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om_sammy 's review for:
The Poppy War
by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
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
For this to be RF Kuang's debut novel absolutely blows me away. The universe is so profoundly rich that you don't need much imagination to see the world Kuang builds; it jumps right off the page and you're immersed in it. The themes this book (and I'm sure the rest of the trilogy) portray are incredibly well represented, and Kuang does not hold back in making sure we can viscerally experience what has happened in our own history, as well as Rin's.
This was an INCREDIBLY graphic novel. Kuang pulls historical references from the second Sino-Japanese War, the Opium Wars, and the Nanjing Massacre, and she does not hold back from explicitly describing scenes and consequences in The Poppy War that take inspiration from the above mentioned wars. While the whole book book is violent, it grows steadily in violence like a rollercoaster going up a hill, and really takes off after Chapter 21 (for people wanting to read it, you have been warned). I will say, she does not explicitly describe a first-person POV of the worst of the atrocities (for example: she does not describe the characters actively raping anyone), but she does go in detail as to describe experiences and the aftermath (another example: characters seeing the aftermath of a city razed to the ground, or a rape survivor describing her experiences).
Another thing I'll say about this book: I think it falls in a grey area as to whether it should be considered a YA novel or adult novel. On one hand, I think there are some explicit scenes in the book that call for an "adults only" restriction. However, our FMC is a teenager, and she definitely acts like one. She has the same tendencies many well-known FMCs in YA novels have, and her decisions and actions are what make the book also feel YA in some ways. To gather an idea of the kind of themes this book deals with, I'd say it falls under similar veins as The Hunger Games, Blood Scion, and Battle Royale. I think that's the reason I gave it a 4: it failed to decide if it wanted to be YA or adult.
Overall, an excellent read; but be very wary of the kind of triggers it may have. Kuang put her heart and soul in this, and really shows of her academic side in the historical references, as well as her abundance of creativity in bringing this lush fantasy world to life. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the trilogy.
This was an INCREDIBLY graphic novel. Kuang pulls historical references from the second Sino-Japanese War, the Opium Wars, and the Nanjing Massacre, and she does not hold back from explicitly describing scenes and consequences in The Poppy War that take inspiration from the above mentioned wars. While the whole book book is violent, it grows steadily in violence like a rollercoaster going up a hill, and really takes off after Chapter 21 (for people wanting to read it, you have been warned). I will say, she does not explicitly describe a first-person POV of the worst of the atrocities (for example: she does not describe the characters actively raping anyone), but she does go in detail as to describe experiences and the aftermath (another example: characters seeing the aftermath of a city razed to the ground, or a rape survivor describing her experiences).
Another thing I'll say about this book: I think it falls in a grey area as to whether it should be considered a YA novel or adult novel. On one hand, I think there are some explicit scenes in the book that call for an "adults only" restriction. However, our FMC is a teenager, and she definitely acts like one. She has the same tendencies many well-known FMCs in YA novels have, and her decisions and actions are what make the book also feel YA in some ways. To gather an idea of the kind of themes this book deals with, I'd say it falls under similar veins as The Hunger Games, Blood Scion, and Battle Royale. I think that's the reason I gave it a 4: it failed to decide if it wanted to be YA or adult.
Overall, an excellent read; but be very wary of the kind of triggers it may have. Kuang put her heart and soul in this, and really shows of her academic side in the historical references, as well as her abundance of creativity in bringing this lush fantasy world to life. I'll definitely be reading the rest of the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder, War