Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Опиумная война by R.F. Kuang

2266 reviews

scrubsandbooks's review against another edition

5.0

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: Yes

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This was incredible. This was brutal. This was a book that is worth reading by everyone in the world.

Every character is deeply flawed in that they all do very terrible things. This isn't a book of escapism, and I had trouble getting through some of the events considering a real life genocide going on, but it's super important to read and understand the actual events (Sino-Japanese war) that inspired R.F. Kuang to write this. (And this is her DEBUT, absolutely phenomenal!)

I read the rest of the trilogy not long after this but the first book will always stay with me considering how it started and how it ended. It was like reading two different books which speaks in volumes about how quick and jarring the change to life can be from a heinous war.

It is not a happy book, it is devastating and gut-wrenching, and so impactful. Read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, War

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use

Minor: Infertility, Vomit

domi_dantes's review against another edition

4.5

dark reflective medium-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Gore

Moderate: Addiction, Child death

Minor: Rape, Torture

zirtae's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Rape, Blood, War

Moderate: Torture, Vomit

Minor: Addiction, Infertility

gab_mate's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Genocide, Violence, War

Moderate: Rape

fionam's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement

Minor: Bullying

xstargirlx's review against another edition

4.25

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, War, Classism

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship

Minor: Pedophilia, Colonisation

gabi_715's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous 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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, Injury/Injury detail

marianaa_simoes's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual assault, Colonisation, War

gretaslittlelibrary's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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A god tier level book, listened on audio as a reread. I do prefer this book as a physical book, the audio kind of takes away from Kuang’s skill of the written words. Kuang is a master of setting every scene perfectly, it feels like your with Rin every step of the way. The sense of dread, hope, and more dread settles on your bones and minds and makes you want to close the book and take a break, but is so well written that you cannot put the book down. Rin is such a complex morally grey character and I cannot get enough of her, I’m excited to reread the next two books. I hope RF Kuang goes back to her fantasy roots in the coming novels! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Genocide, Rape, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, War

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Murder, Classism

kal517's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, War

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Rape, Torture, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility, Vomit