Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

295 reviews

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

aubreyprobably's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

If there was one thing written well was the passage of time. For a story that tales place over years it truly made the story feel years long not just bits and pieces of those years. However, I personally could never understand Rin and her motivations. Not even a matter of her being good or evil or whatever, I just don't understand what REALLY drove her and therefore made a boom almost entirely from her POV pretty hard to enjoy for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Addiction, Torture, Murder, and Rape

Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

cowardlyteaman's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This is my second R. F. Kuang book, and she never seems to disappoint.

There's so much to say here that I'm sure other readers in these reviews can express much better than me.
Currently in history class, we're learning about the history of Emperial Japan (where much of it is also taught from the perspective of the Chinese), and the parallels are prominent. Sometimes it becomes hard to distinguish between what is real and what is fiction, because just like the Mugenese, the Japanese soldiers were terrible—terrible—terrible.

There's so much of this book to praise, and I did love Rin for a while. However, as she continued to go against her master's advice, I continued to dislike her. I see where her need is coming from, but it was very frustrating and frankly quite uninspiring to read about these very predictable consequences to her horribly naïve decisions.
This, however, is the ONLY complaint I had about the book, and I still very much enjoyed the book. I am looking forward to the coming books!

I deeply recommend this book, but be aware of the warnings. Many of the warnings are descriptions and mentions made from character's rather than the direct actions, but they can still be disturbing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Misogyny, Rape, Blood, Animal death, Body horror, Miscarriage, Torture, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Child abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Sexual violence, Violence, and War

Moderate: Racism, Suicide, Self harm, Animal cruelty, and Classism

Minor: Excrement, Adult/minor relationship, Genocide, and Vomit

teddy_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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: Gore, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Addiction, Death, War, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Torture, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Child abuse, Bullying, and Confinement

Minor: Grief and Vomit

bookishreadersclub's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

When they say this book is dark, they mean it. Do not be fooled by the beginning chapters of this book that feign hopeful stories of aspiring soldiers. The darkness of this book has subjected itself to one specific chapter, chapter 21. There are gruesome, cruel, horrifying depictions of war crimes. Nothing will prepare you for it. Read trigger warnings. Please.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Torture, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Mental illness, Abortion, War, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gore, Grief, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, Addiction, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Vomit, Violence, Self harm, Genocide, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Forced institutionalization, and Cursing

namjin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Medical content, Violence, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Torture, Toxic friendship, Child death, Death of parent, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Misogyny, and Vomit

This book contains the most detailed descriptions of brutal killings, torture and rape I have ever seen. Please exercise caution. Personally it came as a surprise, so be aware of that.

lilureads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.0

That was intense

The first part was definitely my favorite. I really enjoyed Rin’s character and her arc, even though I have a hard time with morally gray characters. 

Huge TW for anything violence related, I had a hard time getting through some parts because of that.

In more lighthearted news: Kitayyyyyy 🫶🫶🫶 love him dearly

Spoiler

Also the scene at the beginning of part 2 where Rin and Nezha fight together? That was so epic

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Genocide, Death, Torture, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Vomit, Xenophobia, Blood, War, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse

atomicrobin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Child abuse, Animal death, Drug abuse, Death, Classism, Body horror, Blood, Infertility, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Violence, Sexism, Sexual violence, Bullying, Alcohol, Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

charlie_reads101's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

barely know how to describe my experience reading this book… I definitely went into it somewhat blind, not expecting how dark and adult fantasy "The Poppy War" actually is, but I ended up really enjoying it. It is so different from what I have read before but I really respect the story R.F. Kuang brought to us and I am going straight into the second book "the Dragon Republic".

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, War, Murder, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Drug use, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Sexual violence, Addiction, Bullying, Violence, and Sexual assault

winterwoodbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

The beginning and end were really strong, however the middle part felt a bit like a disjointed slump.
Whlile I always want to give the benefit of believing that maybe that was just how the character felt, this does not seem to be the case here.

Spoiler

The Fact, that there were mere chapters between the setup of the facility and arriving there annoyed me SO much. And then they were out again just as fast, ugh

One of the strongest parts of this book is the bluntness of talking about themes- as well as just vivid and brutal pictures, actually depicturing horrors and topics often glossed over. I have to mention the feminism here, loved everything about it!
Overall a great book with some annoying points, I am interested to see more and hope for an in depth journey of the mind of our main character!

Spoiler

The worst part were the animal deaths tho :c

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Animal death, Suicide, Slavery, Blood, Death, Abandonment, War, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Murder, Infertility, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Cursing, Body horror, Hate crime, Violence, Torture, Sexual assault, Rape, Mental illness, Excrement, Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Animal cruelty, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Child death, and Abortion