Reviews with content warning for Police brutality - The Island of Sea Women

Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

53 reviews

mmorice's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

Wonderful book with an interesting insight in Korean history from a woman's perspective. Loved reading about the matriarchical culture of diving in Jeju. Very intense scenes describing the war repercussions on their island.

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emmyreads03's review

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informative reflective fast-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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avsharp's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

A raw, tragic and wrenching story about the ties between two women being torn by historic events and the cruelty of war, as well as the darker sides of men and tradition. I learned a lot about Jeju's 20th century history, the island's cultural practices and social customs, and was really engaged by the story of Young-sook and Mi-ja, though I was a little disappointed that the main barrier to resolution was the unrelenting stubbornness of the protagonist.

The actions of some of the characters were understandable, even if not relatable, and the bitter resolution left me feeling quite reflective and sombre about the generations of civilians - and especially women - caught up and senselessly set against each other in conflict after conflict. A tale that looks back at the trauma echoing from past events, but no doubt carries much relevance today.

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nvciel's review

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emotional informative sad slow-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

1.0

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markcollison's review

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challenging dark 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? N/A

4.75

Having read another of See’s books, I knew I would fall in love with the characters, however I was not expecting to be gut-wrenchingly torn from them. This is a brilliantly written example of just one woman’s story among the life on Jeju Island and the massacre that occurred there. The depth of the novel emerges when one realises that each resident of the island had their own story, that was just as detailed and heartbreaking as this one.

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raybudbury's review

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dark emotional informative medium-paced

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

3.75

Actually finishes the book club book before the meeting this month damn!

This one was fine. I got a little emotional by the end as it’s about friendships and forgiveness (or lack thereof) spanning decades though I don’t know much about Jeju Island / much of Korea’s history the writing felt well-researched. I feel like I learned a lot from this book actually. The haenyeo diving and matriarchal culture and the massacre that took place on the island were new information to me.

The beginning was slow for me personally but started picking up rapidly as the chapters (years) passed. Highly rec if you are looking for historical fiction related to Korea.

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