The Poppy War | GUSH

[@katieamarsh]

I appreciated the lack of romance in this book. I liked that a woman could be a badass main character without having a love story too.

[@newforestgracia6691]

I love how rin went from a girl who wanted to be a soldier and protect her country, to a morally gray character who still wants to protect her squad and stuff, but in such a different way (idk of this made sense)

[@jojobookish9529]

I just finished this and The Dragon Republic, and they were both incredible! I think the jarring feeling between parts 1 and 2 that some have mentioned is deliberate; Rin goes to Sinegard thinking it's her escape, and war is this nebulous thing to her, a glorious game. Then she experiences war and learns hard how foolish they all were to think so.

[@DontHaveaDegreeinReading]

i cannot wait for you to read the dragon republic! it always frustrates me when i hear people talk about how much they disliked rin and i'm like I KNOW THAT IS WHY I LOVE HER! i understand why people don't like her, but i think that as fantasy readers we are conditioned to go in thinking that the MC is the hero and that clearly is not the case for rin. also, i freaking love jiang! to me, he was the perfect mixture of uncle iroh and king bumi from avatar the last airbender.

[@CatieAndHerCats]

This has been my FAVE of 2020 and maybe my favorite fantasy of all time

[@LilyEleanorReads]

yesss loved this!! i love Rin so much even if I question her decisions a lot of the time 😅 and i think the author walks the line really well of making you care about her but also making clear her actions (like at the end with the Federation) are bad. I love a lot of the characters but my favourite is Kitay for sure. I just recently read The Dragon Republic and loved it, I hope you do too when you get to it!

[@lazarusreads3711]

This is by far one of the best books I’ve read. Looking forward to seeing what you think of the second book. I’m just waiting on the third one.

[@lauras9071]

I thought I was meh about this book, but then I reread it after I got more used to adult fantasy and loved Rin so much. History related but not for the future (bc I also dont want to know the answer about the empress) - but I read this after reading the Rape of Nanking (which the events Ch. 21 and 22 were based off of almost word by word). And what I found really interesting was the constant conversations the characters have throughout Poppy War that mirror the points the author made about war in general. It was just interesting hearing familiar phrases of the book echoed throughout it, not just in those chapters. It reminded me how well both novels were crafted.

[@malex__1891]

Yay! So glad you liked it 😊 I can't wait for Dragon Republic, I really need to pick it up soon!

[@tillthestarsevaporate]

Finally a gush for a book I read 🙈 Basically, my thoughts are that I loved this book in spite of it being huge. But I never found myself bored with it at any point, which is rare for me! Also, the second book is even better, if that’s even possible. Both were five-star reads for me

[@mirtareads2042]

I was waiting for you to read the series! So glad you like the first book! I finish the third (big thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC) this month and the series get better and better with every book! Now I’m waiting for your review of The Dragon Republic!

[@FourPawsandaBook]

I just read this and loved it so much! I’m going to read the second one next month hopefully!

[@misswolvesandroses6765]

So glad you like this. I don’t think I can actually comment my feelings because I’ve read the dragon republic and don’t want to even hint spoil for you. So I will wait patiently and will come discuss after you’ve read the dragon republic.

[@ThoughtsOnTomes]

thank you :)

[@lizzyrose5494]

I read the poppy war this month and I loved it!!!! I am simultaneously terrified for the next book and super excited.

[@ThoughtsOnTomes]

lol same

[@rexkennethtejada8109]

finished the book minutes agooo and i am so excited to watch this videoooooo

[@ReadandFindOut]

Ok but now I am SO interested in how you'll react to some things in The Dragon Republic

[@ThoughtsOnTomes]

I'm nervous but excited lol

[@bernfern916]

This is the only book that I’ve read where the morally grey choices the main character makes actually left me jaded. I’m still trying to place my feelings on the choice she made a whole month after I’ve read the book.

[@Loonadance1212]

I also read this book in august and loved it ! Cant wait to read the sequel next month. Loved Rin as a main character!

[@kerlys1278]

I love this series! I listened both books on audio and the narrator (Emily Woo Zeller) was amazing. That scene about the raping, made me cry

[@Ashley-xh5lb]

I'm late to the game but I was really excited to read this book because it was so hyped up. Honestly I didn't like it. I think the pacing was really jarring for me, and I felt disconnected to Rin as a character because I didn't feel like there was enough development before the war started. I also felt like it was a lot of world building that just felt like it was being dumped on me. Over an over again it was backstory and history just being told to the reader. I did like how the author handled addiction and the horrors of war. It just seemed strange to me how the characters would be in bad situations and it seemed like it was the end but suddenly there was a quick fix. Like the doctor at the lab was introduced and killed in like a character. Overall I don't think I'll be picking up the second book.

[@bookaholicgameaholicvlogah4191]

I literally just finished this book yesterday

[@moumitareads3738]

I went with the mentality of war and it would be gruesome so most of the past did not affect me as much as that rape scene I just broke down and tears rolled down and down

[@rum-yul]

I have read poppy war... The first part was great... But by the last part I was confused... I really like Rin's perseverance and more shocked about her choices...

[@bellapier1285]

This is my favorite book, I'm so pumped for the third book in November but also scared lol

[@JulieTheReader]

This is one I need to reread. My first time through, I was having a bit of trouble reconciling the school setting with how quickly the brutal warfare escalated. I’ll see how I feel at the end of it/the next book. (BTW, I think Nezha is pronounced “nay-juh.”)

[@ThoughtsOnTomes]

thank you!

[@vic.mann1]

I can't wait for the final book, i already know it will punch me in the gut.

[@jasmin_mine]

After I finished this book I felt as if someone punched me in my stomach, I still need to read The dragon republic but I enjoyed this one so much

[@Pokephira]

Just get through The Dragon Republic fam you will love it.

[@mariannaingegneri]

i'm sorry but I NEED a rin-nezha romance I CRAVE IT

[@teanlit2949]

i'm like you, i can read gore and violence but sometimes seeing it on screen can really put me off. sad to say, but hopefully this doesn't get a movie in the future.

[@sirhandsome5107]

Lookin like a whole snack girl…yummy 😅

[@katieha12345]

I read this book when it came out and gave it 3*s cos I felt there was a big tonal shift between the first and second halves that was jarring and I didn’t really gel with the writing, but I just finished The Dragon Republic and loved it and it was probs 4.5*s? So now I want to reread The Poppy War cos I have a feeling past me was just having a weird time seeing as everyone else loves it.

[@keziarukmana1950]

same i gave the 1st book a 3 stars, the big tonal shift and rin's character declines (lots of bad decision at the end) threw me off, but then i read tdr and my opinion changed vastly, I understand her more, there were more insights on why she made the decisions that she made and I realized that my expectations of her in the 1st book isn't what the author is trying to go for. I just recently re-read TPW and I absolutely enjoyed it

[@l0n3wolf89]

Gave this one 3 stars. Not very interested in reading the rest of the series. What really bothered me was the use/misuse of langague and out of place cursewords.... Like... Okay, I've read ALOT about eastern history and culture...and the use of "f*ck" is really out of place. Lowered the whole standard for me. And I got really bored of hearing the MC talking about the Gods telling her this and that.... Nah. Not for me. It was an okay read, but like I said, won't keep reading it or recommend it either. 🤷🏼‍♀️