Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park, Maryanne Vollers

22 reviews

gracie_reads_everything's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

A very powerful and moving story about a North Korean defector turned human rights advocate. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Trafficking, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Violence

Moderate: Chronic illness, Cancer, Rape, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Sexism

Minor: Gore, Stalking, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Torture, Miscarriage, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury

Biography, autobiography, memoir, North Korea, human rights, powerful

bethantg's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Such a worthwhile read. Difficult all the way through, but with a strong current of hope. Grants a lot of insight into what life really is, and what it should never be. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to tell this story over and over, but here it is clear and engaging throughout. Will definitely stick with me.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

Moderate: Grief, Torture, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Medical content, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

Minor: Alcohol, Excrement, and War

livay's review

dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness, Drug abuse, Death, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, Child death, Xenophobia, Torture, Slavery, Cancer, Classism, Death of parent, Deportation, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, and Adult/minor relationship

elkiebear's review against another edition

dark emotional informative tense fast-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Pedophilia, Cancer, War, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Infidelity, Physical abuse, and Rape

rachreads681's review

challenging emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Torture, Death of parent, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Murder, Excrement, Confinement, Cancer, Rape, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping

chaya_v's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This is one of the most impactful books I’ve ever read. It is extremely well written and even if it wasn’t the story of her life just grips you.
Park Yeonmi gives us an insight into the life in North Korea and her hellish escape to South-Korea. Park Yeonmi has lived through things most of us can’t imagine. I’ve learned many things by reading her memoirs 

I don’t really have words, you just have to read this.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Rape and Death

kirstenpod_'s review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual assault, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Cancer and Terminal illness

Minor: Alcoholism and Genocide

sofiarf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Trafficking, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Terminal illness, and Sexual violence

ajsterkel's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

I didn't like it, which is a terrible thing to say because it's a memoir. I feel like I'm judging somebody's life. Maybe this is why I don't read more nonfiction.

The author was born in North Korea and didn't have an easy childhood. When she was 13, her and her mother escaped into China and became victims of human trafficking. They jumped from one bad situation into an equally bad situation. It's a brutal story to read.

Aside from the difficult subject matter, most of the book is fine. The writing isn't great, but I can forgive it because the author doesn't have the same education level as other writers.

I think the pacing is too fast. I kept wishing the author would slow down and give more details. I wondered how she learned Mandarin faster than the other kidnapped refugees, and why she was so valuable to human traffickers that they were willing to "go to war" for her, and why her mother allowed a 13-year-old to make so many important decisions for the family. I wanted more information!

Then, a paragraph at the end of the book slightly ruined everything for me. The author admits that her story has changed multiple times. She gave different accounts to different journalists. Instead of telling the truth, she told reporters what she thought they wanted to hear. She says, "I was reacting, improvising like a jazz musician playing the same melody a little differently each time, unaware that there might be people out there keeping score."

My brain went in two directions with this. First, I said, "She obviously lived through something traumatizing. Of course she's not going to spill her secrets to every reporter who asks a question." The second part of me went, "Nooo! North Korea is a vault wrapped in propaganda. Changing your story will muddy the waters and cast doubt on the stories of other refugees." The North Korean government is going to grab these inconsistencies and use them to discredit survivors and keep people trapped.

I don't know what to think about this book. I'm not mad that I read it, but I can't recommend it to other people. I lost trust in the author. How do I know I'm reading the real story right now? Does it even matter if I'm reading the real story? 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Trafficking, Cancer, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, Chronic illness, Deportation, Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, and Death of parent

astereads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

SHUT UP I’M CRYING

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness, Suicide, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Rape, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Confinement