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internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, Death of parent, Death, Dementia, and Terminal illness
reading_rainbow_with_chris's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
4.25
“Skinship” by Yoon Choi
In this debut collection of stories, author Yoon Choi has produced compelling works of Korean identity. Focused on the experiences of first and second generation Korean-Americans, many of whom are women, the collection offers a thoughtful look into a population which is rarely featured. Choi’s command of observation in these narratives is a particular strength for me; when her characters pause to observe, there is a natural curiosity which permeates the experience and feels very real to life. For me personally, the overall effect of the collection was slightly dampened because the range of emotional timbre was not very wide, but within that relatively narrow range the stories are masterfully executed. There was no story I can point to as a weak link, but I believe the strongest stories are the titular “Skinship,” the frustrating “A Map of the Simplified World,” and the haunting “The Art of Losing.” All together, this is a wonderful collection which makes impactful the everyday experiences of Korean-Americans and I highly recommend it for those interested in intercultural fiction and short story enthusiasts in general.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Cancer, Dementia, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexism, Racism, Alcohol, Bullying, Child abuse, and Sexual content
sarahfa's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
Favorite short story was Map of the Simplified World. Discussed parent expectations around life/school in a way I have never seen done before. So matter-of-fact.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Racism, and Death of parent
yianzhang's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
this short story collection is SO well written but I didn’t find any of the main characters likable, which made it a bit difficult for me to enjoy/relate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Terminal illness
leah_alexandra's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-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? Yes
5.0
What an astounding collection of stories. Not a "skip" among them. They each convey so much history, emotion, and character, in relatively few pages.
Not really a spoiler, I think: one of the best parts about this collection is how Korean immigrants/Korean-Americans are fully centered in each narrative. We're never reading these people through the lens of white people. White people barely feature in the stories at all.
Not really a spoiler, I think: one of the best parts about this collection is how Korean immigrants/Korean-Americans are fully centered in each narrative. We're never reading these people through the lens of white people. White people barely feature in the stories at all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Death of parent, Dementia, Excrement, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness
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