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alisonannk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Bullying, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, War, Death, Dysphoria, and Sexism
Moderate: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Child death, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Infertility
Minor: Alcohol, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, and Murder
godhood's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death, Suicide, and Infertility
allisonshewfelt's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I adored the rich detail and characterization as well as the multiple povs. I appreciate that Lee didn't just focus on the stories of the main characters but also included the side characters. A lot of side characters even got their own chapters. The writing was of course gorgeous and addicting to read.
As someone who doesn't pay attention in history class, this book taught me more than any textbook would and kept my attention. Unlike textbooks where they just relay the facts, books like these focus on the characters and really help you understand and emphasize the historical situation. Many things shocked me. For example inflation and the high value of money as well as how Koreans were treated by the Japanese. Koreans could get imprisoned so easily for the smallest reasons and that really bothered me.
I did not expect to cry but what was I thinking? Of course I would if the story spans 4 generations someone ought to die.
I loved most of the characters so much and it was crazy how fast they grew up. I felt like I was a part of their family. The character deaths were so hard to go through because of this.
The opening line "History has failed us, but no matter" really showcases what this book will contain: the struggle of characters to keep going despite the prejudice. The covers for the paperback and hardcover both are great representations of the book too. I appreciate how the title also ties in with the book. Pachinko is a Japanese pinball game that relies on luck. There will be some winners and a lot of losers but you'll keep playing because you have hope that you'll be the lucky one.
This book deserves nothing less than 5 stars considering how much time and research was put into it. Like Lee took 30 years to write this! I'm so happy it got adapted. I already know the show is gonna be a masterpiece and I will be reading anything Lee writes.
Graphic: Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Violence, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Torture, War, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Colonisation, Rape, Suicide, Alcoholism, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Sexual harassment
panickat123'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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Bullying, Colonisation, Police brutality, Death of parent, Racism, and War
Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Physical abuse
Minor: Infertility, Abortion, and Drug use
gm_vak's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Grief, Child death, Death, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Car accident, Suicide, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Ableism, Cancer, War, Colonisation, Classism, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Homophobia
isgbv's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, Colonisation, and Death
Moderate: War, Chronic illness, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, Xenophobia, Drug abuse, Violence, Terminal illness, Suicide, Racism, Infertility, Grief, and Drug use
stevie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Cancer, Car accident, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Misogyny, Genocide, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Classism, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Ableism, Abortion, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child abuse, Child death, and Terminal illness
yuki__'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Gore, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, War, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief
serena_hien's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Sexual content, Violence, Colonisation, Classism, Death, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Pregnancy, and War
Moderate: Misogyny, Cursing, and Infertility
Minor: Miscarriage, Cancer, Abortion, and Trafficking
savzilla's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Police brutality