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A review by instalovewithbooks
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
5.0
Re-read 12/2023:
Well fuck me. I...I'm not entirely sure how to review this one. I reread it so I could continue the series and that after a year of badgering I pushed book club to read it with me. We'll be talking about it tomorrow and hopefully be able to wrap our minds around it. I remember it being brutal. I remember a lil about being hurt by it, but FUCK. Kaung does such a great feat on this book not only to bring you along, but to really understand her characters and their choices, even if they're often not the best choices. But, how can you make a choice when all the choices are bad? How can you try and be good in a world that will continue to torment you and destroy you constantly and even if you try to make better choices, they still get thrown in your face.
Frig, man. I will be reading book 2 soon. 5/5 stars. Forever. Fuck this bullshit of 4.5/5 stars I said in 2019, 2019 Michelle you're an idiot.
2019:
I don't know much about Chinese history, but hearing from other people the book is based on Chinese history, this was absolutely brutal.
"They trained her for a war. She intends to end it." That line, I didn't expect her to brutally horrifying to end the world, JFC Rin...
The language and the story itself was complex, well made, and kept my interest the entire time. I believe my favourite character was Jiang. I am definitely going to purchase the sequel!
4.5/5 stars.
Well fuck me. I...I'm not entirely sure how to review this one. I reread it so I could continue the series and that after a year of badgering I pushed book club to read it with me. We'll be talking about it tomorrow and hopefully be able to wrap our minds around it. I remember it being brutal. I remember a lil about being hurt by it, but FUCK. Kaung does such a great feat on this book not only to bring you along, but to really understand her characters and their choices, even if they're often not the best choices. But, how can you make a choice when all the choices are bad? How can you try and be good in a world that will continue to torment you and destroy you constantly and even if you try to make better choices, they still get thrown in your face.
Frig, man. I will be reading book 2 soon. 5/5 stars. Forever. Fuck this bullshit of 4.5/5 stars I said in 2019, 2019 Michelle you're an idiot.
2019:
I don't know much about Chinese history, but hearing from other people the book is based on Chinese history, this was absolutely brutal.
"They trained her for a war. She intends to end it." That line, I didn't expect her to brutally horrifying to end the world, JFC Rin...
The language and the story itself was complex, well made, and kept my interest the entire time. I believe my favourite character was Jiang. I am definitely going to purchase the sequel!
4.5/5 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Death, Religious bigotry, Rape, Child death, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, War, Torture, Sexism, Self harm, Murder, Medical content, Gore, Drug use, Medical trauma, Excrement, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Child abuse, Blood, and Addiction