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mmccombs's review against another edition
4.5
I knew vaguely that this book was based on real Chinese and Japanese history, but had no idea how deeply it drew from the Sino Japanese War and the Nanjing Massacre, which compels me to know more about this time in history (whenever a book makes me want to read more, particularly to seek out nonfiction, that is a huge accomplishment!). Obviously, because of this history, this book got dark and gruesome and hard to read, but I think Kuang included these parts (particularly chapter 21) tastefully and with a hope for the reader to understand the brutal gravity of war and informed Rin’s complicated response to it.
Rin’s character is so moving, I was prepared for a “morally gray” character but I think got so much more than that. She is funny, furious, sharp, naive, scared, brave… the list goes on, and I can’t wait to continue her character arc. I loved watching her, and the people around her, wrestle with history, with evil, with what one should do with power, and what one owes to their country. This touches on colonialism and racism in a way I think Kuang expanded upon and did much more interestingly in Babel, but it was cool to see those roots here.
I cannot wait to talk about this one in my bookclub, I think this will make for a great conversation, and I equally cannot wait to get into the rest of the series!
Graphic: War, Drug use, Torture, Addiction, Colonisation, Violence, Rape, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Racism, and Murder
_marycappiello3'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: Drug use, Murder, Rape, Violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Torture, Animal death, Death, War, Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Kidnapping, Body horror, and Child abuse
rakkaussipsi's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Rape, Torture, Violence, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual violence, and War
lindsaybethlyons's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: War, Gore, Death, Child death, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Genocide, Torture, Sexual violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Drug use, and Addiction
rosesread2's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Rape, Death, Drug abuse, War, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Torture
Pleas check Trigger warnings in this book. Very descriptive about some very serious topics.chris_reads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Violence, Animal death, Gore, Colonisation, War, Racism, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, and Torture
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Grief, Drug abuse, Sexism, Child death, Self harm, and Sexual violence
Minor: Bullying, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Addiction, and Vomit
sipteareadbooks's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Sexual violence, War, Torture, Genocide, and Rape
acelestialplain's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Torture, Violence, War, Rape, and Body horror
kendall32's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Rape
andreapepsii's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Child death, War, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Rape, and Torture
Moderate: Racism