Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

43 reviews

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.

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

themadbloodstone's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense 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? Yes

5.0

I was never a real fan of fantasy books. They all felt the same to me and I always struggled reading them. However, The Poppy War was refreshing, unpredictable, and beautifully written. It did not shy away from the horrors of genocide and the aftermath of genocide, using Rin’s character development to symbolize the effects of war.
Even though there were some flaws in this book (such as the author reusing the same similes within pages of another or the odd will-they-won’t-they between Rin and Altan and Nezha), R.F. Kuang’s debut novel is definitely deserving of 5/5 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Misogyny, Genocide, Death, Rape, War, Violence, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Bullying, and Classism

Moderate: Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Mental illness, and Addiction

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Death of parent

aya1403's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Rape, Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, Colonisation, Slavery, Suicide, Genocide, Infertility, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gaslighting, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, War, Bullying, Addiction, Cursing, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Body horror, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

welkinvault's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Well written, thoroughly researched history.  Amazing background and world building.  

Chapter 21 (i think) especially was a brutal read. I don't think I will be continuing the series as it was dark and violent, and there did not seem to be much lifting of the angst for the characters that survive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Genocide

heli1403's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Rape, Child death, War, Torture, Addiction, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Self harm, Murder, Gore, Genocide, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Body horror, Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

raisinbrann's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Violence, Gaslighting, Drug use, Mental illness, Drug abuse, War, Sexual harassment, Murder, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Gore, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Misogyny, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Slavery, Trafficking, and Vomit

Minor: Pregnancy, Body horror, and Infertility

stitchof's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Alcohol, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Torture, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, War, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Violence, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Genocide, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual assault, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, and Suicide

nat_wegas7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Genocide, Rape, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Confinement, Drug abuse, Child death, Murder, Colonisation, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Vomit, and War

poetsofsweetpea's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed the story, although at times it was too graphic for me.  I would definitetly recommend folks check trigger warnings.  Well worth the read, I will be reading the next one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Body horror, Sexual assault, Violence, Child death, Gore, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Genocide, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Bullying, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Confinement, Drug use, Excrement, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, and War