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martasshelf's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really liked all aspects of this book: the caracters are well built and interesting, they're complex and more than just one things; the story is never predictable even when it feels like it could be it ends up surprising you in the next corner; and the pace of it aligned with the main character growth is so well done, with rythm and sense.
Yunjae is an amazing character to read. I loved how the author made me feel so many emotions through a teenage boy who doesn't feel them. It was sometimes brutal and almost unbearable, other times sweet and funny.
Special mention to the final notes - I love reading Author's notes and Translator's notes, they feel like a peek behind the scenes of creativity and the world behind the book. Specially the Translator's ones, for someone reading in english (not my native language), it's always interesting to read them.
Yunjae is an amazing character to read. I loved how the author made me feel so many emotions through a teenage boy who doesn't feel them. It was sometimes brutal and almost unbearable, other times sweet and funny.
Special mention to the final notes - I love reading Author's notes and Translator's notes, they feel like a peek behind the scenes of creativity and the world behind the book. Specially the Translator's ones, for someone reading in english (not my native language), it's always interesting to read them.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, and Bullying
Moderate: Cursing
lotoblanco's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I wouldn’t say “flaw” to what Yunjae is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Blood, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Addiction
alywaly's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- 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? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Bullying and Torture
zmeiat's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
3.75
The friendship was very wholesome.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Minor: Bullying
janika96's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
jungsies's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Pregnancy, Murder, Physical abuse, and Cursing
Minor: Terminal illness and Blood
mira167's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Sehr gut. Bissn geweint am Ende. Yunjae ist ne Mausi
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
hickorynut's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Check TWs before reading.
This was very well translated, bringing an emotionless yet still engaging main character to life. Yunjae's journey through being taught how to be "normal" resonated deeply for me as an autistic reader. His experiences of trauma and tragedy and growing into young adulthood without guardians were narrated in a logical, factual manner with curiosity and an interest to learn and understand more. I ended up reading most of this in one sitting as his simple and straightforward method of communication combined with a complicated and traumatic life, kept me intrigued.
"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."
"Books took me to places I could never go otherwise. They shared the confessions of people I’d never met and lives I’d never witnessed. The emotions I could never feel, and the events I hadn’t experienced could all be found in those volumes."
"But books are quiet. They remain dead silent until somebody flips open a page. Only then do they spill out their stories, calmly and thoroughly, just enough at a time for me to handle."
"“Do you think I could make others understand me, even though I can’t understand myself?”"
Author's note:
"I have come to think that love is what makes a person human, as well as what makes a monster."
This was very well translated, bringing an emotionless yet still engaging main character to life. Yunjae's journey through being taught how to be "normal" resonated deeply for me as an autistic reader. His experiences of trauma and tragedy and growing into young adulthood without guardians were narrated in a logical, factual manner with curiosity and an interest to learn and understand more. I ended up reading most of this in one sitting as his simple and straightforward method of communication combined with a complicated and traumatic life, kept me intrigued.
"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."
"Books took me to places I could never go otherwise. They shared the confessions of people I’d never met and lives I’d never witnessed. The emotions I could never feel, and the events I hadn’t experienced could all be found in those volumes."
"But books are quiet. They remain dead silent until somebody flips open a page. Only then do they spill out their stories, calmly and thoroughly, just enough at a time for me to handle."
"“Do you think I could make others understand me, even though I can’t understand myself?”"
Author's note:
"I have come to think that love is what makes a person human, as well as what makes a monster."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Animal cruelty, and Blood
Moderate: Bullying, Blood, and Mental illness
lemo_n's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Bullying
pikitat's review against another edition
fast-paced
2.0
It was somewhat interesting but I didn't think it was remarkable enough to warrant the hype. I did find it bothersome that the story ends with Gon and Yunjae being "fixed". There are many stories about neurodivergent people that end in this sort of savior style, where the neurodivergent person finally conforms - becomes "normal" - and this change is celebrated as a good thing. I think the fact that Yunaje's ability to suddenly feel emotions was described as him becoming "human" was particularly bothersome, as it does imply that people with alexythemia are inhuman. Overall, I think this book doesn't do a stellar job exploring and representing the condition it tries to shed light on and portrays the condition in an offensive manner. It's not surprising because this happens frequently with portrayals of neurodivergent and mentally ill individuals in fiction, but it's always disappointing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Murder, Blood, Violence, and Torture