Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park

47 reviews

bright_eyed_and_bookish's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Park manages to find the humanity within the inhumanity in the situations and people she faces along her journey. This is a story not only about her experience itself, but also her rapidly changing worldview.

By the end of the book, we get to know her understanding of the power of a story in providing a kind of freedom.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Rape, Medical content, Grief, and Terminal illness

Minor: Suicide and Torture

gloriazthompson's review against another edition

emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Abortion

shadereads's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Trafficking, and Torture

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Medical content and Physical abuse

seedsofsunflowers's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

Yeonmi’s been through so many hardships, and her account of her life thus far is at once tragic and inspiring. Can’t recall if it is officially, but her story is sort of split into three portions - her childhood in North Korea, her time being trafficked and stuck in China, and her adjustment to South Korea when she finally escaped. Each of these sections feels a little different - the first is more matter-of-fact and emotionally detached (to be fair I can’t remember most of my childhood, so she probably relied a bit on family to piece some things together), the second is utterly depressing, and the third is more hopeful but makes you think about some issues we may take for granted today in “first-world” countries. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Eji Kim, and didn’t find the simplicity of the language at all an issue like I’m reading in some previous reviews. It’s well-written, and the kind of story that may not necessarily spell out hugely complex thoughts but does make you think upon your own assumptions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, and Violence

Minor: Cancer, Racism, Sexism, and Torture

ohlhauc's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

This book was a detailed retelling of the events in the author's life from her early childhood in North Korea, her escape to China and experience being trafficked as a sex slave, followed by her second escape to South Korea where she received an education and began to build a safe, hopeful life.

The story is very important as we need to understand more about the situations and social forces/governments that lead to such oppression and violence against human dignity. However, there wasn't much beyond a straightforward chronicle of events. I would have liked to see more commentary and extrapolation of the ideas beyond the author's experience. The writing was also fine; nothing stood out, either bad or good.

The topic was important but the execution was just okay. I'd recommend checking out other memoirs or books on the topic of North Koreans escaping their country if you want a broader or deeper understanding of the topics.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Trafficking

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: Death of parent and Kidnapping

phantasyia's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

churameru's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence