This book is a unique blend of history & fantasy. Set in a world inspired by 20th-century China & the Second Sino-Japanese War, The Poppy War follows Rin, a war orphan who rises to attend an elite military academy & becomes entangled with rageful gods & the horrors of war, turning her from a hopeful student into a vengeful weapon of destruction.

Kuang’s writing is unflinching, capturing the devastating impact of warfare & the brutal depths of human cruelty. Her graphic depictions of violence are absolutely harrowing, & the fact that some are pulled straight from textbooks makes it all the more disturbing. 

Bold & powerful, this novel is haunting reminder of the choices that define humanity. 

I’m not a true crime girly. I had no idea “The Defendant” lived & went to school in the same state that I’ve lived in for my whole life, so I found this book to be very eye-opening. Not only to the facts of the crimes, but also to the misogyny & incompetence of all the men involved! I loved that instead of focusing on the infamous killer, Knoll shifts the narrative to the women affected by his heinous crimes, giving them the voices they were often denied in media coverage. Their strength, courage, & intelligence as they seek justice & closure is inspiring. This novel is both a suspenseful thriller & and a poignant tribute to the resilience of victims, with a feminist undercurrent that highlights how society often fails to protect & honor women.

This book is an unsettling psychological thriller that delves into the dark complexities of trauma and family dysfunction. The writing is sharp and filled with tension, offering a gripping exploration of guilt and the lasting impact of childhood trauma. The characters are deeply flawed, yet compelling, and the story’s twists and revelations are both shocking and emotionally intense. 

More philosophy than feminism & I feel like the title should be something like “I Who Have Never Known Culture” or “Civilization ” or “Society” because that’s what this book is really about.