would call a dark academia themed book. The story is told predominantly from the viewpoint of Robin Swift. He has been orphaned and brought to London to begin learning classical languages. He is told by his guardian that he will enroll into Oxford Univeristys Royal Imstitute of Translation. This is where knowledge is power and this power is translated literally into silver bars which the British Empire uses to essentially make life easier and more pleasant.

It is at Babel that Robin begins to see the British effects of Colonialism, racism, violence, and loss of identity all at once. As he starts to see more and more of this, Robin is introduced to the Hermes Society which is in direct opposition of all that is being taught at Babel.

Kuang does a fantastic job fleshing out the characters and many themes throughout the novel and there is great plot and character development. This book is full of DEEP themes and Kuang doesn't shy away from anything.

"But that's the beauty of learning a new language. It should feel like an enormous undertaking. It ought to intimidate you. It makes you appreciate the complexity of the ones you know already"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexism, War, and Slavery

Minor: Death of parent