A review by zhakoreading
Babel by R.F. Kuang

4.0

• Great takes on colonialism and systematic racism. I’ve never seen such topics being covered so blatantly in a FANTASY book, of all. 

English did not just borrow words from other languages; it was safed to the brim with foreign influences, a Frankenstein vernacular. 
Aad Robin found it incredible, how this country, whose citizens prided temselves so much on being better than the rest of the world, could not sake it through an afternoon tea without borrowed goods.

However, the characters are really  flat in this one, beware.
They don’t have arcs or personalities, they are just what R.F Kuang wants to teach you through their speeches and dialogues. 

I wanted to see a bigger dynamic range within the characters, different political stances and different views. There wasn’t a single character who was POC AND would have a different opinion on Babel within the cast. You’d be surprised how many classists are among POC, and I was disappointed how black and white everything turned out to be.

The chemistry within the main cast doesn’t work, in my opinion. Rebecca tells, and never shows their friendship. We fly by through their first THREE years of Babel without growing attached to any of them, except, maybe, Robin, but that’s because we’re reading from his POV.

The pacing was very wonky, and the entire plot is kind of wacky as well.
The idea is strong, but the execution lacks a lot of depth.

There are many AMAZING things to consider and mull over, however, regarding systematic oppression and the opium wars, and etc. which I LOVED.

Made me think of the correlation with our society, and it made me realize that white people I’ve encountered in my life have acted the same exact way as Letty did. It was an eye opening read.

And now to my main point- The reason why I’m giving this book a high rating is because of its importance not only in its genre but overall within the book community itself. 

It’s a very important topic explained in a very simple and straightforward, but also interesting in its idea and journey, way.

I also loved a lot of scenes and the potential of many storylines.

And now to the spoilers!!!

Still, something did not seem right, and Robin could tell from Victorie's and Ramy's faces that they thought so too. It took him a moment to realize what it was that grated on him, and when he did, it would bother him constantly, now and thereafter; it would seem a great paradox, the fact that after everything they had told Letty, all the pain they had shared, she was the one who needed comfort.

This single-handedly gave me CHILLS.

It portrays Letty’s character and also a lot of white people behavior, but it’s also a very important foreshadowing of her future betrayal showcased in a very poetic way.

And the book is full of those bone chilling moments, e.g

Control, said Griffin again. 
Then another voice, horribly familiar: That's one good thing about you. 
When you're beaten, you don't cry.

Despite us not being attached to the characters all that much, we can observe and appreciate the work and intricacy that Rebecca built around them. 

I also liked the ending very much.
The killing of Lovell shifted the focus of the characters from war to a murder, which I didn’t like. And I didn’t like Ramy or Anthony’s or Griffin’s deaths.

However, Robin’s plan and his death made so much sense since the beginning of the book. It was poetic, and it created a perfect solution to a horrible situation.

Victorie’s decision also made a lot of sense.

Overall, would recommend! Especially to young adults, and teenagers over sixteen. 

It’s an eye opener.