i_write_on_occasion's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racial slurs, Colonisation, and Suicide
Moderate: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Racial slurs, and War
Minor: Death of parent
rieviolet's review against another edition
- 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
It is not without flaws. At times the handling of its themes is very heavy-ended, everything is spelled out for the reader and you can see the author's hand very cleary, so much so that you feel a bit pulled out of the narrative. The portrayal of some characters could use some more depth and exploration, in places it felt a little surface-level and stilted.
The ending is maybe a bit too open-ended for my liking.
That being said, the book is still a marvellous feat of the dark academia genre. I loved the reading experience, it was fascinating and gripping, it kept me on the edge of my seat with its twists and turns and put me on a roller coaster of emotions. Just, why did you have to crush my heart like that, R. F. Kuang? My poor boys.
Language was just difference. A thousand different ways of seeing, of moving through the world. No; a thousand worlds within one. And translation - a necessary endeavour, however futile, to move between them.
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Colonisation, Classism, Sexism, Slavery, Xenophobia, Blood, Violence, Torture, Grief, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Death
Moderate: Confinement, Gun violence, Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide, War, Death of parent, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Addiction, Religious bigotry, and Sexual harassment
chiar_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Colonisation, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Suicide, Violence, War, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Death, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Misogyny, Drug use, and Sexism
pobi's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, War, Child abuse, Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Slavery, Suicide, Xenophobia, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Violence
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Addiction and Child death
jamesdaniel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Racial slurs, Grief, War, Sexism, Violence, Colonisation, Racism, Xenophobia, Hate crime, Murder, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Trafficking, Suicide, Death, Classism, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Gun violence
Minor: Body horror, Medical trauma, Blood, and Antisemitism
solarel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Conceptually the book discussed important themes with no subtlety, but there was nothing there to keep attention to. A bit disappointing.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, War, Death of parent, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Xenophobia, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Police brutality, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, and Domestic abuse
griffin_7's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Violence, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cultural appropriation, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Vomit, Hate crime, Racism, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Colonisation, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Suicide attempt, and Forced institutionalization
bessjoyce's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Moderate: Colonisation, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Slavery, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Drug use
fizzieee's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Drug use, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Violence, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Vomit, War, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Racial slurs, Blood, Child abuse, Classism, Death, and Murder
Minor: Bullying, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
chiwirite's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Suicide, Racism, Classism, Death, and Drug use
Moderate: Alcoholism, Racial slurs, War, Pandemic/Epidemic, Blood, Bullying, Xenophobia, Violence, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Murder, Gun violence, Grief, Deportation, Addiction, Slavery, and Sexism