Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

243 reviews

grandiose_r's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book really gripped me and shook me to my core. I recognized so many things from what my father told me from his time growing in immediate post WW2 China (born on the exact day of Japan's official surrender), and his growing up hearing first hand accounts of the Nanjing Massacre as well as further atrocities commit by remaining soldiers even after the official surrender.

On a different note, I loved the novel's approach to drugs and gods and hope it's explored further in the following parts of the series.

R.F. Kuang did an amazing job with this debut novel and I will definitely be returning to this series, but I'm gonna have to take a break from this kind of war literature that hits a bit too close to home for a while. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Sexual violence, Torture, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Drug use, Blood, Body horror, Gore, Medical content, Vomit, Violence, Addiction, Child death, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, War, Death, Genocide, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Infertility, Excrement, and Confinement

xx_salem's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

I liked the book and loved the main character and how far she was willing to take it. However I slowly began to dislike how she took over the motives of others and lost her own motives, I couldn’t understand her stake in anything or why she cared that much. The ending left a little to be desired, like it was brushed over, but I hope to see more consequences in the next book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Child abuse, Genocide, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Addiction, Animal death, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Murder, Body shaming, Colonisation, Self harm, Mental illness, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Torture, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Animal cruelty, Grief, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Body horror, Death, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Vomit, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and War

pagesihavenotyetread's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Violence, Suicide, Bullying, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Colonisation, Classism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, War, and Xenophobia

ashlyn922's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Abortion, Violence, Animal death, Addiction, Self harm, Body horror, War, Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Toxic friendship, Torture, Child death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Rape, Genocide, Classism, Infertility, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Gore, Grief, Blood, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Vomit, Abandonment, Slavery, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

kyajreads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

This was a great introduction to Rin's world in Nikara, who overcomes the challenges she faces as a girl, a darker skinned person than her peers, and a poor, uneducated war orphan. 
I know it's the intent of the book (being based on the second Sino-Japanese war and mid 20th century China) but its very obviously drawing from real events which, as the reader, definitely made the events in the book hit even harder, knowing that there's an element of truth in the pages. 
The way the story is segmented felt so natural, and despite feeling like 'hard stops' in Rin's arcs, it definitely helped to show the passage of time/major event/environment change. I loved this approach.
The complex levels of each character, both main and secondary, and their relationships with one another were fantastic, heartwarming, anger inducing, heart-wrenching, triumphant.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Colonisation, Sexism, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, War, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Rape, Slavery, Child abuse, Racism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Genocide, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Self harm, and Torture

tris256's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Addiction, Sexual assault, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Torture, Grief, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Bullying, Vomit, War, Violence, Suicide, Rape, Racism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, Death, Cursing, Child death, Blood, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

nadjaaaahhhh's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gore, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Confinement, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Grief, Physical abuse, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Sexism, War, Infertility, Misogyny, Murder, Child death, Drug use, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Animal death, Child abuse, and Vomit

lilly24's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

This book and the entire saga, is a piece of art. We can see the work behind. The author did a lot of work and depicted everything with so much precision that it became sometimes difficult to read (!chapter 21!). It's heartbreaking, it's horrendous and I love it.

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Content Warnings

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

lovall's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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 LOVED THIS BOOK

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Death, Drug use, War, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Sexism

Minor: Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

_laflan's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

"Power dictates acceptability"

This book was brutal and graphic and I should've read the trigger warnings before getting into it. But I loved it, somehow? It really established Kuang as one of my (if not the) favorite authors.

The first half of the book is a very-dark dark academia inspired by the 20th century China. English is not my first language, so I struggled a bit when they talked about strategy, and honestly bored me a bit, but it was nothing that skipping a few paragraphs couldn't fix. About the main character, although Rin initially seems sure of what she wants and what she will do to achieve it, the more she learns about her world the more she doubts. This is a thing that bother me a bit, as Rin constantly doubts herself and changes her mind about one topic on the same chapter, which made her seem indecisive, and contradicted the character she established before.

The other half of book is when the violence, gore, and the debate between the white and black becomes grey. It explores and goes very deep into dark themes involving war, and as it is not very subtle with the references to real life events (second sino-japanese war), it hits really hard, so I wouldn't recommend this book to sensitive people or people who is triggered by one or more of the warnings, as it can be graphic. I liked her commentary indoctrination in and out of the military, and how wars can destroy minds and morals, and seeing

Spoiler

Rin's fallout to absolute madness due to it made a twist on her character, even after her desire for power was told from the beggining.

She still doubts herself and changes her mind constantly until

Spoiler

she reached a no-return point, when she becomes unredeemable

(to me, at least -she still is a good character, tho).

The book really linked plot and character, making the events that occur in the world

Spoiler

radicalised our main character, and dividing her of her friends and tutors

. I didn't felt like

Spoiler

Rin loved Altan tho, and was really confused when this was mentioned. I am not sure if this was because of Rin's internal dialog, but I felt it was more of an obsession due to Rin's necessity of approval (relatable), which was mentioned, but the hint of it being confused with love bother me

, as I was not expecting it and felt it was not organic to the story, although that's just how I see it. Leaving that behind, I think Rin was the perfect protagonist for this story:

Spoiler

An orfan and negleted child, later molded by a military war at a young age, being exposed to the violence and brutality of war and a young age too, which is later radicalised by her own opinions, influenced by the only one she thinks she can relate to (I hate Altan too)

. Any other character wouldn't be able of explore the grey the plot wanted/needed to explore, and that's why I love Kuang's main characters, Rin and Robin (from Babel). They balance their grey-ness with the side characters (usually friend or tutors) and

Spoiler

tend to incline to one or the other by the end

, which sends a very clear message: In times when change is needed, you cannot be 'neutral'.

Neutrality won't save the opressed, and will only be of use for the opresor. And so, The Poppy War and Babel, I think, are books that we need on modern times. I really related to The Poppy War and what's going on right now, and so I found this book of great importance. I do not know what it is waiting for me on the rest of the series (except by the end of The Burning God -thanks, Tik Tok), but I hope I will not only love them, but also found how this kind of topics and commentaries need to be told, and how history needs to be revised at all times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Genocide, Gore, War, Addiction, Body horror, Xenophobia, and Violence

Moderate: Sexism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Colonisation

Minor: Torture and Child death