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A review by queenofthenightdreams
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The Poppy War was averagely average.
I struggle to understand how so many people found it innovative and “not like other BookTok books” because it had the same formula, wrapped up in adult or new adult packaging.
Rin didn’t feel like a morally grey character throughout the book. She was good for 95% of the book and then evilwhen she burned Mugen to ashes . It also felt like Kuang was trying to hit people on the head with her personal opinions, which is fine. Every author does that to varying degrees, but there was zero subtlety and nuance. Every Mugenese (with the exception of that one guy who lasted a page and a half) was evil and every Westerner (they never make an appearance and are called something else) is bad. There aren’t even nuances between the two Speerlies. They’re both violent and become addicted to Poppy.
I also don’t see what people like between Nezha and Rin, they have few interactions in the book, with half of them being less than favourable.It’s never mentioned in the book that Nezha has powers. Rin’s friend tells her so casually and then she forgets it within the span of 5 pages
Plus, the monsters that Rin’s master unleashed are forgotten about until around 200 pages later which is disappointing and even then, we don’t see another.
I didn’t hate this book, but I went into it with such high expectations, that it fell flat for me when it didn’t reach them
I struggle to understand how so many people found it innovative and “not like other BookTok books” because it had the same formula, wrapped up in adult or new adult packaging.
Rin didn’t feel like a morally grey character throughout the book. She was good for 95% of the book and then evil
I also don’t see what people like between Nezha and Rin, they have few interactions in the book, with half of them being less than favourable.
Plus, the monsters that Rin’s master unleashed are forgotten about until around 200 pages later which is disappointing and even then, we don’t see another.
I didn’t hate this book, but I went into it with such high expectations, that it fell flat for me when it didn’t reach them
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Grief, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Torture, Gore, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Drug use