Reviews tagging 'Death'

How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee

35 reviews

chnfrng's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I’m so happy I found this book. It tells a story that many of those living in Japanese-occupied Singapore / Malaya know but rarely tell. 

World war 2 is often told from a European and male perspective. How we disappeared tells us about horrors of the war rarely told in the western world - and from a female perspective. This book is incredibly important and I urge everyone to read it. It’s not a light-hearted read by any means. The main characters are so human and gracefully written, I see so many elements of family members I know in Wang Di, her family and Kevin’s father which made this reading experience even more emotional and important.

I disagree with many of the reviews on here saying that Kevin’s part was unnecessary / interrupted Wang Di’s tale. I thought it was important for many reasons: 
- this story would have been extremely heavy to read without the contrast of Kevin. 
 - Kevin represents hope, a new generation, our generation, who doesn’t want to bury the past in the past. His willingness to search for Ah Ma’s lost history contrasts the typical mindset of older Asian generations to never speak about trauma and let the past die.

- without Kevin, Wang Di would never have got the closure she sorely needed and deserved. According to the book’s narrative, she would have never even told her story. And despite all of the injustice done to her in her life, finally she can grow old with a loving family that chooses her, and helps her to deal with her trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, War, and Death

Moderate: Mental illness

cerilou's review against another edition

dark emotional informative medium-paced

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

4.5

I stumbled across this book whilst looking for books based on refugees for a reading challenge. 

I have never really ventured in to reading historical fiction set in Asian countries especially around World War Two, Asian historical fiction is a sub genre that I was unaware of and I am a little disappointed to admit this. 

This was a very moving, intriguing, informative and inspiring read that I am glad that I stumbled upon by chance and I am certainly going to aim to add more Asian historical fiction to my TBR list.

How we disappeared follows Wang Di during the war as a ‘comfort woman’ for the Japanese soldiers during World War Two, as well as Kevin who ventures on a discovery of the truth based on this ailing grandmother. 

I certainly feel that I have learnt a very small snippet of Asian history from reading this book during World War Two and it broke my heart that this sort of thing happened and the horror and sense of shame is most certainly felt for the duration of the stories. Jing Jing Lee has done these women justice through this story about what the different families went through during World War Two. 

I will mention that it may cause triggers concerning rape, sexual assault, abuse 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, and War

alusig's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Rape, Sexual violence, and War

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

ktrain3900's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

So beautiful and so sad, a stunning first novel about the Singaporean side of the Japanese invasion during WWII, and it's aftermath, and the suffering and loss that bridges the two. We come to know the story through a young woman, Wang Di, traveling between the past she won't speak about and the present. These two threads are interwoven with a third thread, that of Kevin, a 12 year-old boy dealing with his own difficulties with school bullies, his absentee parents, and the illness and later death of his Ah Ma. War is ugly; it leads people who may not have otherwise to do very ugly things to other people, and the scenes in the black and white house (among other scenes of war) are among the most difficult reading I've ever done, but ultimately this is an inspiring and hopeful story. Kevin makes a discovery that ultimately brings the threads together, as we get to know not only him and Wang Di, but their families, the Old One, Ah Ma, Yan Ling, Jeomsun, Huay, as they try to wring small kindnesses and hope out of daily survival. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, War, Rape, and Death

Minor: Sexual assault, Bullying, and Trafficking

katiedatie21's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol and Blood

keira_cf's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Rape, Sexual violence, Infertility, Trafficking, Death, and War

betag1013's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Violence, War, Death, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, and Slavery

lillibooks's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, War, Death, Torture, Kidnapping, and Violence

drraytay's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Medical trauma, War, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Sexual violence, Death, Murder, Blood, Slavery, and Gun violence

Moderate: Death of parent and Pregnancy

rachyrexaphous's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Great for someone wanting insight into the experience of the Japanese occupation of Singapore, good glimpse into current socio-economic and cultural stigmas of sgrean society too

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Torture, Blood, Child death, Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and War