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20sidedbi's review against another edition
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness
Minor: Racism, Car accident, Addiction, Alcohol, and Infidelity
l0v3lu's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Cancer
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Racism and Abortion
abigailhaagen's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, and Cursing
Minor: Racism
bookswithbethx's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent and Grief
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
raych_bee's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Cancer
Minor: Racism
mattyvreads's review against another edition
4.75
The story is heartbreaking and gorgeous. It is raw.
I enjoyed it immensely.
Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, Cancer, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Medical trauma, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Drug abuse, Misogyny, and Rape
babsthebatgirl's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, and Vomit
Minor: Racism
zoe_styles's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Terminal illness, Cancer, and Grief
Minor: Racism
ashley_turch's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Grief, Cancer, Child abuse, Death of parent, Medical content, Death, and Vomit
Moderate: Excrement, Abortion, Alcoholism, Car accident, and Racism
Minor: Animal death
Very heavy and graphic descriptions of parental terminal illness and death. Only animal death is a short description of a squirrel dyingtoastyghosty13's review against another edition
4.0
The only mistake I made in opening this book was to choose to read it while visiting my parents during Thanksgiving break; it made me even more sentimental and concerned for their health and well being. While I do not condone some of the rhetoric between Michelle and her mother, Michelle loved her mother and this book made me be more aware of the love I constantly have for my parents no matter what.
Michelle's relationship with her mother was tumultuous while growing up.
Michelle eventually found out that her mother had
This book is a love letter to her mother, but also a critical analysis of her father.
Between all of this, Michelle does recount her experiences of trying to find a place of belonging, although not as majorly as the content on her parents. She discusses feeling like an outside in different communities because she is too far from the norm for any of them, "too korean or too white". It was heartbreaking to read about how she was very alone in a lot of this until her adult years where she forged meaningful relationships with bandmates and her significant other, Peter. It made me so so happy that Peter was as supportive as he was. He hung in there through all of Michelle taking care of her mother, and their life choices like school and jobs plunging them into long distance. I did long distance with my now fiance for years, it was incredibly difficult but worth it in the end. It seems to have worked out for Michelle and Peter as well, since they got married right before her mothers death so that she could attend the wedding.
The ending of this book had a nice turn around where Michelle talks about her success in later years. Her music has granted her some limelight, and she even starts touring internationally. This book comes to a close following her tour and how the last show is in Korea near some relatives. She is able to go there and it almost feels as if she has some closure, being able to live her dreams creating music and spending time with those she loves.
This book is beautifully written. It will make you ugly cry and put you in a horrible mood the entire time but it is completely worth it. It reminds you of how the relationships with the ones you love most, whether they are blood family or found, are the most important thing even through some of the hardships (obviously not all hardships).
Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, Death, and Medical content
Moderate: Drug abuse, Car accident, Racism, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Infidelity
Minor: Abortion, Vomit, and Excrement