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emcbuckett's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death of parent, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Child death, Death, Violence, War, and Grief
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, and Torture
banannabaker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
However, overall I did not enjoy reading it.
The cover and the blurb are misleading - describing a story about the haenyeo of Jeju and female friendship. The book is about those things, but also (and increasingly so as it progresses) about the very worst things humankind are capable of. Some parts are the kind of horrifying that makes your bones cold, and other parts are so sad it's hard to shake the scenes off when you put the book down. I read this on holiday and was relieved and exhausted when I finished it.
Graphic: Grief, Mass/school shootings, Colonisation, Genocide, and Child death
Moderate: Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Alcoholism, Murder, Physical abuse, and Torture
passionatereader78's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, War, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Pregnancy
Minor: Religious bigotry, Rape, Torture, Gun violence, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault
epruta's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Violence, War, Child death, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Murder, and Police brutality
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Domestic abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Suicide
melbell016'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
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Vomit, Murder, Grief, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Death of parent, War, Genocide, and Death
Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Rape, Torture, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Cancer
entropyseeker's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, War, Child abuse, Murder, Colonisation, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Death, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Sexual violence, and Torture
chemicallykat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Classism, Alcoholism, Genocide, Child abuse, Misogyny, Violence, War, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Terminal illness, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
ebba94's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Child death, Sexual violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, War, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Torture
alisonw'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? It's complicated
4.5
Firstly a TW: It deals with extremely heavy subjects of loss, war, corruption, all kinds of abuse, murder including all ages, all very graphically so please be warned if you think you can’t handle that.
But if you’re unsure, don’t let that put you off. This book tells the true story of the people of Jeju and all they have gone through in the last century through a fictional narrative and the graphic elements are there because they happened, reading them feels similar to the sobering feeling of going to a concentration camp has, it’s horribly sad but feels like a necessity to be able to respect and remember - in my case as a European who was taught nothing about Korea’s history, it felt so important to acknowledge and learn about these events for the first time.
The author is masterful at weaving history and fiction together, none of the fictitious story line feels forced to bring in a historical event, while at the same time the story does not steal from the history, I would actually say it helps give it more blood and feel more tangible rather than cold facts on a page about somewhere far away.
Highly highly recommend.
Graphic: Genocide, Colonisation, Grief, Pregnancy, Torture, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Violence, War, Child death, Death, Murder, Sexual violence, Mass/school shootings, and Rape
Moderate: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Confinement, Racism, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, and Slavery
entre_fanon_y_weil's review against another edition
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Sexual assault, Torture, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Genocide, and Violence