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princemackerel's review
reflective
5.0
even better than her last memoir, she really solidfied her voice
kdahlo's review
4.0
This book isn't long, but I'm a little surprised I got through it. I haven't been able to read much about PARENT DEATH and, even worse, MOM HAS CANCER since my mom was diagnosed in 2014. I won't pretend this is a neutral review. I found myself battered by this book more than simply moved. When I relate really closely to the author of a memoir it makes me weirdly resentful towards them sometimes. I see myself and I don't like it, I guess. Or I feel the need to compete: "I'll feel lucky if my mom lives as long as her mom!" I find myself thinking. Of course you shouldn't take your parents for granted, I find myself thinking, obsessively, until I realize that the comment is just directed at myself. I can't say what someone might feel about this from a detached perspective, I won't try. Overall, I really like Nicole Chung and I respect and admire this book. I also hated it deeply sometimes. Like she was writing about me and got the details all wrong. I guess that's how you know it's good?
nickscoby's review
4.0
Oh, boy. This is a doozy. On the one hand, I'm kind of glad I didn't know too much about it because I wasn't spoiled. But I also wasn't prepared for the weight. I would classify this as a first-gen professionals narrative, one that addresses relationships with parents.
eunjung's review
3.0
wow...what a depressing read LOL
Okay, I am totally 100% the wrong audience for this book. It's about the author's relationship to her (white) parents (PSA in case you didn't know the author is a Korean American adopted by white parents) and the grief of losing your parents (due to lbr how monetized American (US) healthcare is) and well... cancer. Luckily and very fortunately cannot relate on any level of losing your parents. And then the other thing that I was my brain was like we cannot relate at all to this because her parents are hella Christian. I'm an ex-Catholic school girl, I literally have PTSD from how horrific and racist catholic school was. So like any shape or form of overt Christianity gives me the heebie jeebies. Like no thank you, stay the fuck as far away as me as possible (which is pretty impossible considering how fucking Christian the USA is, which is besides the point). Anyways, I think the only thing that saved this book was me was Nicole's writing. If I hadn't read her debut novel AND enjoyed reading it, I honestly don't think I would have picked this up. Also, she cried. But like I've said before never gauge how good a book is on the fact I cried because I cry over everything lol.
TL;DR - you may relate to more if you are affected from the grief of losing family (whether it's chosen, blood, etc. whatever shape or form your family takes) otherwise... idk y'all i'd skip it lol.
Okay, I am totally 100% the wrong audience for this book. It's about the author's relationship to her (white) parents (PSA in case you didn't know the author is a Korean American adopted by white parents) and the grief of losing your parents (due to lbr how monetized American (US) healthcare is) and well... cancer. Luckily and very fortunately cannot relate on any level of losing your parents. And then the other thing that I was my brain was like we cannot relate at all to this because her parents are hella Christian. I'm an ex-Catholic school girl, I literally have PTSD from how horrific and racist catholic school was. So like any shape or form of overt Christianity gives me the heebie jeebies. Like no thank you, stay the fuck as far away as me as possible (which is pretty impossible considering how fucking Christian the USA is, which is besides the point). Anyways, I think the only thing that saved this book was me was Nicole's writing. If I hadn't read her debut novel AND enjoyed reading it, I honestly don't think I would have picked this up. Also, she cried. But like I've said before never gauge how good a book is on the fact I cried because I cry over everything lol.
TL;DR - you may relate to more if you are affected from the grief of losing family (whether it's chosen, blood, etc. whatever shape or form your family takes) otherwise... idk y'all i'd skip it lol.
betharoo's review
5.0
This unflinching memoir about family, inequality, and grief broke my heart open multiple times. In sharing about her struggles to provide care to her ill parents from the other side of the country, Chung shines a light on the failures of our healthcare system and obliterates the myth that illness and death are equalizers. As beautiful as it is heart-wrenching, A Living Remedy is an incredible book that will stay with you long after reading.