Reviews tagging 'Death'

Babel: Una historia arcana by R.F. Kuang

1090 reviews

laffi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

4.5

Great work, but I saw about every plot twist coming miles ago

I predicted that

Ramy would die

at the start of the book, I saw the

Griffin/Anthony/Evie/Sterling history

,

Lovell being Robins father

,

Babel being destroyed by the translate-silver-work

, and many more.

Great book nevertheless

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Grief, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Misogyny, Slavery, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Deportation

teawitchontravel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Slavery, Death of parent, and Deportation

Minor: Vomit, Antisemitism, Car accident, and Alcohol

hannahcheney97's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Death, Racism, Death of parent, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Slavery and War

hennie's review against another edition

3.0

i feel like i'm losing points as a reader everytime i dislike a r.f. kuang book. please don't throw me out of the readers' guild! 
robin was painfully naive, the story was painfully enlongated, the writing was painfully repetitive (ha. see what i did there?). i was annoyed for most of the 22 hours of this audiobook. the ending kinda safed the book but couldn't fully reconcile me.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexism, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Colonisation

sangsmiles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Xenophobia, Murder, and Colonisation

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Cultural appropriation, and Sexual harassment

cglauser's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Death, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

mo_bookshelves's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Slavery

bookb1itch's review against another edition

challenging informative 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

4.5

I had heard such a lot of good things about how powerful this book was, but hadn't managed to read it.  Was very lucky to pick it up in a free Library whilst on holidays in Alice Springs - this feels even more unlikely now that I have read it.  Although I enjoyed the book immensely, especially its messages about colonisation and the self-importance of Britain, it was very much NOT a holiday read, so it has taken me quite a while to finish.  (eg it was not something I could read on the train, bus or plane, as it requires one's full attention.  Therefore, I have read other lighter things alongside this.). There was an event about 200 pages from the end, where I almost cheered aloud and the ending was as satisfying as it was unavoidable.  R F Kuang is a literary force to be reckoned with, leaving me with many questions about my heritage.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Racism, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Slavery and Blood

Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

sabrinazj's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

"The problem is we're always living like we've lost."

Once again, R. F. Kuang writes a handbook full of retorts and counterarguments for the reader to use against those in denial of the realities of colonialism and racism. This is one for the academics, the students, and the multilinguals. Smart, witty, beyond creative, and utterly enjoyable!! Her books read fast. 

Huge character development. And one of the most DEVASTATING deaths I've ever read

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Death, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

kirstym25's review against another edition

dark emotional 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: Racial slurs, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Death and Slavery

Minor: Gun violence and Death of parent