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madieemma's review
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: 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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Grief, Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Bullying, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
gabthebookworm's review
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Physical abuse, and Blood
chrztnnn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
My casual craving for best sad books has been satisfied. As an alternative for a review, I will be leaving personally favored quotes to tend my woes for this book.
"Books took me to places I could never go otherwise. They shared the confessions of people I'd never met and lives I'd never witnessed. The emotions I could never feel, and the events I hadn't experienced could all be found in those volumes."
"There is no such person who can't be saved. There are only people who give up on trying to save others. It's a quote by the American accused-murderer-turned-writer P.J. Nolan."
"Most people could feel but didn't act. They said they sympathized, but easily forgot. The way I see it, that was not real. I didn't want to live like that."
Now I understood why many loved this book. I am part of the 'many' now and perhaps forever.
"Books took me to places I could never go otherwise. They shared the confessions of people I'd never met and lives I'd never witnessed. The emotions I could never feel, and the events I hadn't experienced could all be found in those volumes."
"There is no such person who can't be saved. There are only people who give up on trying to save others. It's a quote by the American accused-murderer-turned-writer P.J. Nolan."
"Most people could feel but didn't act. They said they sympathized, but easily forgot. The way I see it, that was not real. I didn't want to live like that."
Now I understood why many loved this book. I am part of the 'many' now and perhaps forever.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Torture, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Animal cruelty, Cursing, and Mental illness
vinniemon's review
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- 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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
jessi21's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Violence
mrouanet_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
perapera's review against another edition
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Strange.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Violence
ada_henry's review
dark
emotional
reflective
relaxing
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
"...neither you nor I nor anyone can ever really know whether a story is happy or tragic."
I picked this book up in New York while I was there for a school Broadway trip, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Translated from Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee, Almond tells the story of a boy, Yunjae, who can't feel emotions. Originally, I didn't love the writing style and the way the story was told. (I do realize that a lot of my issues were likely caused by the translation, not the original writing.) But by the end of the novel, I had really begun to appreciate the simplistic yet emotional writing choices and syntax. The incredibly simple language allowed for so much emotional depth, even though Yunjae couldn't feel the emotions himself. This book is incredibly quotable and beautiful, especially on a very micro level.
My one real issue upon concluding this book is the incredibly sad lack of Gon x Yunjae. It was going so well... I could feel the tension between them, and the Dora had to show up? Nobody cares about Dora. She's annoying. She's boring. She's keeping Gon x Yunjae from being a thing, and that's basically a crime. I also felt like although Gon and Yunjae were kind of oblivious, it seemed like even they knew they would get together at some point. Like, Gon, Yunjae... come on. This thing you have going on is clearly not purely platonic anymore. Alas.
In any case, I'm giving this a 4.5/5, rounded up, because I hated Dora but I loved everything else. (It would've been a million times better if Gon and Yunjae had become a couple, but oh well.)
I picked this book up in New York while I was there for a school Broadway trip, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Translated from Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee, Almond tells the story of a boy, Yunjae, who can't feel emotions. Originally, I didn't love the writing style and the way the story was told. (I do realize that a lot of my issues were likely caused by the translation, not the original writing.) But by the end of the novel, I had really begun to appreciate the simplistic yet emotional writing choices and syntax. The incredibly simple language allowed for so much emotional depth, even though Yunjae couldn't feel the emotions himself. This book is incredibly quotable and beautiful, especially on a very micro level.
My one real issue upon concluding this book is the incredibly sad lack of Gon x Yunjae. It was going so well... I could feel the tension between them, and the Dora had to show up? Nobody cares about Dora. She's annoying. She's boring. She's keeping Gon x Yunjae from being a thing, and that's basically a crime. I also felt like although Gon and Yunjae were kind of oblivious, it seemed like even they knew they would get together at some point. Like, Gon, Yunjae... come on. This thing you have going on is clearly not purely platonic anymore. Alas.
In any case, I'm giving this a 4.5/5, rounded up, because I hated Dora but I loved everything else. (It would've been a million times better if Gon and Yunjae had become a couple, but oh well.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Violence, Grief, Medical content, Abandonment, Ableism, Blood, Murder, and Death