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alisonw'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? It's complicated
4.5
Firstly a TW: It deals with extremely heavy subjects of loss, war, corruption, all kinds of abuse, murder including all ages, all very graphically so please be warned if you think you can’t handle that.
But if you’re unsure, don’t let that put you off. This book tells the true story of the people of Jeju and all they have gone through in the last century through a fictional narrative and the graphic elements are there because they happened, reading them feels similar to the sobering feeling of going to a concentration camp has, it’s horribly sad but feels like a necessity to be able to respect and remember - in my case as a European who was taught nothing about Korea’s history, it felt so important to acknowledge and learn about these events for the first time.
The author is masterful at weaving history and fiction together, none of the fictitious story line feels forced to bring in a historical event, while at the same time the story does not steal from the history, I would actually say it helps give it more blood and feel more tangible rather than cold facts on a page about somewhere far away.
Highly highly recommend.
Graphic: Genocide, Colonisation, Grief, Pregnancy, Torture, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Child death, Death, Murder, Sexual violence, Mass/school shootings, and Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Confinement, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, and Slavery
tiadots's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Graphic: Death and Murder
fannylaine's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: War and Murder
rachelwierick's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death, Genocide, Violence, Colonisation, Child death, and Murder
jedore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
“You should be more careful out there,” the doctor says. “You have a dangerous job. I mean, do you see men doing it?”
“Of course not!” Young-sook exclaims. “The world knows that the cold water will cause their penises to shrivel and die.”
This is my fourth Lisa See book...and the second one that made my all-time favorite list (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is the first). Lisa is an amazing author, goddess of research, and master of character development.
I've gotten a glimpse of the horrific treatment of Koreans by the Japanese (Pachinko) and the U.S. (The Peoples' History of the United States), but this story was an intimate and personal journey into the lives of those living on the island of Jeju. Wow, just wow...as I close the cover of what feels like every book I read these days, my faith in humanity lessens. The ability of one "tribe's" ability to completely disassociate and commit horrors against "outsiders" is mind boggling.
The story also cemented a personal opinion that I've been pondering for some time now, one based both on my own life experiences and the thousands of books I've read.
Women are, in general and by far, the stronger sex.
In the face of poverty, war, and other intense hardships, I've observed (personally or literally) many a man fall apart and their women carry them (as well as their children). The haenyo divers of Jeju took this to a whole other level as they were not only capable of carrying their men emotionally, but physically as well.
A week after closing the back cover of this book and I still find myself thinking about the perfectly imperfect heroines of this story and replaying many of the scenes in my mind. Add this to the fact that I have a more complete knowledge about history (so I can do what I can to stop it from repeating) and it's no wonder it's an all-time favorite.
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Police brutality, War, Violence, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Alcoholism
galexy_brain'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
4.5
Graphic: Gun violence, Death of parent, Grief, Death, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Colonisation, Gore, Physical abuse, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Torture, and War
Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, Abandonment, Infertility, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Excrement, Cancer, Child death, Classism, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit
alexisgarcia'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
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Blood, Death, Gore, Sexism, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, and Pregnancy
annaclaire18's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
The characters are convincing and complex, and the plot drags you under and doesn’t let you up for air.
I was less fond of the modern timeline that wove in and out of the story, but it did serve to help break up the heavy topic of the novel.
Warning: this is not a light read. Prepare for graphic descriptions of violence.
Graphic: Colonisation, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Torture, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, Genocide, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Rape
abrdoodle's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, and Death
Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Racism, Sexism, Torture, and War
Minor: Infidelity, Misogyny, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Sexual violence, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts
kiakrat's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death of parent, War, and Torture
Moderate: Rape