Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Almendra by Won-pyung Sohn

221 reviews

noshinbean's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

veronica214's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The story follows a teenager who was born with almond-sized amygdala (the part of the brain that processes emotions.) He doesn't feel fear, anger, sadness,  or happiness. However, a series of life changing events may be changing that. 

I liked the story enough, but wasn't a huge fan of the ending. Almost everything magically worked out ok and resulted in a happy ending. That part just didn't feel super realistic. Also, the translation was a little off at times.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Blood, Mass/school shootings, and Cursing

perapera's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Strange.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Violence

heyitslizz's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The moment I opened this book I couldn't close it anymore. This is a fast-pased story with short chapters (max. 6-7p.). The ending made me cry. And just like the author wrote in the beginning and at the end of the book, I don't know if I was crying because this story was tragic or because it was happy. I don't even know if this story was happy or tragic at all. Maybe it was both of those and a lot more. This is a study about communication, growing up, emotions and the lack of them, and about relationships. relationships that are subtile, but very powerful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Murder, and Physical abuse

dahud's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Violence, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Physical abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

aespaldon24's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Medical content, Murder, Bullying, Death, Grief, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty

333amreen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing 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

4.5

Such an easy read year covers such complex topics. Only goes on to show how great the writing is! So philosophical and psychological all at once. LOVED HIS CONNECTION WITH GON but the Dora part felt forced and incomplete & that's the ONLY reason I took off the .5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Hate crime, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Animal death, Mental illness, Murder, and Vomit

mzynda's review against another edition

emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

sahla's review against another edition

dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

4.0

i really enjoyed this book; the characters are so properly fleshed, and everything is captured so beautifully. the ending, when

yunjae meets his mother again, when she realizes that he can feel now, his absolute surprise and astonishment at her being alive, gosh,

it warmed my heart. and when

gon begs him to return when he's lying on the floor, bloody and hurt, and apologises so much,,,

it really moved me to tears.

the writing style reflects each of the characters so well, it's amazing. i can feel how yunjae must feel. the idea of him having the vocabulary for feelings but not actually having the feelings themselves, was conveyed perfectly, and so was the reverse for gon. and god, the relationship between his mother and grandmother is just so mwah.

my only issue (idk if it can actually be called that) was: dude, the homoerotic subtext between gon and yunjae! it was right there. i really liked dora, but there was no straight plotline necessary. but anyways, we move. (i've never felt more validated in my life than when i read the translator's note where she said she thought the same). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Bullying, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Abandonment

constant_reader's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Violence

Moderate: Bullying and Death

Minor: Death of parent