Reviews tagging 'Violence'

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

69 reviews

kutreen's review against another edition

dark informative inspiring medium-paced

• 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

3.75

Usually I don't like books that switch between various perspectives but I loved that all of the characters were friends or knew each other in various capacities and that their lives intersected often. I liked learning about pressures related to beauty, marriage, and women's careers in Korea, as well as about class differences, from women whose difficult childhoods have left them to learn to fend for themselves and make unlikely connections to survive.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Infertility, and Abandonment

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Sexual content

rionstorm's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

A kind of sad, kind of gentle slice of life. I wish the book was slightly longer, so we could have seen a bit more of what the girls lives are like once they've all had their development arcs and become more intertwined in eachothers lives.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Medical content, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Sexism

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Classism, Grief, Violence, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Child abuse

soph_ward's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I listened to the audiobook and thoroughly enjoyed it. The exploration of womens lives in South Korea and the different challenges they face was insightful and lead me down a rabbit hole wanting to find out more. I enjoyed how each perspective was read by a different narrator, it really helped to capture the characters emotions and perspectives. It was a little confusing to begin with however it eventually becomes clearer. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence and Child abuse

Minor: Rape, Miscarriage, and Suicide

daniellekat's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

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

2.25

This was the definition of OK. I didn't hate reading it, but nothing about it was particularly compelling. The author made some strange choices in the writing and structure of the book (i.e. no Sujin POV, ending the book mid way through the cycle of character POVs, so many odd paragraph breaks, etc.) I thought the general content of the book was interesting, especially since I'm far removed from South Korean culture, but I felt like Cha was trying to cover too many topics. As a debut the writing was solid, but the overall book could have been more tightly edited. The open-ending makes me wary of recommending this but I'd probably pick up Cha's writing again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Sexism, Alcohol, Misogyny, Classism, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Pregnancy, Grief, and Vomit

Minor: Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Suicide

sex work

jiao_li's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence

kerrence30's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Insightful look into a concept of room girls which I was not previously familiar with. Beautifully written and despite some characters making choices you may not agree with, you are rooting for them equally. A touch on the expectations of Korean culture for context, it highlights how some aspects are both widely accepted to exist and yet unacceptable to partake in.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Sexism, Medical content, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

rexpostfacto's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Classism, Body horror, Body shaming, and Child abuse

Moderate: Death of parent, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, Grief, Medical content, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Suicide

Minor: Violence, Miscarriage, Xenophobia, and Sexual content

sangsmiles's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Violence, Miscarriage, and Mental illness

Minor: Child abuse

thania's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

It was a fast paced and enjoyable read, I wish the author continued to write more beyond the ending she gave. Overall, it was a satisfying book that gave us a glimpse into the dark side of Korean society.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Domestic abuse

Minor: Sexual content and Miscarriage

ansm10's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Violence, and Infidelity