Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

76 reviews

kibbles15's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Vomit, and War

Minor: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Medical content

azilisssss's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Vomit and Pregnancy

camillemelaleuca's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative 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? Yes

4.5

heartbreaking

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Grief

Moderate: Child death and Death of parent

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War

rieviolet's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

3.0

I started this book with very high expectations and maybe that wasn't a good idea because it just added to my disappointment. 

The sections with historical, social and cultural informations were very interesting (at least for me) but I don't think that they were very well integrated into the narration and I can see how someone might find them a bit too much didactic and dry.

The historical events that are the basis for this story were brutal and certainly they cannot be brushed aside, but I still think that an author can approach the portraying of violence in a way that does not feel gratuitous (as it did for me in this case). I don't think that such a violence was well transposed on the page, at times it just felt like a list of atrocities, just for shock value. 

In general, I just didn't get along much with the writing style, I found it eithera bit plain or a bit too much overdone, without much subtlety in terms of both narration and characterization. 

Speaking of characters, I have to say that I struggled to connect with them, even when it came to the main character, Youngsook, there were very few moments when I felt really engrossed in her story and her feelings. I think that the characters' emotions were not so well portrayed, they were either too much melodramatic for my taste or kept hidden or just vaguely hinted at, so that I struggled as a reader to actually understand their depth and to be interested in the unfolding of the various relationships.

I wasn't so keen on the big final reveal, the events of the last chapters
just felt like too much for me, too over dramatic, too out of nowhere, just too much. The ending itself was also very abrupt. 

I really liked the setting and the historical/cultural background but the story, the characters and the writing style quite dampened my enjoyment of the book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, and Cancer

biblioghoul's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, and Vomit

Minor: Cancer, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts

corriejn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

4.75

I checked out this book based on a recommendation, and because I'd heard of the haenyeo before and was interested in learning more. Clearly I didn't look much into the details of the book beforehand, as I started it expecting nonfiction-- when it was apparent it was a novel, that was fine and I just adjusted that expectation. The story is still very informative about the lives and traditions of the Korean women sea-divers. What I wish I had realized beforehand, though, is that the book covers much of mid-19th-century Korean history and includes some really graphic and traumatic descriptions of atrocities committed during occupation and wartime (such content is mainly in the latter half of the book). It is still a powerful and artfully told story, but do be aware of that going in, and don't pick this one up if you're looking for a light read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Medical content

friendofhayley's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I got this book as a gift from my partner, since I'm half-Korean and I have been trying to learn more about that side of my family.

It was so interesting (and heart-breaking) to find out the chaos and deaths American imperialists (not just the Japanese) subjected Korea too, which is something I never learned before.

It was so interesting learning about the hanyeo as well. 

However the historical context and events were my favorite parts of the book.

I disliked the main character and the actions she took, although I definitely understand that it was realistic because she acted just like my own estranged mother.

But this might just be a personal taste thing.

I also was waiting until the end to see if perhaps the relationship between Young-Sook and Mi-Ja had at least a one-sided romantic attraction, but alas.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

elliedeg's review against another edition

emotional inspiring fast-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Grief, Death of parent, and Colonisation

alayamorning's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Ableism, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Alcoholism and Cancer