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claudiashelf's review against another edition
emotional
sad
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
4.25
❝ Mom said everything was for my sake, calling it love. But to me, it seemed more like we were doing this out of her own desperation not to have a child that was different. Love, according to Mom’s actions, was nothing more than nagging about every little thing, with teary eyes, about how one should act such and such in this and that situation. If that was love, I’d rather neither give nor receive any. But of course, I didn’t say that out loud. That was all thanks to one of Mom’s codes of conduct—Too much honesty hurts others—which I had memorized over and over so that it was stuck in my brain. ❞
The book centres around an enigmatic and complex character named Yunjae, who suffers from a rare condition called Alexithymia. This condition leaves him unable to experience emotions, which makes it difficult for him to interact with people and understand social cues. As the story unfolds, Yunjae meets an array of intriguing people, each with their own unique personalities and backgrounds. I see how Yunjae's relationship with them develops over time, how he tries to make sense of his emotions, or lack thereof, and how he navigates the world around him.
The author paints a vivid and compelling picture of Yunjae's journey, capturing every nuance of his struggles and triumphs. The book is a poignant exploration of the human condition, and the author's masterful storytelling keeps me captivated until the very end. Although the ending may have felt a little underwhelming, the book as a whole is a beautifully written, thought-provoking, and emotionally resonant tale.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Grief, and Bullying
lilmissoddity's review against another edition
2.0
This book is a gross misrepresentation of the condition Alexithymia and misrepresentation of conditions can be a harmful thing to people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Ableism, Grief, Bullying, Kidnapping, Violence, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse
hjb_128's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Animal cruelty, Violence, Ableism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Bullying, and Murder
bookishcookiemonster's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.0
Heartbreaking and beautiful. Going to reccomend this to all my friends
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Abandonment, and Ableism
jiangslore's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0
[4/5]
Eu queria ler “Amêndoas” porque só escutei coisas ótimas sobre o livro. Mas, apesar de ter muita gente que gostou da leitura, vi muito pouco ser dito sobre o que o livro era efetivamente — o tema, o enredo, os personagens, por exemplo. Isso fez com que eu começasse a leitura sem muitas noção do que aconteceria, mas acabei gostando muito. Algo que acredito firmemente é que o melhor tipo de livro infanto-juvenil é o tipo que fala sobre crescer, e “Amêndoas” faz isso de um jeito que, mesmo sendo inesperado, é muito natural.
A escrita é extremamente fluida. Os temas que são tratados na narrativa nem sempre são simples ou fáceis, mas a forma que o livro é escrito faz com que tudo pareça mais leve do que é. Além disso, os personagens são muito interessantes — eu não diria que “Amêndoas” pesa muito nas descrições, mas o que é descrito sobre a personalidade ou experiência dos personagens faz com que cada um deles pareça profundo e realista. E, claro, o personagem narrador da história, Yunjae, é muito bem desenvolvido. Embora a posição dele não seja nada convencional e, consequentemente, a percepção dele também não o seja, é muito fácil entender o personagem, suas motivações e suas ações. O fato de ele ter uma voz muito característica como narrador foi uma das coisas mais interessantes do livro, na minha opinião.
Há alguns outros personagens que são relevantes para a história, mas o que merece mais destaque é, com certeza, o Gon. Ele sem dúvidas é mais controvertido do que o Yunjae — se, por um lado, é difícil não entender o Yunjae, por outro, é difícil entender o Gon — mas é muito interessante observar como, em razão de experiências passadas opostas, esses dois personagens parecem estar passando pelas mesmas coisas. Observar o modo que a relação deles é desenvolvida me fez perceber o quanto “Amêndoas” é um livro sobre amizade, sobre como às vezes é com o outro que somos capazes de entendermos mais sobre nós mesmos.
Acredito que um ponto criticável do livro é a escolha da autora em colocar o protagonista para ter uma condição neurológica que realmente existe. Não sei o quanto da alexitimia, da forma que é retratada em “Amêndoas”, é real e o quanto é resultado da imaginação da autora (no início do livro, há um aviso de que esses dois elementos fizeram parte da formação da obra), mas acredito que, se a proposta era fazer algo que envolve a imaginação, seria muito menos arriscado e até mais proveitoso simplesmente inventar uma condição específica. Não acho que a autora está necessariamente errada por não ter feito essa escolha, mas estaria mentido se dissesse que não me perguntei algumas vezes o por quê disso.
Além disso, o romance é bem… Superficial. Acredito que ele serve ao propósito que é apresentado no livro; e não é como se não tivesse feito sentido na narrativa. Mas acho que estou cansada demais da fórmula de “livro sobre a amizade de dois meninos no qual a menina só surge brevemente para gostar de um deles de modo romântico” que não consegui gostar.
Por fim, “Amêndoas”, é uma daquelas histórias que deixam muito para ocorrer após o final. Claro, isso faz sentido, porque a narrativa se limita a alguns eventos específicos da vida do protagonista, mas sei que isso é algo que pode ser considerado um ponto negativo para muita gente. De qualquer modo, acredito que a leitura vale muito a pena. A história dele é muito sensível e agradável, apesar de ser menos leve do que eu imaginava, e com certeza ensina muitas coisas que são valiosas; especialmente para o público-alvo da obra.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Ableism
rachjy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Animal death, Ableism, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Cursing, and Torture
gossameralbum's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
here is another part i highlighted that i found profound:
“Mom, do you even know what that character means?” “Of course!” Granny glared at Mom, then in a deep low voice, she said, “Love.” “What does love mean?” Mom asked mischievously. “To discover beauty.” After Granny wrote the top part of the character , then the middle part, (meaning “heart”), she said, “These three dots are us. This one’s mine, this one’s yours, this one’s his!”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Grief, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Medical content, and Violence
Minor: Rape
navayiota's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Yet another banger. I wish I had known earlier that there are so many great Korean authors, and I hope others won't make the same mistake as me and wait so long to explore Korean literature. I can easily see this becoming a modern classic, and it will be completely justified. Almond is a flawless exploration of disability in society, and a character study of a boy unable to feel emotions. This book had me gasping, tearing up and giggling.. highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Grief, Ableism, Abandonment, Violence, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, and Child abuse
Minor: Gun violence
paradicsomleves's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Violence, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, and Death of parent
dprekta's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-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
3.75
It’s an easy book to get through. As I read it - I felt myself connect with characters very easily from the get go. Yunjae’s character and personal development in the book is my favourite part of it, Gon’s character is complicated but the author does a decent job at giving you enough background to make sense out of his actions and reactions.
A great book to explore human emotions and how it gets translated into the day-to-day business of life. I loved the questions Yunjae would occasionally ask from the readers. Made me think more deeply about the importance of words and language.
Dips toes in childhood trauma and emotional conditioning of a child which is very insightful.
“Children long to be loved, but at the same time they give the most love.”
“Love was an extreme idea. A word that seemed to force something undefinable into the prison of letters. But the word was used so casually, so often. People spoke of love so casually, just to mean the slightest pleasure or thanks.”
A great book to explore human emotions and how it gets translated into the day-to-day business of life. I loved the questions Yunjae would occasionally ask from the readers. Made me think more deeply about the importance of words and language.
Dips toes in childhood trauma and emotional conditioning of a child which is very insightful.
“Children long to be loved, but at the same time they give the most love.”
“Love was an extreme idea. A word that seemed to force something undefinable into the prison of letters. But the word was used so casually, so often. People spoke of love so casually, just to mean the slightest pleasure or thanks.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, and Child abuse