Take a photo of a barcode or cover
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Incest, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Murder, Colonisation, War, Classism
"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.Spoiler
she reached a no-return point, when she becomes unredeemableThe 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 tutorsSpoiler
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 meSpoiler
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)Spoiler
tend to incline to one or the other by the endNeutrality 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.
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, War
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexism, Colonisation
Minor: Child death, Torture
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Colonisation, War
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Classism
Minor: Infertility
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying