Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

104 reviews

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

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

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

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

haleymk's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny 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

I CANNOT WAIT UNTIL I READ THE NEXT ONE

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gore, Classism, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, War, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Cursing, Kidnapping, Self harm, Rape, Infertility, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Abandonment, Bullying, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Vomit, Sexism, Slavery, and Torture

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

alyce_ery's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.0

do not underestimate the trigger warnings and age limit 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Gore, Murder, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug use, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Animal death, Hate crime, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, Violence, War, Bullying, Genocide, Infertility, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Torture

Moderate: Slavery, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

Minor: Abandonment, Drug abuse, Medical content, Trafficking, Animal cruelty, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Pedophilia, and Excrement

bekahzabel's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? No

5.0

I have unlocked new levels of love and pain.

The Poppy War was on a completely different plane than most books I’ve read this year, in a good way. This was a heart wrenching literary masterpiece to me. A 6 star book. Military fantasy meets magic & the spiritual realm. Not sure I can put into words how much I loved this entire storyline, but I am BROKEN. 

Imma have to give myself a break in between to heal before I start Dragon Republic because my world just got ROCKED. If you heard this was good they lied, it’s great. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Drug use, Abandonment, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Genocide, and Grief

Moderate: Hate crime, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, War, and Rape

remasm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative medium-paced

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

4.0

okay, first off, the writing was incredible and the plot was great, but it was a bit questionable.

like, when the author went on for 200 pages about the academy and rin's life there and then 30 pages later a new set of characters is introduced with little to no knowledge about them?? and also, in terms of East Asian history, i've heard mixed opinions.
like, the depiction of the speerlys (or taiwanese people) being considered evil and inhuman, and the author even reinforcing these stereotypes with the main character

Spoiler

when it's revealed that she's a speerly?

like what?
and the rape of Nanjing being used as a gotcha! moment to further enhance the plot, and in the end when rin SUFFOCATES the people of mugen (japan) in the name of revenge for the genocide of Speer??

anyways, if this book wasn't based on the sino-japanese wars and was purely fictional, or was just chinese inspired, it could've been something great. i don't understand claiming the book as "more than fantasy" bc it references modern chinese history when you've changed the names of the nations, added a fanciful element that contradicts the history, and have watered down a few historical events. 


 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, War, Eating disorder, Racism, Trafficking, Body horror, Addiction, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Genocide, Child abuse, Blood, Violence, Slavery, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Classism, and Bullying

Moderate: Trafficking and Suicide

dennyiii's review against another edition

dark informative reflective 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

4.0

sudden tone change in the book may not suit everyone, it also gets very graphic so CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, War, Drug use, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Murder, Misogyny, Violence, Gore, Racism, Sexual assault, and Body horror