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foliage_and_fiction's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.5
“How afraid they were of each other. How impossible they seemed together. But if only her mother would’ve knocked, and Margot’s response wouldn’t have been, 𝘎𝘰 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺. If only they had a way to embrace each other and say, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐’𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵.”
Trying to imagine Mina’s loss, pain & struggle…to say I was moved while reading her story would be an understatement. I’m always drawn to a complicated mother/daughter theme & I especially loved the deep dive into the relationship between an immigrant parent & their American born child - how this can cause a lack of communication & understanding in each other. Oh & the FOOD 🤤 Wow did this novel make me hungryyyyyy. Vegan Jjigae has now been handwritten into my cookbook my mom gave me & it will be a regular meal in my house for sure!
All of that said, there were parts I was really disappointed with. The ending pissed me off so much & it felt way too rushed. Like Juyoon Kim tried to fit too many themes into one book, so some of it was wrapped up too perfectly while the rest was glossed over with little explanation. The “mystery” theme in the book didn’t feel needed whatsoever. I could have read another 300 pages about Mina’s life & the dynamic between her & Margot instead. Also, the gay Hispanic BFF was unnecessary & it seemed he was only added for more “diversity”. Miguel was a one dimensional, stereotyped character IMO.
Trying to imagine Mina’s loss, pain & struggle…to say I was moved while reading her story would be an understatement. I’m always drawn to a complicated mother/daughter theme & I especially loved the deep dive into the relationship between an immigrant parent & their American born child - how this can cause a lack of communication & understanding in each other. Oh & the FOOD 🤤 Wow did this novel make me hungryyyyyy. Vegan Jjigae has now been handwritten into my cookbook my mom gave me & it will be a regular meal in my house for sure!
All of that said, there were parts I was really disappointed with. The ending pissed me off so much & it felt way too rushed. Like Juyoon Kim tried to fit too many themes into one book, so some of it was wrapped up too perfectly while the rest was glossed over with little explanation. The “mystery” theme in the book didn’t feel needed whatsoever. I could have read another 300 pages about Mina’s life & the dynamic between her & Margot instead. Also, the gay Hispanic BFF was unnecessary & it seemed he was only added for more “diversity”. Miguel was a one dimensional, stereotyped character IMO.
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Racism, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness
sydresnik's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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? N/A
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Death
Moderate: Stalking and Sexual assault
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Racism
in_love_with_bookish's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
Choosing if and when and how to share the truth might be the deepest, most painful necessity of growing out into the world and into yourself
I really don’t know how to begin with this book. It was definitely an emotionally challenging book to read filled with loss, grief, heartbreak, and despair. I felt the sadness in my soul. At times I was reading through my tears and at times I couldn’t breathe. This was devastation on paper and I don’t think I’ll ever recover from the havoc it created in me.
The Last Story of Mina Lee is about a bond between a daughter and a mother, Margot Lee and Mina. Through alternating between Mina’s past as a Korean War orphan and an undocumented immigrant and Margot’s present as a daughter coming to terms with the suspicious and sudden death of her mother, The author stars revealing the complexity of their dynamics, the difficulty of understanding each other and communicating their hurt and pain and leaning into each other in their darkest moments.
Maybe it was the tiniest of things, at times, on a consistent basis, that kept us alive, and if she could not create such kindnesses for herself, couldn’t she allow someone else to do so for her?
Margot and Mina had a difficult relationship in the past but as Margot starts to dig deep into her mother's past, she starts to know the woman she was by learning everything she went through from love, war, grief, and the loss of everything that was dear to her mother. And by learning about her mother, Margot starts to understand herself more coming to terms with who she was and who she is now.
The story is really hard-hitting and deeply emotional as it tackles sensitive issues like the loss of family, poverty, grief, and immigration. The author doesn’t shy away from revealing what lurks behind the face of her characters baring them naked to the reader with all the insecurities, scars, and vulnerabilities that live inside them. And in doing so, she creates a bond so deep it burns.
What was the point of learning a language that brought you into the fold of a world that didn’t want you? Did this world want her? No. It didn’t like the sound of her voice.
This book ruined me and I love it for it. Beautifully written and stunningly poignant, this book is criminally underrated. I wish everyone will give this story a chance because it’s so worth it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Sexual assault
flickingmarried's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book. I felt like many of us feel the same about our parents in that we don't really know them. I love reading immigrant stories and this book didn't let me down. Both the mother and daughter narrators were funny and different in many ways.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Death of parent
These triggers are a part of the main immigrant story and are not graphic in description.theresenatalie's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Minor: Racial slurs and Suicidal thoughts
healydwya's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Omg this book!!! It totally blew my expectations out of the water. It was lengthy and slow-paced but that almost added to the beauty of it and I loved slowly unraveling it, reading a few chapters each day. There were so many paragraphs and sentences I mentally highlighted on what it’s like to be a woman, an immigrant, an orphan, or all of the above.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Child death, and Death
adoesetfree's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I didn’t hate this book by any means but I didn’t like it either. It doesn’t deserve a 3 but I don’t think it deserves a 2 either, so have a 2.5.
I found the writing an odd mix of threadbare and try-hard (if this book asks me ONE more rhetorical question....) The story itself didn’t give me what I wanted, often skipping right over the things I was interested in seeing. The explorations of how complex mother-daughter relationships can be, how patriarchy affects women, and life as a Korean-American immigrant were thorough, but not especially intuitive or engaging; I wonder if maybe the author took on too many topics at once, particularly for a debut novel.
I found the writing an odd mix of threadbare and try-hard (if this book asks me ONE more rhetorical question....) The story itself didn’t give me what I wanted, often skipping right over the things I was interested in seeing. The explorations of how complex mother-daughter relationships can be, how patriarchy affects women, and life as a Korean-American immigrant were thorough, but not especially intuitive or engaging; I wonder if maybe the author took on too many topics at once, particularly for a debut novel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Sexism
wai's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Oh, my heart. This book really captures the experience of Asian diaspora in the USA, with the story of Mina Lee, a Korean immigrant who first came to the USA in the last 1980s, and her daughter, Margot Lee. Adding in the mystery of how Mina died, and Margot's absolute resolve to know the truth, really pushes you to want to keep reading, if only to know how it ends. Plus, I honestly love dual narratives that includes switching between flashbacks of the past to what is the book's present (in this case, late 2014). This book was so touching and I know it will stay with me even as I move on to other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault
Minor: Sexual content, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, and Child death
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