Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee

16 reviews

thebookfestclub's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Violence, War, Rape, Death, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

thelaurasaurus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

4.25

This book made me so sad and angry, while also managing to contain occasional tender moments that made the misery bearable. While the treatment Wang Di received at the hands of the Japanese wasn’t exactly a surprise,

I was really upset by how she was treated upon her return, not just by her neighbours, but by her brother

. I had to take a break to sit and have a think (and a cry) when I finished. 

I liked the Kevin storyline, but I wish that it had been slightly less depressing, and also better developed. I wanted it to both counteract the horror of what I was reading about Wang Di, and also move and engage me in the same way. 

As a side note: I knew nothing about the history of Singapore, and this book provided me with a really interesting introduction to the country. I would like to read more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Slavery, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child abuse, War, Violence, and Blood

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

alexhaydon's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Sexual violence, War, and Rape

megmoore123's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Sexual violence, Bullying, Sexual assault, Slavery, Child abuse, Genocide, Violence, and War

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

daniela_is_reading's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad

4.25

WARNING ⚠️- review comes with triggers.

SYNOPSIS and THOUGHTS:
I've read a number of war based novels over the years. Some, have been standouts and will stay with me forever. 'How we Disappeared' is one of these standouts. Jing-Jing Lee speaks of the abhorrent experience and treatment of women and children during the 3 year Japanese occupation of Singapore in WWII.

Children as young as 12 were taken from their families and forced to work in a military brothel. They called them, 'comfort women', but they were in fact sex slaves, living in poor conditions, underfed and often beaten and raped multiple times on a daily basis. Many never saw their families and friends again. They, just disappeared.

In this beautifully told but heart wrenching story we follow the life of Wang Di prior the Japanese occupation, during her 3 years at the military brothel and much later as an elderly women in search of her voice and peace after losing her beloved husband.

Also, fast forward to the year 2000, and we get to know, and love 12 year old Kevin.  Kevin's frail grandmother, in her dying breath mumbles a confession to Kevin which sets a ball in motion. Kevin  is determined to find answers. In doing so, it leads  him straight to Wang Di, where many truths not spoken about for decades are revealed.

This is not a comfortable or light read, but I feel it's an important one. It took me a little longer to finish, as at times, I had to put it down and have a break. However, I have no regrets reading it.

Please note, prior picking this one up that it's heavy and can be triggering to some. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and War

barbiejoon12's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, War, Slavery, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Murder, Trafficking, Bullying, and Child death

Minor: Blood, Gore, and Violence

remainsofabook's review

dark informative sad slow-paced

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

4.5

How We Disappeared was a page-turner. A novel that weaves the past atrocities of the WWII Japanese Occupation in Singapore, specifically on comfort women, and its aftermath. The story follows 2 perspective, Wang Di and Kevin, through 2 different timelines. Personally I enjoyed the 2 different timelines and Kevin's story. It is very slow paced and a little long but I think it's a welcomed break from Wang Di's heartbreaking past. The present timeline also provides some Singaporean Chinese cultural context and it makes the story fuller and realistic.  Lee handles the topic with sensitivity and she presented different aspects of the misogyny Wang Di faced, the shaming and shunning and the internalised misogyny. I didn't enjoy the ambiguous ending but I could guess the reason why Lee had done so. Overall, I think this is a book worth reading. However, don't expect a history lesson from it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, War, Slavery, Trafficking, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Trafficking