Reviews

The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim

811emily's review

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

royalblue16's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

anjalisudarsan's review against another edition

4.0

A touching story, written from the perspectives of the daughter (Margot) in the present-day discovering her mother (Mina) and the search that follows, and Mina's life in poverty as an immigrant in the US. The hardships felt so real; things like how Mina couldn't speak English and struggled her whole life due to war and poverty made her leave her country behind and be at the mercy of more powerful people. I also liked how Margot's experience was written, the trauma that a second-generation immigrant experiences and the questions about her identity. I loved the metaphors and the style of writing in this book, especially how small moments made me stop and think twice.

Did stories keep us alive, or kill us with false expectations?

durablepigments's review against another edition

sad slow-paced

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

3.5

madalynmetzger's review against another edition

reflective 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? Yes

3.0

hallan07's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

bookednbookish's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

bookswithbubbly's review against another edition

Too much slamming and hatred towards her mom, which made me upset, as my mom also recently died. 

manderzreadz's review against another edition

5.0

Great story of family, loss, sacrifice, and protecting those you love. I loved learning more about Korea and how the author shed light on the difficulties of Korean immigrants to America in the 1980s.

liwilson89's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

3.0