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gabrielcunha's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.0
I posted on my instagram about this book and i was just in the beginning of book 3 when i did so - i had given the book a 5 star review midway. I completed changed my mind on book 3 though. The way the story was being carried out was very interesting up until then but there were major plot changes that made me feel like i was reading a different book and even the perspective changes focusing on side characters rather than maintain the story on the path it was going made me change my mind. I understand now why one of the main characters gets cut off after thinking about this book for two days after finishing reading it - but still after that the book just gets weird at least for me. Although i didn't enjoy book 3 as much book 1 and 2 were absolutely amazing - i really like how the story is developed from the multi perspective point of view, specially now that i have discovered that family sagas/generational fiction is my favorite genre. anyway, i really enjoyed some major reflections i made about race and social acceptance that are main central points of this book, it definitely is not just a book to read and forget but one that will stay with you and make you reflect upon the subjects that are presented. i have noted down three parts of the book that really resonated with me:
1) Akiko's intrusion on Hansu's lunch: this is one of the big plots of the book, this girl just destroyed Noa's life for no reason and it is in this piece that Noa notices that she only saw him as a "Good Korean" and not as a human being, which was what he wanted all his life. However she carries herself as being "above prejudice" but still is driven but such social bias of Koreans in Japan.
2) Solomon tells his boss: "so then the success tax comes from envy, and the shit tax comes from exploitation." Couple of chapters after we see that Solomon is actually paying the shit tax rather than the success as his boss had implied.
3) Phoebe tells Solomon: "There was more to being something than just blood." Another big discussion of the book, how Koreans were treated all their lives - even if they were born and raised in Japan - they would never be considered Japanese people, I think this last few chapters and Solomon's plot makes up for the 3rd book. He's relationship with Phoebe (a Korean American) says a lot about himself, his identity (he sees himself as more Japanese than Korean but he is a Korean citizen even if he has never lived there) and his ambition. He thinks he has everything figured out after college but little by little he begins to lose everything he had hoped to build.
1) Akiko's intrusion on Hansu's lunch: this is one of the big plots of the book, this girl just destroyed Noa's life for no reason and it is in this piece that Noa notices that she only saw him as a "Good Korean" and not as a human being, which was what he wanted all his life. However she carries herself as being "above prejudice" but still is driven but such social bias of Koreans in Japan.
2) Solomon tells his boss: "so then the success tax comes from envy, and the shit tax comes from exploitation." Couple of chapters after we see that Solomon is actually paying the shit tax rather than the success as his boss had implied.
3) Phoebe tells Solomon: "There was more to being something than just blood." Another big discussion of the book, how Koreans were treated all their lives - even if they were born and raised in Japan - they would never be considered Japanese people, I think this last few chapters and Solomon's plot makes up for the 3rd book. He's relationship with Phoebe (a Korean American) says a lot about himself, his identity (he sees himself as more Japanese than Korean but he is a Korean citizen even if he has never lived there) and his ambition. He thinks he has everything figured out after college but little by little he begins to lose everything he had hoped to build.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Xenophobia, and War
lilyeligator's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Xenophobia, War, and Violence
thenoboshow's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Death, Bullying, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Car accident, Child death, Classism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Grief, Infertility, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, War, and Xenophobia
karlin0336's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
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? Yes
3.0
I read this for an upcoming bookclub I will be taking part in this April.
I enjoyed the overall story of this book. It followed several generations of a Korean family that immigrated to Japan. I think I could come to like Historical Fiction, which isn't a genre I typically read.
What I didn't enjoy, however, was the amount of swearing and sexual content in the book (which got increasingly worse as the book went on). This was a huge turnoff to me.
Three Stars --- the overall story and historical aspects were neat, but I really didn't enjoy some of the other content in the book.
I enjoyed the overall story of this book. It followed several generations of a Korean family that immigrated to Japan. I think I could come to like Historical Fiction, which isn't a genre I typically read.
What I didn't enjoy, however, was the amount of swearing and sexual content in the book (which got increasingly worse as the book went on). This was a huge turnoff to me.
Three Stars --- the overall story and historical aspects were neat, but I really didn't enjoy some of the other content in the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Cursing, and Rape
Moderate: Suicide
rae29's review against another edition
emotional
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
5.0
This is the first time I’ve ever written a review for a book, so it’s most likely my own ramblings rather than a comprehensive review but oh well.
Wow. When I first picked up this book, I didn’t know what to expect. I certainly wasn’t expecting the interplay between sadness, despondency, and hope. And I wasn’t expecting the myriad of characters, particularly the ones that were fleeting in the other arching narrative. But this book is both culture, history, and character driven, and I think the characters are what appealed to me the most.
Things that stood out to me the most: Sunja’s characterization, and the depiction of female characters throughout. This book takes on quite a lot in this regard, works through cultural nuances, prejudices, and power dynamics quite well. It does get a bit dark in its depictions.
The middle was difficult for me, as I gradually came to the realization of what this book is, more of a quiet narrative, where everything does not always get better, and there is no heroic twist that saves this family from their circumstances. They just exist, same as the characters, and the narrative depicts these fleeting moments in time. It does get slow, but it’s worth it.
Honestly at the heart of this book is the interplay between suffering and hope, but there is a lot of suffering. And that is never fully resolved. The book itself, even, does not quite resolve.
Overall, this book has a quiet strength to it that keeps the story in your mind far beyond the last page. Absolutely worth reading.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Adult/minor relationship, and Rape
Moderate: Death and Suicide
thatsssorachael's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Rape and Death of parent
Minor: Miscarriage and Child death
my_weird_bookish_heart's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Death, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Chronic illness, and Pregnancy
san_dra's review against another edition
emotional
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Bullying, War, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Classism, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Rape
Minor: Mental illness, Homophobia, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Suicide, and Pregnancy
honipoems's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
this was such a interesting book about the relationship between Korea & Japan. It was about a time of the history I never heard about before (or just some part). The colonization, the war, the poverty… very intriguing.
It’s also interesting to take a look at the women situation. Always the first victims of these kinds of period. « Women have to suffer »
I also like the end of the book, when we have the confrontation of old mind spirit against the one from usa which is more like ours today.
It’s also interesting to take a look at the women situation. Always the first victims of these kinds of period. « Women have to suffer »
I also like the end of the book, when we have the confrontation of old mind spirit against the one from usa which is more like ours today.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, War, Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Racism, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, and Sexism
stacylaughs's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
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? No
3.5
First half of the book is perfect. Last third jumps all over the place. The grandchildren's stories should have been a separate book.
I dislike the voice chosen for the audiobook. Too slow, it feels pedantic. As a Korean speaker, the pronunciation of the Korean words and cities are horrendous.
I dislike the voice chosen for the audiobook. Too slow, it feels pedantic. As a Korean speaker, the pronunciation of the Korean words and cities are horrendous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Rape, and War