Reviews tagging 'Deportation'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

75 reviews

scifi42's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

This was an absolutely amazing book. I haven't read anything this long in a while - glad I gave myself the chance. 

Highlights: an absolutely fantastic cast of characters, meaningful but incomplete foreshadowing, several different and grounded perspectives (none declared "right") on decolonization processes. 

Kuang also makes several bold formal moves- I'm pretty sure this is the first "untranslated" fiction I've read that includes footnotes. The book is broadly accessible but definitely rewards readers with some understanding of British colonization. The characters are relatable, the magic well systemized, the situations absurd in their realism. 

Speculative fiction at its best. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Torture, Police brutality, and Colonisation

Moderate: Hate crime, Death of parent, Classism, and Deportation

theasi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Slavery, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Drug use and Deportation

trashbinfluencer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

rmperezpadilla's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Genocide, Slavery, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Deportation

navayiota's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

A love letter to all who suffered and continue to suffer. A modern classic, heartbreaking and perfect. I cried in the night, staying up late to finish this behemoth of a book. My new favourite of all time.. Bless Kuang and her brilliant mind. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Islamophobia, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Deportation

beckyvh523's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative slow-paced

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

3.0

I had a hard time staying invested and did not like the main character Robin - kept wait for his arc to crest and I felt like it never did. Language history was fun though

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Racism, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Deportation

bellsdixon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

justmys's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

…ok. So. Let me just say, the concept, themes and the way the fantastical elements of the world were woven in amongst real world history and colonialism were masterful. Truly. The love, care and passion that went into the building of those portions of the book were truly jaw dropping. 

Kuang’s level of intelligence and brilliance surrounding etymology and translation and her immense skill at bringing issues that are still horrifyingly prevalent in the world to the forefront of the story through a powerful lens were a true gift to read and will be staying with me for a long time to come. 

And that’s where my 2.75 stars go. That side of this novel was an astounding piece of work. Unfortunately, the rest of the book had to be consumed alongside it. 

I was told that the beginning of this book is slow. For me, the beginning ended up being the first 328 pages. And this is a heavy read to begin with.

I found all of the characters within the book shallow and underdeveloped. So much of their lives and interactions were glossed over. Flashbacks or explanations for their behaviour and decisions were often sewn into the book through footnotes giving them the feeling of an afterthought.  I spent the entire time wishing this book would have been at least a duology so as to have given room for us to actually get to know the characters as people, and not just awkward stunted players in a black box theatre production. 

The main female characters, Victoire and Letty, were often left T-posing in the corner of scenes, utterly forgotten in place of their male counterparts. When they were used (which was woefully little) they either felt like the author didn’t know their character (as with Victoire) or were an absurd cartoonish creation (as with Letty). 

Despite the overall themes being interesting I did feel like I was being smacked over the head with the book at times whilst being asked, “Do you get it? Do you understand? Do you even comprehend yet?” which got exhausting because I don’t think I’m as stupid as this book thinks I am. 

This book would have been so much more interesting if the lectures had been edited down somewhat in order to give room for character exploration. I’m certain the characters could have been truly loveable if they had been allowed to exist outside of a 2D space. I said to friends that this book had scope to be up there with Six of Crows or Lies of Locke Lamora if only the characters that inhabited the world were given the same love and detail as the world was. 

I do want to give this author another chance so will likely read more of her work in the future. There were so many moments where I was sure I could have fallen in love with her writing if only given more to work with. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, Vomit, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Deportation

bookswithlauren's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

kramic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

Phenomenal from start to finish.*

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*Masterpiece from the start to the end.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Colonisation, Classism, and Deportation