Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

101 reviews

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, and Vomit

Minor: Cancer, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts

zombiezami's review against another edition

medium-paced

• 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

4.0

I always learn so much about history from Lisa See's novels, and this book was no exception. There was clearly a lot of research and care that went into producing this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Infidelity, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury

Starvation

francestea's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

5.0

Wow! I went into this book thinking it would be incredibly interesting but even moreso it was a complex and moving tale of friendship, family and forgiveness. Our main character felt so real, she is resilient and selfless yet imperfect. I would recommoned this book to lovers of Amy Tan's work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Alcoholism and Rape

sagebrush_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Torture and Pregnancy

Minor: Addiction and Cancer

craftyanty's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

I love a book that teaches me about a people, culture, or event that I know little about. This book did all that, and somehow it was still so much more. This book took me on a roller coaster ride of emotions and will stay with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Genocide, and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse and Rape

niklit's review against another edition

It just kept getting more and more sad and awful. Very well-written, I was totally invested in the characters. But knowing the events depicted are based on real ones made it that much more impossible to continue reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Rape

meredithamadee's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.25

I have never read a book about haenyo so this was fascinating! It is very well reasearched. In my mind, the plot of this book goes between being super relational and super informative of the current events. It is a very sad book, but extremely beautiful. It’s about pride and shame and guilt and forgiveness and the tension between progress and tradition in a culture that relies on tradition to survive. I thought the ending was rushed and would enjoyed seeing more of the relationships and conclusions fleshed out but overall it’s a beautiful and worthwhile read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Rape

corriejn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

4.75

I checked out this book based on a recommendation, and because I'd heard of the haenyeo before and was interested in learning more. Clearly I didn't look much into the details of the book beforehand, as I started it expecting nonfiction-- when it was apparent it was a novel, that was fine and I just adjusted that expectation. The story is still very informative about the lives and traditions of the Korean women sea-divers. What I wish I had realized beforehand, though, is that the book covers much of mid-19th-century Korean history and includes some really graphic and traumatic descriptions of atrocities committed during occupation and wartime (such content is mainly in the latter half of the book). It is still a powerful and artfully told story, but do be aware of that going in, and don't pick this one up if you're looking for a light read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Miscarriage, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Medical content

elly29's review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring medium-paced

• 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

4.0

A slow burn of a novel, that suddenly dissolves. I loved that it was about women divers (in Jeju, an island off of South Korea's coast). The best part of the book was the society of haenyeo -- as a woman, who works, (and who just got some scuba certification), it was a joy and delight to hear of classic gender roles turned on their head.

Junbu, Young-Sook's husband, seemed like a woman's fantasy of a husband. 

I also didn't know about the Bukchon Massacre, or anything about Jeju Island and the struggle between insurgent and anti-communist government forces. There is a brutal scene that involves lots of things like rape, torture, murder, and child murder. (Also makes me sick at the thought that these things are happening in Ukraine.)

In the end, this is a story about diving, survival, and forgiveness. I love that the sea is a constant, a grandmother who will never leave you even when everything else has changed. I like the phrase, "To understand everything is to forgive." Using Young-Sook and her life as an example of what we should not do: may we be patient, may we ask questions, may we never assume, may we be perceptive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence, Rape, Torture, Police brutality, and War

Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

friendofhayley's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I got this book as a gift from my partner, since I'm half-Korean and I have been trying to learn more about that side of my family.

It was so interesting (and heart-breaking) to find out the chaos and deaths American imperialists (not just the Japanese) subjected Korea too, which is something I never learned before.

It was so interesting learning about the hanyeo as well. 

However the historical context and events were my favorite parts of the book.

I disliked the main character and the actions she took, although I definitely understand that it was realistic because she acted just like my own estranged mother.

But this might just be a personal taste thing.

I also was waiting until the end to see if perhaps the relationship between Young-Sook and Mi-Ja had at least a one-sided romantic attraction, but alas.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Colonisation