Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

128 reviews

miishmiish's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

So difficult to rate. I think I agree with so many of the 3&2 star reviews— the narrative in the third section of the book is quite unfocused and threads that introduce characters are never tied up. Haruki's wife's vignette, for example, was interesting, but didn't add anything to the story, and she was never included after that chapter. I had to wonder what was the point of her story, if only to further a trope of overly sexualized Japanese girls? 

Solomon's story was overshadowed a bit by the melodrama that was Hana's saga, and I found her character over the top. 

I also didn't care much for the audiobook narrator, who couldn't pronounce Korean nor Japanese words correctly. 

Why pick a narrator that cannot speak the two languages that are central to the story? It was hard to listen to at times. 

That being said, this book is so illuminating in terms of showing how Koreans were (and still are in many ways) discriminated against in Japan, and the effects that Japanese imperialism and colonialism had on generations of Koreans. Despite knowing a good amount of Japanese history, I didn't know much about Japan's colonization of Korea and even less about the Zainichi (ethnic Koreans born in Japan) and their lineages. it's an incredibly important part of history and too often overlooked, like so many stories of colonialism and imperialism. For that reason alone, I think it's deserving of 5 stars - that Min Jin Lee was able to weave the tapestry of four generations of a fictional family in a very real history is extremely impressive. 

I just had to knock a star off for the disconnected ending and loose threads.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Grief, Pregnancy, Suicide, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Car accident, Violence, War, and Physical abuse

lgcpreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Abortion, Child death, Physical abuse, Racism, Bullying, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Violence

kathmulderry's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

I think this was my favorite book of the year. Generations of strong women, no sugarcoating. You feel all of the hardship, small glimmers of hope, loss. I wish I could speak more eloquently about this book and do it the justice it deserves. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Pregnancy, Suicide, and War

isacarvalho91's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Dementia, Genocide, Infertility, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Sexism, Chronic illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, Cultural appropriation, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Miscarriage, War, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Grief, Murder, Sexual violence, and Suicide

my_weird_bookish_heart's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Death, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Chronic illness, and Pregnancy

san_dra's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Bullying, War, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Classism, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Rape

Minor: Mental illness, Homophobia, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Suicide, and Pregnancy

karwc's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Cancer, Classism, Death of parent, Child death, War, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Adult/minor relationship

laurajenkins's review against another edition

I kept hoping something would happen. Nothing but gratuitous sex. No plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Torture, Trafficking, Suicide, Bullying, Chronic illness, Sexual harassment, Cursing, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

jenrazzle's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Infertility, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, War, Incest, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Death, Alcohol, Trafficking, Cancer, Car accident, Abortion, and Emotional abuse

lanid's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Racism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, War, and Xenophobia

Minor: Classism, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Bullying, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Police brutality