Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim

19 reviews

oatmooolissa's review

emotional sad slow-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

Made me sad and end the year long feud with my mom.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

mrgrizz's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, and Murder

readtomea97's review

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Grief

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual harassment, and Deportation

Minor: Cancer, Car accident, Child death, Death, and Murder

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Liked how all the loose ends were tied up. Liked how the reality of their situations were contrasted to the model ministry expectations. Liked the acknowledgement of what happened to Rodney King and the impact it had on the community (in this and in her other book When We Kept to Ourselves).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Alcoholism, Car accident, Stalking, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Child death, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Cancer, Deportation, Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

matcha_pages's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

I found Margot to be insufferable and the plot/mystery of Mina's death a disappointment.

Margot grows up resenting her single-mom for being so foreign, poor, and different. As an adult, she barely keeps in contact with her mom. After Mina dies, Margot goes on a crusade to learn more about her mom's past, find her biological father, and defend her mother's legacy. To me, it seemed Margot did this to cleanse her guilt of not having a better relationship with her mom while she had the chance. Just rubbed me the wrong way. 

On the other hand, Mina's story was heartwrenching and full of grit. It was the only thing keeping me from DNF-ing this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual assault

mmefish's review against another edition

A very depressing read. A story of an undocumented korean immigrant in USA and her VERY unlikable daughter.

126 pages in, and I still have no idea why she hated her mother so much.

 
Nancy Jooyoun Kim's writing is too repetitive for my liking, so I won't be continuing.

"Beauty is a construct, but theory is not the reality we live, she thought. Theory didn't live in the bones. Theory didn't erase the years of self-scrunity in a mirror and not seeing anyone at all, not a protagonist or a beauty, only a television sidekick, a speechless creature, who at best was "exotic," desirable but simple and foreign. Growing up, she has often wondered, If only I had bigger eyes or brown hair onstead of black. If only..."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

desjas's review

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Child death

Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual harassment, and Domestic abuse

kcelena's review

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Child death, Death, Pregnancy, and Stalking

Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, War, Car accident, Chronic illness, and Racism

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Death, Grief, Sexual assault, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Car accident and Child death

myrtle's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, and Racism