Reviews tagging 'Cultural appropriation'

Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang

237 reviews

lectoranovel's review against another edition

challenging dark inspiring reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, Racism, Suicide, Slavery, Colonisation, and Xenophobia

Minor: Sexism and Toxic friendship

not_asha01's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, War, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Blood, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Medical content, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Abandonment, Vomit, Alcohol, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Xenophobia

Minor: Addiction

guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cultural appropriation, War, Racial slurs, Murder, Hate crime, Death of parent, Death, Torture, Colonisation, Xenophobia, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Classism, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, and Sexism

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Violence

kirsten1999's review against another edition

challenging informative mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Colonisation, and Bullying

book_voyager's review against another edition

3.75

3 quarters of these book reminded a bit about Donna Tartt’s The Secret History. Academic students becoming friends, secret societies, things they have to keep hidden… Just add on politics and more speculative fiction.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book, like I enjoy Tartt’s book. I find academia related stories interesting, especially when they are related to languages. However, sometimes this books academics were heavy and I admit skipping footnotes more than once. I don’t think everything needs to be explained.

This is not a happy book. It’s still a good one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Torture, Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Death of parent, Death, Racial slurs, and Violence

Moderate: Slavery

acvhawk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, War, Classism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death of parent, Racial slurs, Sexism, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Death, Suicide, Violence, Cultural appropriation, Deportation, and Racism

uranaishi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Torture, Child abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Racism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Confinement, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Violence, Medical content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Sexism, Abandonment, Classism, Cursing, and Death

Minor: Car accident, Child death, War, Rape, Genocide, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Vomit, Infidelity, and Deportation

tasarla's review against another edition

adventurous challenging inspiring 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? No

5.0

If you liked the poppy wars you’ll like this as there are many parallels. It’s a very challenging book & goes in depth about things like colonialism, slavery, racism etc so it’s one of those books you have to be in the mood for but it’s SO good. It really enlightened me on the subject of translation, which I hadn’t really thought much of before. Overall highly reccomend

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Sexism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Racism, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Deportation, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cultural appropriation, Classism, Bullying, Colonisation, Gun violence, Death, and Abandonment

bookishmaggie's review against another edition

adventurous reflective tense

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

Excellent commentary on atrocities of colonialism, the self destructive force of imperialism, and the bonds formed among the marginalized in this violent demanding world 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Toxic friendship, Torture, Racial slurs, War, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Bullying, Child abuse, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Xenophobia, Violence, Blood, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Suicidal thoughts

kriti's review against another edition

informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Cultural appropriation, War, Sexism, Torture, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Grief, Racism, Blood, Classism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction and Toxic friendship

Minor: Slavery