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dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is sad, f*cked up, uncomfortable, and beautiful. It really makes you think about emotions and empathy and how we take those things for granted. The ability to love, and how love can change everything. I found the nuanced similarities of Yunjae and Gon fascinating. One can speak eloquently and give you all the definitions of emotions but can’t express them. The other desperately wants to express their feelings but doesn’t know how to and lacks the vocabulary so they resort to frustrated physical acts. One is searching for a way to feel love but can’t feel it and the other is looking to be loved but can’t find it. I also found it really telling who the real monsters in this book were, all of the people that were so quick to judge, stereotype, and so slow to sympathize, and understand.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Death of parent
emotional
inspiring
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Un libro juvenil hermoso y conmovedor, y muy duro y crudo por momentos.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Cancer, Medical content
emotional
reflective
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death of parent
emotional
funny
reflective
fast-paced
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
im a lil sad bc this wouldve easily been a 4-star read if it wasnt for the last part. the first 3/4 was so good but the climax was too cheesy for me and the ending felt rushed w/ things tied up way too nicely.
nevertheless, almond was def a special book w/ an even more special narrator whose unique emotionally detached voice i loved. yunjae's prolly one of my most fav characters ever; he's that memorable. his unique outlook actually served as a major strength for the book, pointing all the idiosyncracies and ridiculous things 'normal' ppl and society at large do/tolerate. his fam's also a dynamic, heartwarming one, and his unconventional ~home education~ was def interesting.
im also surprised at how much i like gon--which i think is the author's point--and i feel for everything he's been thru; it's kinda ridiculous that no adults thought he might need some psych help considering his history. his and yunjae's relationship is an interesting one too and i loved their bookstore scenes. speaking of characters, however, while dora was a character necessary for yunjae's growth, i feel she couldve been introduced better; as it was it seemed a lil too sudden and random, like she's merely a plot device.
this book was also full of a myriad of emotions, whether it be "bruh" and "that escalated quickly" moments esp in the beginning; hilarious convos and scenarios that enduce more than a few chuckles; heartwarming and rly sad moments as well, for yunjae and gon both. almond was also surprisingly wise and i highly appreciate its themes and msg of reaching out to others, understanding, love, empathy, the passage of time, change, concept of 'ordinary', etc, and its portrayal of the duality of heart vs brain and what they tell us.
however, the last part felt weirdly awkward and a lil too cheesy for me, and the ending couldve been longer, w/ more scenes devoted to yunjae and gon and the resolution of their conflict. rn the pgs only contain things post-action. still, this was one of the better korean books ive read, and a fav for sure.
nevertheless, almond was def a special book w/ an even more special narrator whose unique emotionally detached voice i loved. yunjae's prolly one of my most fav characters ever; he's that memorable. his unique outlook actually served as a major strength for the book, pointing all the idiosyncracies and ridiculous things 'normal' ppl and society at large do/tolerate. his fam's also a dynamic, heartwarming one, and his unconventional ~home education~ was def interesting.
im also surprised at how much i like gon--which i think is the author's point--and i feel for everything he's been thru; it's kinda ridiculous that no adults thought he might need some psych help considering his history. his and yunjae's relationship is an interesting one too and i loved their bookstore scenes. speaking of characters, however, while dora was a character necessary for yunjae's growth, i feel she couldve been introduced better; as it was it seemed a lil too sudden and random, like she's merely a plot device.
this book was also full of a myriad of emotions, whether it be "bruh" and "that escalated quickly" moments esp in the beginning; hilarious convos and scenarios that enduce more than a few chuckles; heartwarming and rly sad moments as well, for yunjae and gon both. almond was also surprisingly wise and i highly appreciate its themes and msg of reaching out to others, understanding, love, empathy, the passage of time, change, concept of 'ordinary', etc, and its portrayal of the duality of heart vs brain and what they tell us.
however, the last part felt weirdly awkward and a lil too cheesy for me, and the ending couldve been longer, w/ more scenes devoted to yunjae and gon and the resolution of their conflict. rn the pgs only contain things post-action. still, this was one of the better korean books ive read, and a fav for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Cursing
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Una de las mayores bondades que puede tener un escritor es la capacidad de generar empatía entre el lector y sus protagonistas, ahí está generalmente el verdadero enganche entre lector-libro.
En este caso la autora logra desarrollar tan bien toda la historia y el character development de sus protagonistas que logras meterte en la historia y sentir página a página las emociones que creemos debería sentir Yunjae a pesar de no ser excesivamente descriptiva. Este es un libro muy fácil de leer pero con mucha carga emocional que te hará valorar cosas tan simples y que siempre damos por hecho como lo es el sentir.
En este caso la autora logra desarrollar tan bien toda la historia y el character development de sus protagonistas que logras meterte en la historia y sentir página a página las emociones que creemos debería sentir Yunjae a pesar de no ser excesivamente descriptiva. Este es un libro muy fácil de leer pero con mucha carga emocional que te hará valorar cosas tan simples y que siempre damos por hecho como lo es el sentir.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Violence
emotional
reflective
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Murder
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
i read this in about 3 hours and I just know that'll be thinking about it for years. yeah, it's that type of book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This book punched me in the face. Several times. In a good way! The very beginning and the ending were my favorite parts; they hit the hardest. I was freaking out during my classes as I read them, because they were so good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail