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brogan7's review against another edition
4.0
Also, I couldn't quite relate to the perfect friendship/turned so completely to trauma of a level so deep...I couldn't relate to either of them by then, Mi-ja and her seeming instantaneous change of heart, Young-Sook and her complete unwillingness to listen or interact with her, even if she felt betrayed.
The book explicitly and implicitly favoured a "forgiveness" pathway that felt more like passivity than forgiveness. The ending really pushed toward a particular interpretation, which felt imposed by non-survivors (the author? Or the cultural stereotype of the passive Asian woman?). The character of Young-Sook felt like she wanted to shatter those expectations, and for the better, but she wasn't allowed her free reign.
When Shaman Kim reinterprets this at the end of the book, she chastises Young-Sook, she pushes her to forgive Mi-ja, and by extension their Korean attackers, but that is not what was necessarily meant by the family's statements or by Shaman Kim's words to a community member. I thought Shaman Kim was originally enjoining Young-Sook to forgive herself, as a survivor. This was much more interesting to me than anything about Mi-ja at that point... Mi-ja's husband could not help them, even if he wanted to, that kind of heroics is for Hollywood...he had chosen his side and Jun-Bu wasn't on it, even had they been friends, which they weren't. Massacres don't tend well to exceptions, it's unlikely he could have saved his wife, at that point.
Graphic: War
Moderate: Colonisation, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual violence
TW: mass killingskenyoncannotread's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Violence, Child death, Death, and War
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Addiction
minireader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Murder, Xenophobia, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Genocide, Death, War, Torture, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Rape, Police brutality, Hate crime, Gun violence, and Death of parent
kelsids's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Police brutality, Death, and Rape
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Child abuse
inkdrinkermal's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
Graphic: War, Child death, Domestic abuse, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Violence, Sexual violence, and Physical abuse
There are several depcitions of rape and a child is brutally murdered on page. There is also a drowning that occurs on page.smstevens's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Pregnancy, War, Grief, Child death, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Murder, Domestic abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
entropyseeker's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, War, Child abuse, Murder, Colonisation, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Death, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Sexual violence, and Torture
caitlinriach's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Mass/school shootings
Moderate: Colonisation, Rape, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Emotional abuse
chemicallykat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Classism, Alcoholism, Genocide, Child abuse, Misogyny, Violence, War, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
m_maria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Moderate: Violence, Xenophobia, War, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Death, and Genocide
Minor: Rape, Torture, and Physical abuse