Reviews tagging 'Death'

The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee

14 reviews

ellytheskelly's review

dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

A very interesting and unique perspective, the tension was crazy and I found myself having to think "it's ok, she made it out because she wrote the book, it's ok." I can't imagine the stress of living it and not knowing how things would turn out.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Violence

angelofmusic317's review against another edition

adventurous fast-paced

4.5

Interesting story of a North Korean defector who not only escaped on her own but also got her family out. She shares the challenges, dangers, and struggles of leaving her country of birth to seek a different and better life somewhere else. This book moves quickly and is an interesting listen/read.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Violence, Confinement, Deportation, and War

Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Trafficking, Torture, Suicide, Sexual violence, Rape, Police brutality, Physical abuse, and Drug use

siennakt30's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Deportation, Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Genocide, Kidnapping, Racism, Murder, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Xenophobia, Death, Sexual harassment, Violence, Hate crime, Trafficking, and War

lyd41's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Deportation, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Genocide, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Classism, Drug use, Gun violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Excrement, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Abortion

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

dark emotional informative medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Murder

Moderate: Xenophobia and Trafficking

Minor: Cancer, War, Child death, and Drug use

sakisreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

4.0

I was recommended this by a friend who claims they don’t read very often but couldn’t stop reading this one - always a credit to the author 😳 A harrowing and heartfelt story, Hyeonseo Lee takes us through the horrors of North Korea but also tells us about the happinesses found there. It’s so much more nuanced than simply stating that North Korea is a bad place and she shows us this throughout, which I thought was important.

In saying that though, I was astonished at reading about the criticism lessons that the children and adults have to go through.

I would definitely recommend this and am going to research more into Lee’s TED talks! ✨

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

sammantha's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Cannibalism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Suicide, Death, and Murder

Minor: Cancer, Abortion, Trafficking, and Child death

jelenabts7's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Murder, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Physical abuse, Slavery, Sexual harassment, Gun violence, War, Body shaming, Death, Confinement, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Medical trauma, Addiction, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Blood, Eating disorder, Alcohol, Gun violence, Drug use, Genocide, Medical content, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Torture

natrix's review

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Addiction and Drug use

Minor: Trafficking

nataliebootlah's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

“My curiosity had always been greater than my fear - not a good trait to have in North Korea, where fear keeps your senses sharp and helps you stay alive.” 

What an incredible, eye-opening telling of the atrocities that happened and continue to happen in North Korea to this day. Hyeonseo Lee is just one brave person who, quite literally, risked it all as she defected from North Korea in search of a new life. 

Yet her story is not the norm — her family held a high status, known as songbun, and lived a relatively comfortable life. It was curiosity and rebellion that first sent her across the river to China and only the realization that she had been fed lies about North Korea being the best country in the world that kept her there.  

Hyeonseo does not shy away from how neighboring countries and the world view North Korea, North Korean defectors, and the challenges they face if and when they reach freedom. She was a young woman who fought for her freedom, her family’s freedom, and lived to tell the world their story. 

The Girl With Seven Names is a must read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, and Confinement