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tasha_gordon 's review for:
The Poppy War
by R.F. Kuang
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I support women’s rights and their wrongs, but I have to draw the line somewhere. I love an antihero and I’m okay with characters making immoral choices if it makes sense for their characters, but none of the choices in this book are believable. The main character literally commits genocide because her (abusive) crush dies. She kills millions of innocent people (but not the army invading her homeland???) and she doesn’t really feel bad about it. Only one character has any moral qualms about COMMITTING GENOCIDE and everyone else just… accepts it and moves on. The main character is impulsive, immature, and doesn’t really have a personality outside of being angry, power hungry, and weirdly good at everything. In one moment she will acknowledge that what she is planning is wrong and stupid and that she shouldn’t do it, and in the next moment she just does it anyway without any explanation of why or reflection on her motives. It feels so random and lacks any conviction.
Each section of the book was very different from each other and not in a good way.
Part 1 was stereotypical YA: unlikely female protagonist goes to a war college, finds out she has a rare, powerful ability, and defies everyone’s expectations by succeeding against all odds. This section was okay, but I really liked supporting characters and the historical setting.
Part 2: protagonist gets shipped off to war and basically joins the teen titans. A whole new cast of supporting characters is introduced. The protagonist participates in horrible battles and witnesses their aftermath. The wartime atrocities are described in vivid detail and are based on real historical battles and events. This was the only section I liked - the battle strategies were inventive and interesting, and the emotional toll of war was devastating and beautifully described. I liked (or liked to hate) the side characters introduced in this section, and the magic system is better explored and very cool.
Part 3: I don’t even know how to describe this section because it was such a mess. The plot moved so quickly I couldn’t feel invested in any of the situations the characters were forced into. All the major plot points in this section felt like they were added for shock value rather than to further the story or the characters growth. All of the progress the main character made in the second part is backpedaled, and she’s back on her impulsive, nonsensical bullshit. I found myself re-reading chapters thinking I’d missed something, but unfortunately the context I was looking for just isn’t there.
I barely finished this book and I will not be continuing the series.
Each section of the book was very different from each other and not in a good way.
Part 1 was stereotypical YA: unlikely female protagonist goes to a war college, finds out she has a rare, powerful ability, and defies everyone’s expectations by succeeding against all odds. This section was okay, but I really liked supporting characters and the historical setting.
Part 2: protagonist gets shipped off to war and basically joins the teen titans. A whole new cast of supporting characters is introduced. The protagonist participates in horrible battles and witnesses their aftermath. The wartime atrocities are described in vivid detail and are based on real historical battles and events. This was the only section I liked - the battle strategies were inventive and interesting, and the emotional toll of war was devastating and beautifully described. I liked (or liked to hate) the side characters introduced in this section, and the magic system is better explored and very cool.
Part 3: I don’t even know how to describe this section because it was such a mess. The plot moved so quickly I couldn’t feel invested in any of the situations the characters were forced into. All the major plot points in this section felt like they were added for shock value rather than to further the story or the characters growth. All of the progress the main character made in the second part is backpedaled, and she’s back on her impulsive, nonsensical bullshit. I found myself re-reading chapters thinking I’d missed something, but unfortunately the context I was looking for just isn’t there.
I barely finished this book and I will not be continuing the series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail