Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

Folklorn by Angela Mi Young Hur

8 reviews

shannabanana6's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.5

It started slow and was pretty tough to get into but once they introduced Oskar to the story I really enjoyed it, he was probably my favorite character honestly. It was hard to like any of the characters in the main family. There was also a lot of childhood and generational trauma to get through which didn't make getting into the book easier at all but it was written from an honest perspective.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Miscarriage, Grief, Child abuse, and Racism

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

5aru's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Racism, and Mental illness

Moderate: Child abuse, War, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Miscarriage

hey_evelina's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Alcohol, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Death of parent

kylieqrada's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

3.5

3.5 ⭐s. I AM NOT SMART ENOUGH FOR THIS BOOK. Let's just get that out of the way up front. I genuinely didn't understand large chunks of this novel, even after reading them multiple times. However, something about it made me keep reading, and I ended up really enjoying the whole experience. I *think* I understand how everything wrapped up, but TBH I don't really care either way. I just loved being immersed in this topsy-turvy world of Korean folklore, mental illness, family drama, and generational trauma. Also, the bird got hit by a car and I totally called it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

hamohero's review against another edition

Not my cup of tea. Don't really care for the characters or romance. Narrator would go on tangents and there were dialogues that made me go "Who talks like this?" 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia

reviewsandreadathons's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Child death, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

delightfullybookish's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.25

 

I didn't realize until I finished this book that I had been holding my breath. 

 

Our story begins with Elsa Park at the bottom of the world where she encounters her long-forgotten imaginary friend. This lonely, spectral creature brings with her the daunting task of untangling the generational trauma, immigrant hardships, personal demons, sacrifice, and mental illness plaguing a family. 

 

Parts ghost story and family saga, cautionary tale and reimagined mythos; this story is cerebral and haunting (literal and figurative) blurring the real and the fantastical. 

 

At times uneven, this book felt like an excavation. 

 

I was surprised by how deeply I related to Elsa and her story. On the surface, why would I? My family is not Korean. I am not an academic. I've never set foot in Elsa's world… But I am also an immigrant to this country. Not born here, but young enough that my assimilation is so entrenched I have little connection to the country of my birth beyond folktales told to me by my own mother. Maybe they haunt me, like Elsa's haunt her. 

 

Folklorn reflects and refracts themes of trauma, race, family, and grief. It asks how we relate to our family, our histories, our cultures, the stories we tell others, and the ones we tell ourselves. 

 

After closing this book, I released the breath I had been holding and I allowed myself to feel hopeful. Folktales can be rewritten, cycles can be broken, and pain can be healed. 

 

I hope you pick up this book. As they say  "come for the ghosts, stay for the heartbreak" (I don't think anyone says but they should) 

 

Folklorn will be published on April 27th, 2021. 

 

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Thank you to Netgalley, Erewhon Books, and the author for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

 

 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent and Racism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Xenophobia

dedonohoe's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Racial slurs, and Toxic relationship