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bethsreading's review
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? It's complicated
3.5
This book is definitely not for everyone; if you’re someone that needs plot to a story - it is not for you. However, this book excels at creating a distinct and palpable atmosphere with beautiful yet direct writing. This is very much a character focused story and, while I didn’t always fully understand her actions, the narrator felt like a real person with a complicated view of herself and her own life. It is an interesting reflection on identity, autonomy, and the desire yet fear of something more. If you’re someone who likes atmospheric, character focused literary fiction - which I certainly do when I’m in the mood for it - I think you’ll like this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Vomit, Sexual content, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
Moderate: Murder
emminkirjakasa's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Hidas, vähäeleinen ja melankolinen tunnelma jatkuu koko kirjan läpi. Kirja on kaunis ja yksinkertainen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming and Eating disorder
Minor: Vomit
yankees714's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit and Eating disorder
l0v3lu's review
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Animal death
Minor: Vomit
readingpicnic's review
fast-paced
4.5
A weird little wintery book set in South Korea that comments on white tourism, biracial identity, the body modification culture in Korea, body dysmorphia, and complicated mother-daughter relationships. There were some great vividly weird scenes, especially between the mother and daughter. The weird relationship between the main character and the French tourist made me so uncomfortable, but more in an intriguing way? The men were just pretty gross and unlikeable in this story in general. The main character does end up binge-eating a lot in this book, especially in scenes with her mother, and food plays an important role in the story, so content warning for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Fatphobia, Blood, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Vomit and War
emmagreenwood's review
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Self harm, Body horror, Vomit, Abandonment, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Infidelity, Animal death, and Racism
belramica's review
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming
Moderate: Fatphobia and Eating disorder
Minor: Vomit
aliyachaudhry's review
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
go girl give us nothing
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Animal death, Eating disorder, and Body shaming
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Vomit
melcanread's review
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
2.0
Critical rating: 2 stars.
Vibe check: 2 stars.
I feel like I need to take a shower after that and exfoliate the bullshit off of me.
Winter in Sokcho follows a Korean-French woman who lives in Sokcho, South Korea. One evening, a French graphic-novelist shows up and works on his latest book.
That's it. That's literally what happens. Throw in some body shaming and eating disorders and that's the entire 154 condensed into a short paragraph. The whole novel felt very stagnant and dull, with the most interesting thing being the fact that her mother can prepare puffer fish without poisoning people.
I didn't like the writing style. It was too simple and it didn't feel like any effort was put into the translation at all. I saw this. I smelled this. We went here. I ate this. I regretted it for 154 solid. It was so, incredibly bland, and it made me want to pluck my eyeballs out of their sockets just for something to do.
The main "love interest" (if you can call him that) was a whole demon - and just to jump off of that, the amount of times in this short book I went, "what the fuck?" because one of the characters had just made some random, out of pocket action that made no sense whatsoever. Some examples:
Vibe check: 2 stars.
I feel like I need to take a shower after that and exfoliate the bullshit off of me.
Winter in Sokcho follows a Korean-French woman who lives in Sokcho, South Korea. One evening, a French graphic-novelist shows up and works on his latest book.
That's it. That's literally what happens. Throw in some body shaming and eating disorders and that's the entire 154 condensed into a short paragraph. The whole novel felt very stagnant and dull, with the most interesting thing being the fact that her mother can prepare puffer fish without poisoning people.
I didn't like the writing style. It was too simple and it didn't feel like any effort was put into the translation at all. I saw this. I smelled this. We went here. I ate this. I regretted it for 154 solid. It was so, incredibly bland, and it made me want to pluck my eyeballs out of their sockets just for something to do.
The main "love interest" (if you can call him that) was a whole demon - and just to jump off of that, the amount of times in this short book I went, "what the fuck?" because one of the characters had just made some random, out of pocket action that made no sense whatsoever. Some examples:
"I took off my jumper. I pressed myself up against the window, crushing my belly and breasts to the glass and waited until I was numb with cold. Then I went to bed."
"A spider scuttled into view and started to run up his leg, but he made no move to brush it away. He looked down at his handiwork. In an instinctive moment, he tore off a corner of the sheet and began to chew on it."
Later on, she's cleaning his room and she finds a wad of paper in the bin covered in his spit? What?
Also, genuine question, how does one's breasts tighten? Because yet again someone has written about it, and deemed it necessary to include it and I'm still so very confused.
I think my biggest issue with this book was that it felt very demonising of Korean men and romanticising the white French dude. Both the Korean love interest and the French one were assholes, I'd like to put out there, but it felt very icky, you know?
There was more body shaming in this book than I'd have cared for, and so much talk of eating disorders. Let this be a lesson to you, actually check the trigger warnings of the books your reading, kids. Oh! And graphic descriptions of cutting up and killing fish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder and Body shaming
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Vomit
raphynette's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit, Sexual content, and Eating disorder