A review by kshertz
Babel by R.F. Kuang

challenging emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Wow this is an incredible book. It starts with colonization and we follow this small boy and there’s some magical realism. But really there’s so much more. There’s history, coming of age, revolution, the realism of change, power, and corruption. I was enthralled and couldn’t put it down. Absolutely a beast of a book but one I will be highly recommending often. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Classism