Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Actos humanos by Han Kang, Álvaro Colomer, Mar Abad

80 reviews

airr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, War, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Murder, Death, and Gun violence

Minor: Vomit

emerentina's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Torture, Police brutality, Self harm, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Rape, Blood, Death, Sexual violence, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Murder, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

thirdtimesacharm's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Death, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Child death, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

sara277's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? No

4.25

To me this book is the definition of “raw”. It’s honest and brutal with descriptions of violence and rotten corpses. It’s also beautiful at times, and very very sad. 
Human Acts is a window to a very dark chapter of Korean history, and learning about it through these characters and the author’s own connections to the massacre is horrible but so important.
I loved that all the stories were connected, not just through the event but through the characters knowing each other. I need to read it again to appreciate those connections better.
Also, wonderful writing, can’t wait to read the Vegetarian.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Physical abuse, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Sexual violence

krystalgaia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

So heavy.. reminded me of the martial law period in my own country. This book is a very good exploration of the effects of dictatorship in a state, as well as the multiple perspectives of those who lost their loved ones in the fight for justice.

Sufficiently gory, did not overdo the depiction of trauma.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Police brutality, Sexual assault, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Physical abuse, and Torture

Minor: Suicide

anh_read's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Anhand verschiedener Charaktere und Perspektiven beschreibt dieser Roman eindrucksvoll die Geschehnisse um Gwangju-Massaker in 1980 und ihre Auswirkungen auf Überlebende und die Angehörigen der Opfer. Da ich zuvor noch nie davon gehört habe, war ich schockiert, mit welcher Brutalität man versucht hat, Demonstrationen zu unterdrücken. 

Es ist definitiv kein einfaches Buch. Man sollte sich definitiv die Triggerwarnungen unbedingt vorher durchlesen. Ansonsten lässt sich das Buch gut und schnell lesen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, War, Police brutality, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Excrement, Mass/school shootings, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Infertility

Minor: Suicide

kenyoncannotread's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

One of the hardest reads for me, emotionally, ever. Check the content warnings first, but this will be one of the best books you’ll ever read if you pick it up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Alcohol, Gun violence, Death, Rape, Violence, Child death, Physical abuse, Police brutality, War, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Sexual assault, Confinement, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Gore

wong_jyi's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

It is stunning in its ability to weave the darkest and cruellest aspects of human nature with truth and brutal honesty, but also, with hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Genocide, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Grief, Torture, Violence, Vomit, Confinement, Death, Sexual assault, Addiction, Body horror, Gun violence, Rape, Gore, War, Child death, Alcohol, Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, and Suicide

lisvxdro's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

I was given this book by a coworker and a companion during my time in South Korea. On the surface level, I was a bit conflicted as I didn’t have enough information on the Gwangju Uprisings. But that’s the beauty of this book. Han Kang uses real-life stories and create a sort of nonfiction-esque novel where we learn about the issues of that time through the eyes of multiple characters. Each character, having some connection to the boy Dong-ho, adds to this sense of shared experience unlike anything I’ve ever seen. The closest thing to this is like Babel. 

Han’s writing style for this book does well to give you impactful introspection in a way that’s not familiar in the west. By spending the entire 1/3-1/2 of the chosen chapter setting up that chapter’s character worldview, the rest is the truth revealed in the most honest way possible. This book stings, it’s raw and often picturesque to the point that it might make you queasy. But the book is worth the read.

Favorite chapters: 
-The Boy’s Friend read like a very dark and doomed Miyazaki story. I felt hopeless after.
-The Prisoner was definitely a hard one to get through, especially the reveal at the end with the young boys. Such innocence lost.
-The Boy’s Mother: I felt empty and deeply emotional. This chapter reminded me of my own fears.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, War, Child abuse, Death, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Violence, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Gore, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, and Confinement

claireh6's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Police brutality, Self harm, Physical abuse, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Death, Sexual violence, Grief, Alcoholism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Drug abuse