A review by mcshe
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

adventurous dark emotional funny 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

3.75

spoilers ahead 
sooo.. i was not expecting that like at all but can't say im disappointed 

for starters i appreciate how much time past in a single book yet the plot didn't feel rushed to be able to fit everything it 
as for the twist the story took, damn, I mean it went for being inspiring to funny seeing rin interact with Jiang to downright depressing. especially that part where we got a full on description of the massacre. it was really well described and did remind me of actual events happening now and others that have happened before. got really heavy for me there.

anyway, on to the characters, really enjoyed how kuang depicted the characters, I mean there is no hiding how far from perfect these people are, I mean rin is a war criminal who single handedly wiped out an entire race cause she was angry ( and since this is fiction ) that's what I like to see. not a dandy little girl who was forced into war, but pure unfiltered female rage. 

this isn't really a good book review but these are the main points I remember.