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meeklovestoread'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I'd like to note that I didn't know this was a piece of translated fiction so maybe certain concepts that were supposed to be more prominent were lost in translation.
Okay, I'd like to say the first half was promising and then it just went "downhill" for me. Which is not to say the story was bad, but I just felt like it could've been more emotional, more impactful, more promising.
The friendship between Yunjae and Gon felt so lackluster to me which renders Yunjae's gesture towards Gon idiotic to me
Also, Dora's characterization also felt lackluster to me as well. I understand her purpose but in my opinion, her presence was very much so unimpactful and didn't bring much to the story at all. Honestly, because I've consumed a decent amount of ya coming of age stories, I honestly thought there was going to be something between Gon and Yunjae. It's fine that there wasn't, but I was just expecting more.
The way Yunjae introduced Gon and Dora I thought they were going to impact the main character in a life-altering way and it was going to be this epic, emotional story about the binds of friendship and family and illness and sadly it all just fell so flat for me. And the ending. I hate reusing adjectives, but again, lackluster and felt kinda like a cop-out. And felt like a forced "HEA".
I know I keep harping on about my qualms about this book, but it honestly wasn't a bad book by any stretch of the phrase. I really enjoyed learning about alexithymia and the way the main character thinks and views things. It was nice to get a glimpse into another type of human experience that I didn't even know existed so learning about Yunjae and his struggles was nice. And getting to witness the relationship between his mother and his grandmother and their past lives. As well as Yunjae's relationship with Dr. Shim.
Overall, again this is not a bad book. It has so many 4 and 5 stars ratings. It sadly just didn't hit for me and that's okay!
Graphic: Mental illness, Death, Bullying, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Violence and Cursing
Minor: Suicide, Medical content, Child death, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Blood
stacylaughs's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Child death, and Violence
rosalind's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Death
Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood
Minor: Mental illness, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, and Abandonment
lilmissoddity's review against another edition
2.0
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
hareems's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Only 0.25 docked because some loose ends weren't tied. I don't mind that, but I think it may have further enhanced the story to at least reach a reunion between the two friends, even if it was just wordless, just a smile seeing each other again. I think Gon seeing Yunjae smile would've itself been incredibly significant. It was significant for Yunjae to cry and laugh in front of his mom. But we knew Gon for longer and Gon had a bigger (narrated) impact on Yunjae, so he deserved to see Yunjae's change just as much as his mother did (in the context of the story).
I appreciated that the ending was happier than reality. Sometimes we need that. A book that is heavily dosed with reality but that still gives us a proper happy ending instead of just a small glimmer of hope at the end.
I'm hopeful Gon changes. He's been shown too soft to really turn out poorly. And Dora isn't going anywhere. She'll stay in touch because she wants to stay in touch.
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Child death, and Bullying
Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual assault
chireadsandchill's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Deadnaming, Grief, Violence, Medical content, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood
theliteraryteapot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
I really liked it, it's quite an emotional heartbreaking story.
Graphic: Blood, Death, Bullying, Child death, Murder, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Animal death, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse
alisylvi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Bullying and Child death
lor_5's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
I literally started feeling as if a rock was hitting my chest in chapter 71/72 and I was sobbing A LOT.
I loved it tho.
Graphic: Death, Bullying, Child death, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Medical content, Animal death, and Cursing
lilybear3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Islamophobia, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Death, Murder, Suicide, Grief, and Medical content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Child death and Child abuse