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harrimyers's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Sexual assault, Addiction, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, War, Xenophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Bullying, Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, Blood, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Infertility, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Confinement, Physical abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
lilly24's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Dementia, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcoholism, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Abortion, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Abandonment, Alcohol, Death of parent, Deportation, Drug use, Murder, Self harm, Slavery, Stalking, Terminal illness, Torture, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Sexism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Cultural appropriation, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Excrement, Xenophobia, Classism, Cursing, Gaslighting, Racism, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Colonisation, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Rape, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit
min_grachi's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Body horror, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Torture, Chronic illness, Grief, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Violence, War, Genocide, Gore, Alcoholism, Blood, Confinement, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
miciahsreads's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
worldbuilding - 1
writing - .75
enjoyment - .75
plot - .75
Graphic: Infertility, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Death, Child death, War, Chronic illness, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Addiction, Racism, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Bullying, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Rape, Slavery, Murder, Sexism, Genocide, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Rape and Child abuse
gumbi'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? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Drug use, Vomit, Self harm, Racism, Cursing, Bullying, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Racial slurs
euclids_5th'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
5.0
Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Confinement, Mental illness, Classism, Emotional abuse, Violence, Vomit, Xenophobia, Blood, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Genocide, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and War
hailsatan'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
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Abortion, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Deportation, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, War, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Excrement, Infertility, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Hate crime, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Violence, Vomit, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
abijmieds's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Rape, Racism, Blood, Body horror, Xenophobia, Violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Incest, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Excrement, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Death, Colonisation, Animal death, War, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Police brutality, Misogyny, Mental illness, Genocide, Pedophilia, Miscarriage, Mass/school shootings, Drug use, Drug abuse, Classism, Chronic illness, Child death, Torture, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship
rnbhargava'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
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body shaming, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Medical content, Torture, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Racism, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, and Xenophobia
All of these triggers are evident in this narrative whether they’re something that happens to the main character, someone she knows, or is just generally part of the world. It is a brutal world that is in the midst of war and the protagonist is part of a group that’s kind of feared. All of the brutality is mentioned quite specifically in increasingly dark detail as you progress in the novel. Be aware, it doesn’t hold back.afi_whatafireads'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? Yes
5.0
This book does not shy away from the gore and very graphic scenes of war, how brutal it can be to the survivors, and at one point, where everything has came to a standstill, all you had was yourself and a source of power that you don't understand, but is the only thing that can help you to save your friends and yourself. The Poppy War is one of the most well-constructed books I've read in a long time. With very powerful characterization of characters that are so-very-morally gray, where you'll doubt their actions to the maximum but you'll also understand why it is the way it is.
"Order is present in the earthly kingdoms when all beings understand their place. All beings understand their place when they fulfill the roles set out for them."
Kuang had shown a side of war that is brutal. The characters here are not people of power, but is from the perspectives of soldiers at the front of war, merely teenagers that were forced to grow up right after going out of school, and having through go such traumatizing events, there will come a time that we will emphatize with what they choose to do to survive. Fang Runin is a character that you can't help but love. Its like reading a very stubborn child grow up, where there are moments of vulnerability but there are times where you will question her judgment, but still, you can't help but just love her. Her strength and resilience to survive and her DESPERATION to prove to everyone around her that a war-orphaned, dark-skinned child like her can survive too in the very prestigious military academy and the war.
“War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who remains.”
There were two parts of the book that still broke my heart, even having read it the first time around. It was brutal and just very very graphic. The horror of war, the effects it will have on children and the living survivors, and mostly, what happens to each and every individual in handling war is just so painful to read, and one that I can't imagine going through myself. I love that Kuang does not shy away from showing how brutal war can be, and how someone can lose every piece of themselves, little by little until what remains is the act of vengeance.
“I have become something wonderful. I have become something terrible.
Kuang's writing is indeed exceptional, with very fast-paced plot, and almost none filler scenes, we will gobble her story right up. Despite being a grim-dark book, it also showcased friendship and comradeship among Rin and her friends. Her with her classmates, and her with her comrades after school, those are one of my favourite moments in the book. Even if short, those few chapters lived through to be support for me to keep going on .
I think my first review of this book, and even now, it does not does justice to the book. The Poppy War will remain one of the books that changed my life and reading game , in such a way that made me realize what I loved and craved in a book. Found family elements, politics and the rich history that was displayed, with the emotional toll that it left, it leaves to remain one of the books that I will still talk about in a long time.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Body horror, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, War, Abortion, Bullying, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Cursing, Drug use, Medical trauma, Violence, Genocide, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts