You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Scan barcode
alexisgarcia's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
333amreen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Such an easy read year covers such complex topics. Only goes on to show how great the writing is! So philosophical and psychological all at once. LOVED HIS CONNECTION WITH GON but the Dora part felt forced and incomplete & that's the ONLY reason I took off the .5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.0
I was really intrigued by the disability in this one. I had never heard of it and don't know if the representation was accurate, but I am not to judge on that. It does seem the author did their research. This definitely wasn't an easy read, but being short, it was easier to get through. The ending was not as I hoped. The translation was done very well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
cami_chai's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death and Grief
claudiashelf's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
❝ Mom said everything was for my sake, calling it love. But to me, it seemed more like we were doing this out of her own desperation not to have a child that was different. Love, according to Mom’s actions, was nothing more than nagging about every little thing, with teary eyes, about how one should act such and such in this and that situation. If that was love, I’d rather neither give nor receive any. But of course, I didn’t say that out loud. That was all thanks to one of Mom’s codes of conduct—Too much honesty hurts others—which I had memorized over and over so that it was stuck in my brain. ❞
The book centres around an enigmatic and complex character named Yunjae, who suffers from a rare condition called Alexithymia. This condition leaves him unable to experience emotions, which makes it difficult for him to interact with people and understand social cues. As the story unfolds, Yunjae meets an array of intriguing people, each with their own unique personalities and backgrounds. I see how Yunjae's relationship with them develops over time, how he tries to make sense of his emotions, or lack thereof, and how he navigates the world around him.
The author paints a vivid and compelling picture of Yunjae's journey, capturing every nuance of his struggles and triumphs. The book is a poignant exploration of the human condition, and the author's masterful storytelling keeps me captivated until the very end. Although the ending may have felt a little underwhelming, the book as a whole is a beautifully written, thought-provoking, and emotionally resonant tale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, and Grief
lilmissoddity's review against another edition
2.0
This book is a gross misrepresentation of the condition Alexithymia and misrepresentation of conditions can be a harmful thing to people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
hjb_128's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
bookishcookiemonster's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
4.0
Heartbreaking and beautiful. Going to reccomend this to all my friends
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
jiangslore's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
[4/5]
Eu queria ler “Amêndoas” porque só escutei coisas ótimas sobre o livro. Mas, apesar de ter muita gente que gostou da leitura, vi muito pouco ser dito sobre o que o livro era efetivamente — o tema, o enredo, os personagens, por exemplo. Isso fez com que eu começasse a leitura sem muitas noção do que aconteceria, mas acabei gostando muito. Algo que acredito firmemente é que o melhor tipo de livro infanto-juvenil é o tipo que fala sobre crescer, e “Amêndoas” faz isso de um jeito que, mesmo sendo inesperado, é muito natural.
A escrita é extremamente fluida. Os temas que são tratados na narrativa nem sempre são simples ou fáceis, mas a forma que o livro é escrito faz com que tudo pareça mais leve do que é. Além disso, os personagens são muito interessantes — eu não diria que “Amêndoas” pesa muito nas descrições, mas o que é descrito sobre a personalidade ou experiência dos personagens faz com que cada um deles pareça profundo e realista. E, claro, o personagem narrador da história, Yunjae, é muito bem desenvolvido. Embora a posição dele não seja nada convencional e, consequentemente, a percepção dele também não o seja, é muito fácil entender o personagem, suas motivações e suas ações. O fato de ele ter uma voz muito característica como narrador foi uma das coisas mais interessantes do livro, na minha opinião.
Há alguns outros personagens que são relevantes para a história, mas o que merece mais destaque é, com certeza, o Gon. Ele sem dúvidas é mais controvertido do que o Yunjae — se, por um lado, é difícil não entender o Yunjae, por outro, é difícil entender o Gon — mas é muito interessante observar como, em razão de experiências passadas opostas, esses dois personagens parecem estar passando pelas mesmas coisas. Observar o modo que a relação deles é desenvolvida me fez perceber o quanto “Amêndoas” é um livro sobre amizade, sobre como às vezes é com o outro que somos capazes de entendermos mais sobre nós mesmos.
Acredito que um ponto criticável do livro é a escolha da autora em colocar o protagonista para ter uma condição neurológica que realmente existe. Não sei o quanto da alexitimia, da forma que é retratada em “Amêndoas”, é real e o quanto é resultado da imaginação da autora (no início do livro, há um aviso de que esses dois elementos fizeram parte da formação da obra), mas acredito que, se a proposta era fazer algo que envolve a imaginação, seria muito menos arriscado e até mais proveitoso simplesmente inventar uma condição específica. Não acho que a autora está necessariamente errada por não ter feito essa escolha, mas estaria mentido se dissesse que não me perguntei algumas vezes o por quê disso.
Além disso, o romance é bem… Superficial. Acredito que ele serve ao propósito que é apresentado no livro; e não é como se não tivesse feito sentido na narrativa. Mas acho que estou cansada demais da fórmula de “livro sobre a amizade de dois meninos no qual a menina só surge brevemente para gostar de um deles de modo romântico” que não consegui gostar.
Por fim, “Amêndoas”, é uma daquelas histórias que deixam muito para ocorrer após o final. Claro, isso faz sentido, porque a narrativa se limita a alguns eventos específicos da vida do protagonista, mas sei que isso é algo que pode ser considerado um ponto negativo para muita gente. De qualquer modo, acredito que a leitura vale muito a pena. A história dele é muito sensível e agradável, apesar de ser menos leve do que eu imaginava, e com certeza ensina muitas coisas que são valiosas; especialmente para o público-alvo da obra.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Ableism
rachjy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail