Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

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

12 reviews

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.

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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

zoegrace's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

I cannot read this book enough times. There is so much substance and power in Yeonmi’s writing and storytelling.  II am so grateful to have read about Yeonmi’s  life and escape from North Korea. 

The narration is steady, clear and easy to understand. I find her voice so soothing which makes the challenging parts of the memoir easier to read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Medical content, Death of parent, Child abuse, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Deportation, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence

axo17's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

4.75

Amazing personal account of her life in North Korea, China, and South Korea. It’s a dark truth, but overall I absolutely loved it. 

I included a lot of disclaimers. It’s a heavy read… lots of content that can be too much to handle at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Body horror, Classism, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Trafficking, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Gore, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

on_your_raedar's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I’ll be the first to admit that I never knew what happened in North Korea because I never thought about it. I watched a YouTube video about the 8 ways to defect from the country and this story was mentioned, I knew I had to read it, educate myself about what’s happen in the world.

This entire story is heartbreaking and is a necessary read. It took weeks to get through because things were so hard to stomach but I truly cannot express the appreciation I feel toward Yeonmi for being brave and willing to share her experiences. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Violence, Body horror, Classism, Confinement, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Rape

Moderate: Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Torture, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Cancer, Murder, and Alcoholism

Minor: Addiction, Medical content, Ableism, Misogyny, Stalking, and Suicidal thoughts

aguattery's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

This review is more about the book itself then Yeonmi's life story. Her life and journey to freedom was so tragic and complex, and it was beautiful to watch her hold on to hope. 

That being said, the writing style didn't sit well with me. It was VERY choppy and at times I didn't understand how we jumped from one topic to the next. Each chapter felt like reading an essay written by a middle schooler. And maybe that was purposeful to make the story accessible but it didn't work for me. It almost felt like  I almost thought about dnf'ing it because of that but it's such an important story that I finished it anyway. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Cancer, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Abortion, Stalking, and Xenophobia

ran_sophia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

The book contains a very powerful story that is worth reading.  Although it was difficult to read, because what the author wrote about and what she experienced was very sad and terrible.  I liked that the story was well written and pointed.  And I also liked that she wasn't afraid to talk openly about what she was going through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Violence

Moderate: Confinement, Grief, Death of parent, Medical content, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Alcohol and Panic attacks/disorders

pengi's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Grief, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cancer, Blood, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Slavery, Physical abuse, Torture, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Bullying, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Stalking, War, and Sexism

natreviews's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

This is one of the books that should be read in every single high school. This is such an important read, not only for an inside look as to what living in North Korea is like, but to read all of the hardships she and others like her have had to experience. It is one of those books that will make you reflect on your own life, and how good you really have it.

I had only seen the title of this book, heard nothing about it before I read it. That's why I'll keep this review to the bare bones. There are some books out there where the less you know, the better the read is. This is one of those books (although I highly recommend checking out the content warnings before reading).

What I will say is Yeonmi holds nothing back. For that I'm truly grateful. Although it is a hard and challenging read, it wouldn't have the same impact as it does without all of the details. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Police brutality, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Medical content, Physical abuse, Stalking, and Violence

horizonous's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, and Xenophobia

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexism

◦ Child abuse = Child labour
◦ Emotional abuse = Brainwashing
◦ Mental illness = PTSD
◦ Murder = Execution
◦ Physical abuse = incl. starvation
◦ Sexual violence = Human trafficking

bright_eyed_and_bookish's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

4.0

Park manages to find the humanity within the inhumanity in the situations and people she faces along her journey. This is a story not only about her experience itself, but also her rapidly changing worldview.

By the end of the book, we get to know her understanding of the power of a story in providing a kind of freedom.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Rape, Medical content, Grief, and Terminal illness

Minor: Suicide and Torture