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cereads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Vomit
Minor: Cancer, Car accident, and Pregnancy
foliage_and_fiction's review
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
โHow afraid they were of each other. How impossible they seemed together. But if only her mother wouldโve knocked, and Margotโs response wouldnโt have been, ๐๐ฐ ๐ข๐ธ๐ข๐บ. If only they had a way to embrace each other and say, ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ, ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ต ๐โ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ณ๐บ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต. ๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ต๐ณ๐บ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐บ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต.โ
Trying to imagine Minaโs loss, pain & struggleโฆto say I was moved while reading her story would be an understatement. Iโm always drawn to a complicated mother/daughter theme & I especially loved the deep dive into the relationship between an immigrant parent & their American born child - how this can cause a lack of communication & understanding in each other. Oh & the FOOD ๐คค Wow did this novel make me hungryyyyyy. Vegan Jjigae has now been handwritten into my cookbook my mom gave me & it will be a regular meal in my house for sure!
All of that said, there were parts I was really disappointed with. The ending pissed me off so much & it felt way too rushed. Like Juyoon Kim tried to fit too many themes into one book, so some of it was wrapped up too perfectly while the rest was glossed over with little explanation. The โmysteryโ theme in the book didnโt feel needed whatsoever. I could have read another 300 pages about Minaโs life & the dynamic between her & Margot instead. Also, the gay Hispanic BFF was unnecessary & it seemed he was only added for more โdiversityโ. Miguel was a one dimensional, stereotyped character IMO.
Trying to imagine Minaโs loss, pain & struggleโฆto say I was moved while reading her story would be an understatement. Iโm always drawn to a complicated mother/daughter theme & I especially loved the deep dive into the relationship between an immigrant parent & their American born child - how this can cause a lack of communication & understanding in each other. Oh & the FOOD ๐คค Wow did this novel make me hungryyyyyy. Vegan Jjigae has now been handwritten into my cookbook my mom gave me & it will be a regular meal in my house for sure!
All of that said, there were parts I was really disappointed with. The ending pissed me off so much & it felt way too rushed. Like Juyoon Kim tried to fit too many themes into one book, so some of it was wrapped up too perfectly while the rest was glossed over with little explanation. The โmysteryโ theme in the book didnโt feel needed whatsoever. I could have read another 300 pages about Minaโs life & the dynamic between her & Margot instead. Also, the gay Hispanic BFF was unnecessary & it seemed he was only added for more โdiversityโ. Miguel was a one dimensional, stereotyped character IMO.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Racism, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
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