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jaduhluhdabooks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Just sitting here. Crying. Feeling grateful and honored to have read this story. To have grieved alongside Michelle.
To have laughed. To have understood the horrors of illness and disease as it takes away the best parts of someone you love so deeply. To fight and to wish yourself away from that someone only to find yourself back to them, in search of them in everything, because you ultimately need them.
I resonate on the deepest of levels with this narrative.
From the shared love of food to the volatile experiences I had with my own mother - trying to carve out my existence apart from her tutelage. But her truth remained a part of me, as it did then and now that is something I am so thankful for. Holding pieces of my mother and her story and her culture so closely to my own being, guides me.
Grief - the way that Michelle personifies grief is real and raw and I felt it to my core. The extension of wonder mixed with the overbearance of
debilitation, that is grief. How something so unraveling becomes something you learn to walk side by side with.
Grief never leaves you, it grows with you.
1 am someone who knows grief well. We often meet in random alley's of my own memories, some memories that warrants griefs presence, even extends an invitation and some that do not, yet grief greets me. We're accommodated to each others presence now, conversing naturally and letting memories take their course and present moments have their way with us both. I recently told a friend that it's been hard, this read. ...but also a good release of grief that sometimes get lost in the cracks of growth and healing. ironically, grief is as much a strength as it is a hinderance or painful reminder of what was and what is not.
It is a reminder of humanity. Of the fealty of this body and this life. And for me - it points me back to the The Lord, which is why I think it's the hardest to read because I wonder where her grief points her. And that is the question I am left with. Grief needs something to hold on to, it can symbiotic or parasitic. I think I will sit with this story for a long time and hope for the best. Because grief and hope can too, coexist. I am the lived reality of that truth.
It is a reminder of humanity. Of the fealty of this body and this life. And for me - it points me back to the The Lord, which is why I think it's the hardest to read because I wonder where her grief points her. And that is the question I am left with. Grief needs something to hold on to, it can symbiotic or parasitic. I think I will sit with this story for a long time and hope for the best. Because grief and hope can too, coexist. I am the lived reality of that truth.
A beautiful book. A heart wrenching and gripping narrative. And an honor to be invited in to sit in your words Michelle.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer
Moderate: Cancer and Grief
Minor: Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, and Fatphobia
doomluz's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
My partner was listening to this and I ended up listening with him. I don't usually listen to audiobooks, but it felt more emotional, especially because my partner lost his dad last year.
Some parts were difficult to hear, like the conflicts between Michelle and her parents. But it was also relatable as both my partner and I have immigrant parents (though obviously there's some differences between Korean culture and Mexican). The parts describing the mother's illness were also difficult.
Overall it was vivid, great descriptions, and cathartic. Also I wouldn't recommend listening/reading when you're hungry or before bed because I kept getting hungry.
Some parts were difficult to hear, like the conflicts between Michelle and her parents. But it was also relatable as both my partner and I have immigrant parents (though obviously there's some differences between Korean culture and Mexican). The parts describing the mother's illness were also difficult.
Overall it was vivid, great descriptions, and cathartic. Also I wouldn't recommend listening/reading when you're hungry or before bed because I kept getting hungry.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Cancer
Moderate: Infidelity, Fatphobia, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Abortion
ajoyr's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Terminal illness, and Grief
Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fatphobia, and Suicidal thoughts
peppers_books's review
5.0
wow that shit hurted
anyways,,
one thing i noticed is that it felt like she jumped around different periods of her life for no rhyme or reason and would drop random information on us unexpectedly. like it's present day, then we're back ten years, oh and btw they have a family dog! it might not seem important but it made the experience seem disjointed and broke up the flow of the book. the biggest thing though was when she just dropped a relatively detailed description of her fathers abusive childhood? i didn't understand the purpose and it was honestly kind of shocking to just be like bam! terrible thing that doesn't expand on what is currently being talked about. okay moving on.
anyways,,
one thing i noticed is that it felt like she jumped around different periods of her life for no rhyme or reason and would drop random information on us unexpectedly. like it's present day, then we're back ten years, oh and btw they have a family dog! it might not seem important but it made the experience seem disjointed and broke up the flow of the book. the biggest thing though was when she just dropped a relatively detailed description of her fathers abusive childhood? i didn't understand the purpose and it was honestly kind of shocking to just be like bam! terrible thing that doesn't expand on what is currently being talked about. okay moving on.
at that point i almost considered dnfing but i decided to keep going because i've heard such good things. i'm glad i kept going because the rest was so heart wrenching, real, and raw that for a moment i held a part of her grief. as a reader, i felt honored to be trusted with such a vulnerable part of her life. her thoughts and emotions felt so genuine and open, like nothing was sugar coated, even if the truth was ugly. i really admired that and it made me realize that this is a memoir and michelle zauner is not an author day to day. the point of the book isn't to have spectacular writing and structure! i got what i needed out of the reading experience and that was all that mattered.
i am korean as well and that is such a big part of her identity, so this book is special to me in its own way. i could connect with and see my own experience reflected back which made it more impactful.
i will say, a huge huge warning for death of a parent due to cancer. as i mentioned, nothing felt sugar coated so all the ugly realities of illness and grief and anger are there in plain sight.
i am korean as well and that is such a big part of her identity, so this book is special to me in its own way. i could connect with and see my own experience reflected back which made it more impactful.
i will say, a huge huge warning for death of a parent due to cancer. as i mentioned, nothing felt sugar coated so all the ugly realities of illness and grief and anger are there in plain sight.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Fatphobia
Minor: Child abuse
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