The Poppy War by R.F. KuangMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is an engaging book--I found it so all the way through. The plot builds well and we have several engaging side characters surrounding the heavily oppressed but incredibly capable protagonist Rin. For a first novel it is very good and I can recommend it but with several caveats:
1) Unrelenting, realistic violence: Some compare this to horror, but horror violence is over-the-top in a way that lets one disengage. As incredibly brutal as the war scenes are in this book (and I'd say that's over 50% of it) one gets the idea that they are based on factual descriptions, and the author confirms this in her own description. The book is about people embracing genocidal Pol Pot-level evil in order to avoid something worse. Bring a strong stomach.
2) Derivative: We've seen this movie before, including the female lead. The anxiety and stress of the terrible choices Rin has to make are very well drawn. But her rise and ultimate victory seem very telegraphed, though what she does to get there does surprise. The coming-of-age core of the first book makes this read somewhat YA, though it is not at all appropriate for the YA category (not to say that teens should necessarily avoid it--they can handle plenty).
Like I said, it's a good book and a promising series. Whether I'll bring myself to read more of it, I don't know.
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