Reviews tagging 'Ableism'

Almond by Won-pyung Sohn

52 reviews

pikitat's review

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Murder, Blood, Violence, and Torture

cyndakeel's review

challenging emotional reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Ableism

lazagn's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

4.0

the ending was disappointing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, and Death of parent

lumew2's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, Grief, Ableism, Murder, Bullying, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

noshinbean's review

dark reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

alexisgarcia's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Violence, Grief, Medical content, Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Murder, and Death

333amreen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense 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

4.5

Such an easy read year covers such complex topics. Only goes on to show how great the writing is! So philosophical and psychological all at once. LOVED HIS CONNECTION WITH GON but the Dora part felt forced and incomplete & that's the ONLY reason I took off the .5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Grief, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Violence, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Hate crime, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Animal death, Mental illness, Murder, and Vomit

teacupsandfirereads's review

hopeful reflective sad medium-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

3.0

I was really intrigued by the disability in this one. I had never heard of it and don't know if the representation was accurate, but I am not to judge on that. It does seem the author did their research. This definitely wasn't an easy read, but being short, it was easier to get through. The ending was not as I hoped. The translation was done very well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Ableism, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Death, Murder, and Mental illness

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

cami_chai's review

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Ableism, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Death, Gore, Abandonment, and Bullying

Moderate: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Deadnaming, Violence, and Cursing

Minor: Grief and Animal death

claudiashelf's review

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Grief, and Bullying