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sunnyscholar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
R.F. Kuang is an artist in portraying the humanity of each of her characters. In my years of reading, I'd developed a habit of blindly accepting the perspective in which the story was delivered - excusing character flaws and mistakes for the sake of the plot. Kuang doesn't give the reader the opportunity to take anything at face value. She challenges you to grapple with the harsh consequences and moral debate that follows even the smallest decisions her characters make. I love her for it.
This is no mere story - but a lesson in learning to see people. An exercise in setting aside one's innate biases to appreciate other walks of life they previously felt no right to consider a connection to.
"Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world. No; a thousand worlds in one. And translation - a necessary endeavor, however futile, to move between them."
Moderate: Colonisation, Child abuse, Classism, Murder, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
wordywashington'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
I don't think I've considered a book this much of a must-read in at least a decade. I'll elaborate further once I get my thoughts and emotions in order, but right now, I struggle to think of a more relevant and poignant fiction book to read in the current state of the world. Just...wow. Please read Babel.
Graphic: Xenophobia, Torture, Death, Misogyny, Death of parent, Child abuse, Murder, Racism, Classism, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Cultural appropriation, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Sexism, and Genocide
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Slavery, Toxic friendship, and Suicidal thoughts
fronk10'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
4.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, War, Racism, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Death, Xenophobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Death of parent, and Child abuse
penofpossibilities's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Racial slurs, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Blood, Sexism, Murder, Death of parent, Death, Cultural appropriation, Ableism, Xenophobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, Colonisation, Classism, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Hate crime
Moderate: Addiction, Vomit, Islamophobia, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, and Alcohol
Minor: Drug abuse, Slavery, Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Child death, and War
ramizrafimirza'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Violence, and War
bookswithlauren'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
3.5
Graphic: Slavery, Abandonment, Trafficking, Bullying, Death, Blood, Classism, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, War, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Body horror, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Deportation, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
swagdana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Classism, Death, Racism, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide
bababookmatt'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
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Drug use, Gaslighting, Slavery, Child abuse, War, Physical abuse, Murder, Addiction, Colonisation, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, and Domestic abuse
koiolee's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
I love how symbolic the book is, and how soon the events are foreshadowed. This is an incredibly literary book. This book is about language and the nuances between languages and it challenges the space between language so masterfully. This book tackles the art of writing, translation, and the life beneath what is seen. And we haven't even got to the actual plot and story contents.
Each character felt fully fleshed out and incredibly real. Oh my boy Ramy, poor Ramy. Robin, the main character, makes so many mistakes in all the best ways. I love how he overanalyzes every opportunity he's given, weighing the pros and cons only to uncharacteristically act on emotion and impulse, the very thing he's been taught not to do. In a book where words are everything, Robin tends to give himself away in his mind, yet never quite says the words that give away what he truly means. Victoire and Ramy probably had the best setup to be the best revolutionaries. They had their brains and wits about them, and the ability to rally the crowd, but Robin was the best choice they could've made. Robin was the one with the most and least self-control, and they bet on that. Victoire is the moral compass of the group and they all respect that. Ramy a fearless leader. Letty was the unfortunate sacrifice they needed to make. The one who couldn't hear what the world truly looked like, what didn't confirm what she knew about her world. Robin described her best, if she couldn't have the world, no one could have it. To be loved is to be heard, and she was deaf to their pleas.
As for the story, it's very neatly organized and linear, there were the climaxes that have you on the edge of your seat mixed with the wonderful lulls of normality. I felt like I was with them with the way Kuang described their second and third years. It reminded me starkly of my third and fourth years respectively (and the fallout that occurred around that time as well), it's good to know that it's a common experience (minus revolution of course).
My only qualm thus far is that all the villains are white people. We could've realistically had some brown people turn their backs on their own like what happens in real life, and given how realistically based this story is, I'm surprised there were no brown traitors. I guess you could say that Robin filled that role actually, but he came back so?
The Dark Academia I was looking for to satisfy the itch fr.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Sexism, Colonisation, Abandonment, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, Murder, Death, Classism, Gore, Xenophobia, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Racism
Moderate: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Suicide, Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Gun violence
wheatlyre's review against another edition
I have enjoyed it so far, with a couple parts in particular sticking out to me, especially [spoiler cw:
Graphic: Child abuse, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Confinement, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Classism, Misogyny, Islamophobia, Terminal illness, and Colonisation
Minor: Trafficking and Slavery
all content warnings mentioned were put in intentionally by the author and are seen clearly to be character flaws or problematic.