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moomygy's review
- 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: Murder, Death, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Abandonment
rachjy's review
- 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? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Animal death, Ableism, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Cursing, and Torture
sleepyriv's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death, Bullying, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Grief, Violence, Murder, and Physical abuse
Minor: Abandonment, Blood, Medical content, Torture, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
signeskov'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
Extra points goes out to the beautiful translation. While I know no Korean, it’s always obvious when the translator has done an excellent job at translating the flow of writing and the dialogue between characters. The original voice of Won-Pyung Sohn seems to flow effortlessly here. Almond is a big recommendation!
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Abandonment
ldpaige'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? Yes
4.75
What are you going to do here? Do you think enduring all this will make you strong? This isn’t strong. It’s just pretending to be.
i absolutely enjoyed this book. it started out rocky for me, and i was even contemplating DNF-ing this book due to some plot continuity issues early on. if i could give a word of advice to someone interested in this book (namely people like me who read reviews to see if it’s up their alley and worth the read), hang on. it WILL get better.
i LOVED the characters, even though some were more fleshed out than others. the story, as well as the world around it, is so interesting and beckons you to lean in and feel what others can’t. it explores emotions and the boundaries of it, imposed by ourselves and what we are simply exposed to.
i recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a bittersweet coming-of-age story or anyone who just wants a fresh perspective. it felt a bit preachy in the beginning, maybe even pretentious. however, understanding the character put everything into perspective and helped me to best grasp what the author was trying to say in the first place. you realize, towards the end, the author and MC may be more similar than different.
this is a book that earned all of its 4.75 stars.
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Blood
Moderate: Mental illness, Abandonment, and Domestic abuse
navayiota's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Grief, Ableism, Abandonment, Violence, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, and Child abuse
Minor: Gun violence
molly_rose's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Grief, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, Torture, and Death of parent
Moderate: Abandonment and Toxic friendship
rtthalia's review
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Child abuse, Bullying, and Cancer
dprekta's review
- 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
3.75
A great book to explore human emotions and how it gets translated into the day-to-day business of life. I loved the questions Yunjae would occasionally ask from the readers. Made me think more deeply about the importance of words and language.
Dips toes in childhood trauma and emotional conditioning of a child which is very insightful.
“Children long to be loved, but at the same time they give the most love.”
“Love was an extreme idea. A word that seemed to force something undefinable into the prison of letters. But the word was used so casually, so often. People spoke of love so casually, just to mean the slightest pleasure or thanks.”
Graphic: Abandonment, Ableism, and Child abuse
leanne_miron'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
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Violence, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Death, and Medical content
Moderate: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, and Ableism
Minor: Gun violence