Scan barcode
A review by kaabtik
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
(2022 Reread)
Almost three years after my first read through, The Poppy War remains one of my favorite books of all time. It is a book where you know that the characters are doomed from the beginning — whether subconsciously or not. It does not shy from the brutality of war, and every page you are reminded that whatever forces at play, there are thousands of lives being gambled. Dare I say, this book gets better the more you read into it—if you ever recover well enough to pick it back up again.
Almost three years after my first read through, The Poppy War remains one of my favorite books of all time. It is a book where you know that the characters are doomed from the beginning — whether subconsciously or not. It does not shy from the brutality of war, and every page you are reminded that whatever forces at play, there are thousands of lives being gambled. Dare I say, this book gets better the more you read into it—if you ever recover well enough to pick it back up again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Excrement, Colonisation, and War