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jelenwalker'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
4.25
Graphic: Death, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, Xenophobia, and Colonisation
Moderate: Hate crime, Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Homophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Bullying, War, Terminal illness, and Alcoholism
Minor: Alcohol, Torture, Miscarriage, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Bullying
ritugp01'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? It's complicated
5.0
The book began with powerful, to the point writing. Sentences were simple. In a way, it reminded me of the succinct nature of Hemingway, minus the required reaches for symbolism. Rather, the simplicity in Pachinko offered no hidden messages beyond the story it sought to share. It's simplicity offered a quiet, forthright sense of power and confidence within the long, windy, melancholic story. In this, Min Jin Lee was remarkable.
It's characters, whether that be in the quiet and strong Sunja, who spends most of her life fighting both inside and outside due to something that was done to her, or even in Phoebe, whose appearance was short, impactful, yet fully realized, became not just characters, but people I knew. For a story spanning four generations, a multitude of characters was to be expected, yet every single one of them seemed fully realized. Some other readers may feel that the side stories took away from the main family, but I disagreed. In a sense, it reminded me that Sunja and her family are not alone in this long fight we call living. Everyone else, every character that the family might have touched, were helpful in reminding me that Sunja's family was one of many. Sunja, Yangjin, Hoonie, Isak, Kyunghee, Noa, Mozasu, Solomon, and Yumi were some of my favorite characters and I know they will stay with me for some time.
Truly a modern classic.
Moderate: Bullying, Classism, Suicide, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Alcohol, Abortion, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, War, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Addiction, Racism, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Mental illness, Death of parent, Death, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Police brutality, Abortion, and Miscarriage
daphnewoods's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Moderate: Car accident, Colonisation, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Murder, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, War, Miscarriage, Grief, Police brutality, Racism, Self harm, Bullying, Physical abuse, Classism, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Body shaming, Suicide, Misogyny, Hate crime, Child death, Outing, Infertility, and Deportation
c_dmckinney'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
3.25
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Ableism, Addiction, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Bullying, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Sexism
readwithserena'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
4.75
Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Classism, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Bullying, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Trafficking, Xenophobia, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Abortion, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Infertility, War, Infidelity, Hate crime, Death of parent, Death, and Child death
__lucebrennan'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
5.0
Moderate: Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Suicide attempt, Abortion, Addiction, Child death, Bullying, Murder, Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Xenophobia
thetheatricallinguist's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Colonisation, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexual content
mxpringle's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Grief, Ableism, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Violence
Minor: War
amberswips's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.0
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Death of parent, Hate crime, Suicide, Suicide attempt, War, and Sexism
Moderate: Addiction, Abortion, Body shaming, Sexual content, Cancer, and Car accident
Minor: Cursing
talkbookswithangela's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Abortion, Xenophobia, Violence, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Suicide, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Infidelity, Infertility, Grief, Genocide, Death, Child death, Cancer, Abandonment, and Sexism