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leweylibrary's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I feel like I need to mention first and foremost that there are some hardcore trigger warnings that hit hard and fast in the middle. I was listening to that part on audiobook so I could get this book done in time to take the physical version back to the library, and I had to pause it and just sit there like damn. And then the next chapter hit hard with the drama. I was personally fine with those parts, I just wasn't expecting them at all from the description or anything.
Those parts hit at just the right time though because I had been getting a bit bored. There's not a ton of dialogue, and the pace is really slow, but when those parts hit, I was reinvested lol.
One thing that helped keep my attention was Young-sook's friendship with Mi-Ja. You learn right off the bat that they had a serious falling out, but you don't know why. You watch their friendship grow stronger and stronger, all the while thinking what could possibly be bad enough that tears them apart?? Aaaand then it happens, and you're like ah. Right yeah no that makes sense. But then Young-sook just holds such a hella grudge and can't move past it which is frustrating. The ending to this conflict felt a bit rushed, so it wasn't as satisfying to me as it could've been.
All that said, I did learn a LOT and am glad I read it!
Quotes:
Those parts hit at just the right time though because I had been getting a bit bored. There's not a ton of dialogue, and the pace is really slow, but when those parts hit, I was reinvested lol.
One thing that helped keep my attention was Young-sook's friendship with Mi-Ja. You learn right off the bat that they had a serious falling out, but you don't know why. You watch their friendship grow stronger and stronger, all the while thinking what could possibly be bad enough that tears them apart?? Aaaand then it happens, and you're like ah. Right yeah no that makes sense. But then Young-sook just holds such a hella grudge and can't move past it which is frustrating. The ending to this conflict felt a bit rushed, so it wasn't as satisfying to me as it could've been.
All that said, I did learn a LOT and am glad I read it!
Quotes:
- Her house is the nest where she hides the joy, laughter, sorrows, and regrets of her life. (3)
- How different it is with friendship. No one picks a friend for us; we come together by choice. We are not tied together through ceremony or the responsibility to create a son; we tie ourselves together through moments. The spark when we first meet. Laughter and tears shared. Secrets packed away to be treasured, hoarded, and protected. The wonder that someone can be so different from you and yet still understand your heart in a way no one else ever will. (36)
- Young-sook's mother used to say that the sea was like a mother while Young-sook's grandmother said that the sea was better than a mother. After all these years, Young-sook knows her grandmother to be the most right. The sea is better than a mother. You can love your mother, and she still might leave you. You can love or hate the sea, but it will always be there. Forever. The sea has been the center of her life. It has nurtured her and stolen from her, but it has never left. (79)
- I loved her. I would always love her. That was far more important than the men we were to marry. (126)
- Oh, I understood life and death, but I didn't yet have a true comprehension of all that could happen between your first and last breaths. This was a mistake I would live with for the rest of my life. (138)
- I'd watched my mother die in the sea. I'd seen Yu-ri go into the sea one person and come out another. I understood the sea to be dangerous, but what was happening on dry land confused and scared me. In the last few months, I'd witnessed several people get shot in front of me. I'd seen people on both sides beaten. Those who'd been killed or injured were all Korean--whether from the mainland or Jeju--and the perpetrators had all been our countrymen. This was unfathomable to me, and I couldn't stop shaking from fear, not even when my husband held me tight and told me he would keep us safe. (197)
- I stopped breathing, holding in air longer than could be possible, as if I were in the deepest part of the sea. When I couldn't hold it any longer, I sucked in not the quick death of seawater but instead unforgetting, unrelenting, life-giving air. (231)
- To understand everything is to forgive. (363)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Gore, War, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts
puppyjungoo's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
i learned so much from this book. it's told from such an unique perspective, and chock-full of information regarding japanese colonialism in korea, american colonialism in korea, and how that trauma travels through generations. i love love love anything with a multi-generational structure, but this just changed the game for me. it's absolutely devastating to the point of it making me ill at some parts, but i think that just speaks to the power of the story. i don't know if i would necessarily recommend this to anyone given how upsetting it is, but it's definitely a new favourite for me!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Violence, War, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Child death, Child abuse, Colonisation, and Grief
leoniethespacewayfarer's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
its so good it follows this woman young-sook who was born in like the 20’s and follows her life and friendship with Mi-ja on Jeju throughout the world war, colonisation and the north/south korea fight and it is beautiful and wrecks your heart and i cried so many times. It is beautifully written and haunting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Sexism, Death, War, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, and Grief
Minor: Alcoholism
nee_cole's review against another edition
emotional
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, Death, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Child death, and War
Minor: Child abuse and Rape
wellreadmegs's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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? No
3.75
This was a slow burn but also a really interesting read. This is the second book I have read about the haenyeo women and I find them fascinating. This strong, independent matriarchal society in the 1900s. This book was a slow burn and it took a little bit for the story to fully develop but I found Mi-ja and Young-Sook's relationship to be so interesting and tumultuous.
This book helped me learn more about the Japanese colonization of Korea and what happened to Korean before and after World War II. This book brought to light to atrocities that happened in Korea and Jeju and I really appreciated the perspective. I definitely want to keep learning more. This book spanned a large timeframe and did jump back and forth which is one thing I love about historical fiction.
This book helped me learn more about the Japanese colonization of Korea and what happened to Korean before and after World War II. This book brought to light to atrocities that happened in Korea and Jeju and I really appreciated the perspective. I definitely want to keep learning more. This book spanned a large timeframe and did jump back and forth which is one thing I love about historical fiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, War, Violence, Deportation, and Grief
Moderate: Torture, Sexual violence, and Gun violence
taymallen's review against another edition
emotional
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: Murder, Violence, Colonisation, Death, War, and Grief
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual assault
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: Gun violence, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Violence, and Genocide
Moderate: War, Domestic abuse, Rape, Mental illness, Child abuse, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual content, Medical content, and Sexual violence
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: Grief, Hate crime, Murder, Police brutality, Rape, Domestic abuse, Mass/school shootings, Gore, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, War, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, and Colonisation
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: War, Torture, Sexual assault, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
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.
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: Domestic abuse, Violence, Gun violence, War, Colonisation, Police brutality, Torture, Death, Child death, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Grief
Moderate: Rape, Ableism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Excrement, Vomit, Blood, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse
Minor: Cancer, Body shaming, and Alcoholism