Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong

6 reviews

dauhns_booklist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

It's such a refreshing change to read an Asian-American's work that is so angry and expressive and needy and emotional. Especially because it's her own personal story, and not something she's making up about a fictional character. To put yourself out there, to talk about your faults and desires and mistakes, takes immense courage and boldness and also a strong ego. I don't think I've seen many Asian people do something like that.

This book was truly so intense. At times cathartic, at others maddening or sickening, and still at others funny. I was on a rollercoaster ride through most of it. She adds a lot of really painful and shocking history (recent and old) in the book, I think those parts were the hardest to read.

She also phrased some things about racism and feelings of racism as an Asian-American so well, and those were the parts I felt catharsis from. For example, how we feel about our parents as less and less of heroes and more as people we need to protect in this country because of their inability to fit in perfectly or fight against racism. There were so many points made that had me feeling like I needed to read it over and over and reflect on it for longer.

I want to recommend this book to everyone, but at the same time it was so heartbreaking, infuriating, and shocking, that I need to disclose trigger warnings with the recommendation. If you have not read this book yet, please know that it’s been a life-changing book for many many people, and is truly an important work of modern American literary history.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Murder, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, and Rape

clarabooksit's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

3.5

I liked Minor Feelings but I didn’t love it. Some essays really struck me, especially Hong’s discussions of racism, pop culture—loved her dismantling of Moonrise Kingdom—being Asian America and Korean, and how she confronts race head on, but others I struggled with—notably the essay about art school and her two college friends had some excellent parts but overall didn’t work for me.

Her writing is bold, judgmental and brutally honest. I admired her consistent interrogation of her own thoughts and motives as she ruthlessly questioned those of others. I definitely think it’s worth a read but it’s not a new favorite.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Murder, Violence, and War

Minor: Physical abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, and Rape

nakutski's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Child abuse and Physical abuse

koreanlinda's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.0

My short reflection as a Korean American reader

Forte:

• I liked the chapters about Cathy's experience with counseling therapy and the relationship with her mother. 

Shortcomings:

• The chapters lack cohesion and were confusing in terms of time progression. 
• The book is marketed as an Asian American memoir, but a big portion of the book is neither memoir nor about the Asian American experience. 
• I got the feeling that Cathy is avoiding telling her own story and reverting to the story of others.
• One chapter about Cathy's college years shows that a friend abused Cathy, but there is never an acknowledgement of the abuse. It is rather dismissed as a character flaw. 

If you want to read about Korean American Woman's experience, I recommend Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner. 

Review by Linda (she/they)
Twitter @KoreanLinda
Letter writer at DefinitelyNotOkay.com 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Physical abuse

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Violence, and Xenophobia

carolinefran's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia

Minor: Dementia