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A review by leahsammon
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you are not aware of the tragedies of the Opium Wars that this book is based on, you will not be ready for this book. I thought I knew how far the author would go but I was wrong.
The quality of writing in this book is so genuinely incredible, I couldn't put it down. As each part ticks over you become more and more victimised by the war and Rin's experience of it and by the end I genuinely felt broken. I could predict every choice she would make and all I could do was watch without turning away.
This book is heartbreak that you can't run away from once you open it. It's all about actions and consequences and the person you become in the face of them. The things you most need to know are always the hardest to face, and that's precisely what this book is
The quality of writing in this book is so genuinely incredible, I couldn't put it down. As each part ticks over you become more and more victimised by the war and Rin's experience of it and by the end I genuinely felt broken. I could predict every choice she would make and all I could do was watch without turning away.
This book is heartbreak that you can't run away from once you open it. It's all about actions and consequences and the person you become in the face of them. The things you most need to know are always the hardest to face, and that's precisely what this book is
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Violence, and War