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
aisclaradm'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: Colonisation, Murder, Toxic friendship, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Torture
Moderate: Drug abuse, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Trafficking, War, Drug use, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Cultural appropriation and Alcohol
arayo'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
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Torture, Murder, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Suicide, Grief, Classism, Gun violence, and Slavery
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Islamophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
nartana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide
Minor: Slavery
goose'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
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Colonisation, Death, Gore, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Suicide, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Classism, Sexism, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Physical abuse, War, Islamophobia, Gun violence, Slavery, and Vomit
Other tags that Storygraph doesn't have:Spoiler
main character death, main character murdercatapocalypse'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
4.0
Most of the flaws could have been addressed by the story being a duology or even a trilogy instead of one tome, however. While the main character, Robin Swift, is very well explored and realized, the other characters and their relationships are not fleshed out nearly enough. Ramy comes perhaps closest, but after the initial meeting and his interlude, it drops off mostly. The pacing also shifts dramatically from the slow buildup of Robin's life and education up through the first couple years at Babel, into the breakneck pacing of events about 300 pages in.
The other qualm is best explained by this video from Lou Reading Things on YouTube (https://youtu.be/nZN5YjHshJE?si=LLBpm01g3DEQzHUc), which basically comes down to the way the book's worldview skirts over the source of the silver used in the empire's magic to being with. Though her commentary only covers up to Book II within Babel, it holds true for the remainder; the focus is on the imbalance between who has the silver now and only mentions the blood cost of its origins in the Americas once.
For any interested in some nonfiction reads that I feel make good companions to some of the ideas explored, I recommend Eduardo Galeano's Open Veins of Latin America (which will fill in the aforementioned blank) and Kris Manjapra's Black Ghost of Empire (which I read alongside Babel by happenstance, and actually adds a lot of info and context about Britain's colonization, slavery practices, and abolition movements).
Still, I had a good time with Babel.
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Death, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Child abuse