Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

19 reviews

rametta's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Grief, Drug use, Hate crime, Death of parent, Classism, Cancer, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Colonisation, Bullying, Abortion, Violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Chronic illness, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, War, Xenophobia, Terminal illness, and Infertility

erica_palmisano's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

For a familial saga with war and other intense themes, this book was not as heavy and sad as I expected. There were undoubtedly elements of struggle, emotional trauma, and familial pain, but there were also fascinating moments of joy and delight and triumph, or at least reprieves regularly. The author did pacing quite well, and the narrator's style in the audiobook complemented the writing well. Listening really only got tricky when multiple characters were be conversing. Otherwise, it was a great listening experience and I'm glad I chose the format. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Xenophobia, and Grief

Moderate: War, Torture, Suicide, Sexual assault, and Cancer

Minor: Sexism, Racism, Drug use, and Genocide

panickat123's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Colonisation, Police brutality, Death of parent, Racism, and War

Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Physical abuse

Minor: Infertility, Abortion, and Drug use

isgbv's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, Colonisation, and Death

Moderate: War, Chronic illness, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Violence, Terminal illness, Suicide, Racism, Infertility, Grief, and Drug use

alomie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

This is a long winding family saga over decades following multiple points of view.
I enjoyed this book immensely, it was well written and hard in parts, deeply melancholy following the struggle of all the characters, the deaths, the abuse, the war, losing your home, not being accepted as a citezen in the country you were born in and so much more. 
I liked that the story was threaded together so beautifully and how one decision can have so many knock on after effects. Bringing whole generations shame or sadness for their ancestors past mistakes. 
Something really special about this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Child death, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Sexism, Xenophobia, Addiction, and Death of parent

Minor: Abortion

nila's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

An incredible journey through most of the 20th century following one family and their journey trying to survive all aspects of war and its aftermath. The story had twist and turns, and there were many times I had to put the book down because I was so surprised by what I had just read 

from the reading journal: There's an abundance of the "innocent young good man/boy being corrupted by the sexual whore who only wants their money material things. Yes the" bad men"-characters are also present, but I feel they are more fleshed out and for some reason, their "flaws" are justified and explained away.

One the other end, the "good" woman is also never good enough. She's too boring or even, not "good enough".Every single woman is described and more or less ranked by their sexual availability and desirability. And almost all the women who are described as promiscuous are punished, either with not being allowed to marry again for love, or being beaten half to death in a car or actually dying. While the men who illicit the same kind of behavior get to grow old, and be surrounded by wealth and loved ones. I understand that this is/was the reality of the society that is described in the book, but then what should one think is the "message" behind the story? Or am I overthinking this? I want to read more Asian literature, but find that the sexualisation of women is a deterring factor.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, War, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Violence, Alcohol, Cursing, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, and Child death

Minor: Abortion, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Drug use

ntvenessa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

A gem. This is a tale about poverty, suffering, colonialism, identity, salvation, endurance, family. Min Jin Lee's background as a historian shines through and Pachinko is exemplary of great historical fiction. It is factually consistent and you will learn much of Japan's colonisation of Korea, a topic not so in regular discourse. It is also emotional, generous, and sensitive to these historical facts. The characters are distinct and each have personalities which make sense for their context. It is intergenerational. The story is just so well crafted. This makes sense given how much time and dedication Lee spent workshopping drafts. I am normally averse to thick novels, but Pachinko has me unafraid -- it is exactly as long as the story needs to be, and moreover, it is easy to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Ableism, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Suicide, and Car accident

Minor: Child death and Homophobia

justreaditem's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is so informative. I knew nothing of how Korea split nor their involvement in WWI or WWII.

I loved the fact you follow generations of the same family. The trauma they all suffer broke my heart.

It's a hell of a book. It made me smile and made me cry.

There isn't more I can say about it without spoiling more. It's worth the read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicide, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Grief, Physical abuse, Drug use, Death, Child death, and Cancer

bronners_19's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Drug use and Religious bigotry

Minor: Suicide