Reviews

Some Are Always Hungry by Jihyun Yun

river24's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

4.25

4.25/5

Now, men with bayonets.
Tomorrow, dogs. In no version
are they not hunting us.

forgereads17's review

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.75

basilkumquat's review against another edition

5.0

So beautiful and multidimensional! Some Are Always Hungry speaks to hunger from intergenerational trauma and erasure, immigration from South Korea to the US, feminity and those that seek to ravage it, and food itself. What do we do when we are desperate with hunger? And what does that hunger do to our children and theirs?

brice_mo's review against another edition

5.0

That final stanza.

trin_bookshelf's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

veecaswell's review against another edition

4.0

Winner of the Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry, Some Are Always Hungry chronicles a family’s wartime survival, immigration, and heirloom trauma through the lens of food, or the lack thereof.

This collection is certainly unforgettable, in how it uses language and metaphor to deliver imagery that is second to none. 'The Leaving Season' is a great example of how the author uses food and imagery as a way of portraying human emotion as she uses the example of a pig, and though somewhat uncomfortable I was, the use of the imagery was incredible and made you able to understand what the writer was trying to deliver, it leaves you with food for thought.

There there are the moments in this collection that are powerful and leave an impact. Lines in these poems that just leave you left with the story that is being told. In particular, 'Grandmother, Praying' in particular comes to mind, with 'The Leaving season'. It is lines such as “Sun, in this life, I will be your daughter And you will teach me how to run” that just pack a punch and leave you provoked for a long time after you have read it.

An excellent collection of poetry that is clever and thought-provoking, I'm glad I got the opportunity to read it.

(I received an ARC from Netgalley for honest review).

paige_docx's review against another edition

3.0

Reviewing based on my ENJOYMENT only. Like I understand why this poetry collection won so many awards, but I think I’m too small brained for it. Some of them I really like and some of them I didn’t get

beccamcostello's review against another edition

5.0

This is one of three books I picked up at a public library in Haslett, Michigan during a short trip to visit family. I'm so glad I found it. (It's also published by the University of Nebraska Press and I'm a sucker for these little personal connections to my own life and history)

As described, this collection is tied together by food. What stands out to me most is the way the author describes women and girls as food - to be feasted on, hunted, devoured, butchered, etc.

I love it and am eager to get my own copy.

Now, men with bayonets.
Tomorrow, dogs. In no version
are they not hunting us.

---

It's strange to know this world I loved, loves me best dismembered.

annagoldberg's review against another edition

5.0

An exceptional collection of poetry, meditating on themes of family, diaspora, and culture. This collection synthesizes Korean history, gender identity, and food through its poems, which find new forms in recipes, lists, and family stories. I would highly recommend this book to everyone.

georgilvsbooks's review

3.0

Quite a dark and sad collection of poetry.

Some of the poems actually took my breath away due to the sadness and cruelty.

Perfect for poetry readers. Just be aware, this collection is quite raw.