Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

21 reviews

jelenwalker's review against another edition

emotional informative 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Hate crime, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Bullying, War, Terminal illness, and Alcoholism

Minor: Alcohol, Torture, Miscarriage, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Bullying

ritugp01's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

As the first book I read to commemorate 2023, Pachinko was an odd choice. It left me ruminating and thinking back to my own past, my own roots, my own extended family, and the role I play as the child of immigrants. Rather than starting anew for the year, it pulled me back and enveloped me in history: both Sunja's and my own.
The book began with powerful, to the point writing. Sentences were simple. In a way, it reminded me of the succinct nature of Hemingway, minus the required reaches for symbolism. Rather, the simplicity in Pachinko offered no hidden messages beyond the story it sought to share. It's simplicity offered a quiet, forthright sense of power and confidence within the long, windy, melancholic story. In this, Min Jin Lee was remarkable.
It's characters, whether that be in the quiet and strong Sunja, who spends most of her life fighting both inside and outside due to something that was done to her, or even in Phoebe, whose appearance was short, impactful, yet fully realized, became not just characters, but people I knew. For a story spanning four generations, a multitude of characters was to be expected, yet every single one of them seemed fully realized. Some other readers may feel that the side stories took away from the main family, but I disagreed. In a sense, it reminded me that Sunja and her family are not alone in this long fight we call living. Everyone else, every character that the family might have touched, were helpful in reminding me that Sunja's family was one of many. Sunja, Yangjin, Hoonie, Isak, Kyunghee, Noa, Mozasu, Solomon, and Yumi were some of my favorite characters and I know they will stay with me for some time.
Truly a modern classic.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Classism, Suicide, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Alcohol, Abortion, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, War, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Addiction, Racism, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Mental illness, Death of parent, Death, and Car accident

Minor: Cancer, Police brutality, Abortion, and Miscarriage

daphnewoods's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book definitely delves deep into some really tough subjects, but it’s written with such tenderness and grace and wisdom that it didn’t leave me in a place of darkness; but rather expanded my heart even wider. It’s an absolute treasure and should be required reading. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Colonisation, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Murder, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, War, Miscarriage, Grief, Police brutality, Racism, Self harm, Bullying, Physical abuse, Classism, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Body shaming, Suicide, Misogyny, Hate crime, Child death, Outing, Infertility, and Deportation

c_dmckinney's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Ableism, Addiction, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Bullying, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Sexism

readwithserena's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective 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

4.75

A moving story following generations of A Korean family during and after Japanese annexation of Korea. The exploration and varied perspectives on national identity is well done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Classism, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Bullying, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Trafficking, Xenophobia, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Abortion, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Infertility, War, Infidelity, Hate crime, Death of parent, Death, and Child death

__lucebrennan's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

5.0

A beautifully written, captivating story. Min Jin Lee captures the intricacies of family life perfectly whilst also shedding light on the difficulties faced by Koreans at that time. Best book I’ve read in a long time, would recommend to anyone!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Addiction, Child death, Bullying, Murder, Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Xenophobia

veritythomson94's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Colonisation, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual content

There is also slut shaming present throughout the book

mxpringle's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Grief, Ableism, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Violence

Minor: War

amberswips's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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? No

4.0

Overall I enjoyed this book. It definitely held my interest, however I wish this had been a duology instead with one book focusing on Sunja and Isak and the other focusing on their kids. I feel that the book jumps through the years so fast we never get to see the plots flesh out. But I did enjoy the characters a lot. They were interesting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Death of parent, Hate crime, Suicide, Suicide attempt, War, and Sexism

Moderate: Addiction, Abortion, Body shaming, Sexual content, Cancer, and Car accident

Minor: Cursing

talkbookswithangela's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Abortion, Xenophobia, Violence, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Suicide, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Infidelity, Infertility, Grief, Genocide, Death, Child death, Cancer, Abandonment, and Sexism