Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Almond by Won-pyung Sohn

8 reviews

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

daylights's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Violence, Death, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Terminal illness, Bullying, and Injury/Injury detail

chireadsandchill's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Deadnaming, Grief, Violence, Medical content, Physical abuse, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Blood

dealogues's review

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Torture, Grief, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Bullying, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Hate crime

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty

abibliophobic_nerd's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I see why 남준 and 윤기 liked this book. I see both of them in it. Should have written the review sooner though, my links are starting to blur but again it was still interesting to see, throughout my reading, two of my favorite people “reflected” in this story.

 Contrary to what I heard from some people, I thought the author did a good job of telling a story through someone who cannot feel emotions without making it seem lifeless. Not the most memorable book but still one that will stick with me, I think.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Hate crime, Animal cruelty, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Bullying, Cursing, Animal death, Blood, and Toxic friendship

adriaxlife's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Violence, and Death

Minor: Hate crime, Kidnapping, and Grief

whysoseriousnat's review

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Quick to read,  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Hate crime, Bullying, Grief, Blood, Cursing, Death, and Child abuse

shrutislibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

4.0

"I have almonds inside me. 
So do you. 
So do those you love and those you hate. 
No one can feel them. 
You just know they are there. 
This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me."

Have you ever met a 'monster' and stopped to think about what made them the way they are? Or are you one of those who has always skirted past such monsters in cold deserted streets hunched up against the dusty floor, not stirring to either offer help or ask how they are? 

Translated from the Korean by Joosun Lee, 'Almond' begins with our narrator Yungae retelling the events starting from his birth, his boyhood days to his early teens. 

These lines from the prologue set the tone for rest of this incredibly compact, quick paced novel about a boy who feels no emotions, who is incapable of any feeling or empathy. The disease is called Alexithymia which renders Yunjae's amygdala (the 'almond' in his brain) imperceptible to human emotions like love, happiness, anger, or pain. He can't react if someone physically injures him. 

Throughout his childhood, Yunjae has been prepared by his mother & later his grandma to 'normalise' his behaviour and to put on an act of showcasing emotions in everyday situations even if he feels none, in order to blend in with the kids at school.

Christened with all kinds of names like a freak, a robot, a weirdo -  he is affectionately called 'monster' by his grandma. But what happens if this solid support system is uprooted by an unforeseen tragedy? Yunjae must learn to survive and adapt in a cruel and unforgiving world, navigating the dark seas of emotions all alone. In this journey of self actualisation, he will come across some unexpected friends, a lot of bullies, a monster- another monster like him that will bind them together in an inseparable bond.

'Almond' is a story replete with beautiful descriptions of Seoul set against the backdrop of changing seasons in the streets, but is also haunted by the memories of sickness & tragedies. The ending will make you feel warm, teary & hopeful in unlikely friendships and about 'monsters' who can be saved. #ipreview via @preview.app 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Violence