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tales_told_in_gold's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
The way this novel made me feel like such a fly on the wall, staring at the lives of Ji-won and her mother and sister as they struggled to deal with the loss of their husband / father through sudden abandonment. Even the seemingly dull aspects of their living were made fascinating by the constant tension underlying their interactions with one another.
This is more than just a story of a young woman with a sick hunger for eyeballs.. it’s a look into generational trauma and grief through the Korean-American perspective. It’s about learning how to combat against oppression from white supremacy. It’s about someone losing their mind to the downsides of life, despite being the cause of some.
Now admittedly there are some plot holes throughout, especially in the ending, but if you’re willing to suspend disbelief then “eye” gotta say.. you’ll love this revengeful tale!
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment
Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism
Minor: Cursing, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Medical content
morv's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, and Murder
anjnryn's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I loved this book—from the Korean American perspective, the feminist themes, the brief but notable queerness, and of course the wild dark side of our protagonist.
Monika Kim does an excellent job of weaving a number of different genres and topics that keep you glued to the page, hungry for what happens next. I went through so many emotions reading this: sadness, sympathy, anger, excitement, and nervousness probably were the most prominent. My biggest qualm is with the protagonist’s reason for her actions (revealed near the end) but it wasn’t enough to take away even a whole 0.25 stars.
There is a lot to reflect on with our main character and the cultural and societal reasons why she acts the way she does. That said, the differences between her, her sister, and her mother are pretty striking and interesting to analyze. The familial dynamics of these women are pivotal to understanding Ji-won and extremely well-written.
I disagree with other reviewers that the main male characters—George and Geoffrey—are too cartoonish. As a woman who frequents feminist spaces, I’ve experienced characters like both these men and thought they were pretty spot-on with their actions and descriptions. We are reading about an unhinged teenager in a horror fiction… getting caught up with the specifics of how realistic the men are seems… ironic.
I would love to see a sequel with Appa, with the way the ending was, but this was a juicy tale on its own that I will not be forgetting soon!
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, and Murder
Moderate: Infidelity, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment
Minor: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, and Racial slurs
catphantasma's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Cannibalism, and Abandonment
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Murder
Minor: Self harm
green_with_3nvy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Cannibalism
callme_tippy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I enjoy books with unhinged women so I had high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint.
This was a light exploration of misogyny, anger, hatred, responsibility, and family dynamics.
Does this book have some cliches that I normally roll my eyes at? Yes.
Is it the most amazing writing ever? No.
Did I still every second of this weird ride? Absolutely!
Would recommend!
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Pedophilia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
danimacuk's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, and Abandonment
Moderate: Gore, Infidelity, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, and Vomit
zweavesandreads's review
- 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
Graphic: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
emilypoche's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
4.0
The story of Ji-Won as she navigates a downward spiral starting with her father walking out is fascinating. Her character did have some passing similarities to Gone Girl’s Amy; scheming, calculating, murderous, and completely under estimated. Ji-Won is however compelled by the rage and disgust that comes with being fetishized, racially profiled, and disrespected. The anger that she feels is so palpable to the reader that despite all of the unspeakable things she’s willing to do, there’s still something that is sympathie about her.
The thing that kept this from being a 5 for me was that the author seems not to trust the reader to pick out the misogyny and sexism and fetishization of the men in the story. Characters other than the protagonist, Ji-Won, are cartoonishly evil and so heavy handed. At times it just felt like with all of the other finesse the author uses that it just felt out of place to have the male chapters like glaring ‘I AM BAD’ signs.
The beginning of the story was somewhat slow, but it built to a fever pitch by the end of the story. I felt like it had a very classic horror story pacing, which creates a normal scenario and then slowly edges it towards the uncanny and terrifying until it reaches a point of no return. I would just want other readers to know that despite a more slow pace in the beginning, the pacing does pick up.
For me this was a great 4/5. I love a gruesome female rage centered horror story, and this is a great addition.
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, and Sexual harassment
mylordbagofrice's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, and Cultural appropriation
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Physical abuse