Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

1091 reviews

lay_kone's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, War, Violence, Death, Child death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Addiction, Drug use, Torture, Colonisation, Gore, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexual assault

irezdurezd's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Genocide, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Drug use, and Murder

Moderate: Rape

tafeeeeee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, War, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

joepyeweed's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

I don’t know how to feel about this book. I liked the characters and the school/martial arts part. But the genocide was too graphic.

I did appreciate the way the author balanced Rin’s character development; even though she becomes more and more morally grey and winds up committing terrible atrocities in war, somehow I still cared about her. If anything, the trajectory of becoming both more powerful and more traumatized made her a more compelling character. I didn’t always like her, but I am invested.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Sexual violence, Blood, Death, Rape, Drug use, Gore, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Torture, Violence, and War

lyrapollock's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, War, Racism, Physical abuse, Murder, Gore, Death, Genocide, Drug abuse, Torture, Drug use, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Colonisation, War, Torture, Slavery, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Abandonment, Violence, Racism, Murder, Dementia, Child death, and Blood

grizzlysnack's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

The diction of this book was phenomenal. You're seeing Rin go through 5 years of her life and not feel like you're being rushed through a single moment in any given chapter.

Pacing was wonderfully done as well! As soon as you got a taste for what was about to happen, you're being punched in the gut with what's going on in front of your very eyes. And then you're asking another punch in the face.

The way that emotions are written in this book are beautifully composed. If you're not having the same feeling as a given character in this book, then you're going through your own emotions trying to understand how much cruelty, hatred, or anguish one character could hold inside or inflict on another. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Rape, and Genocide

Moderate: Death, Drug use, and Addiction

Minor: Animal cruelty, Vomit, and Infertility

This book is not a 'happy, feel good' read. There are chapters that will mentally drain you, and those chapters are based on real events in China, during World War II. Don't read this if you're in a bad headspace.

reilyngrace's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, War, Genocide, Child death, Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Gore, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Vomit, Rape, and Sexual violence

readwthsam's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Violence, War, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence

Minor: Rape

pili31's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Grief, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, Child abuse, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and War

jaduhluhdabooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, Murder, Sexual violence, War, Xenophobia, Genocide, Colonisation, Addiction, Abandonment, Torture, Rape, Racism, Mental illness, and Grief