Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Wyspa kobiet morza by Lisa See

53 reviews

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.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, and Murder

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

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

---

Content Warnings

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

amykuc's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 Going into this book I had no idea what I was going to be reading. I needed a book to match a prompt and this one worked. But what a pleasant surprise-this was a great read. Island of Sea Women is a fictional recounting of women who work diving into the sea for food for their family and to make income for their family.
The book spans over generations, moving back and forth between the mid-1940's and the 2000's. Mi-ja and Young-sook are inseparable as childhood friends until the unimaginable tears them apart. While you have an inkling of the two time periods, the author ties it up well at the end.
This was the first book I have read written by Lisa See. I'm not really a reader of world history, but I couldn't put down this book. I will be picking up more of this author. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Police brutality, War, Sexual violence, and Violence

kns's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, War, and Genocide

alayamorning's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Torture, Animal death, Blood, Violence, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Gun violence, and War

Moderate: Ableism, Excrement, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Miscarriage, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Alcoholism and Cancer

kaci_g's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

4.5

A great multigenerational family story. I enjoyed the historical accurate information but there were some graphic details. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Child death, Death, and Rape

ellanorte's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

La isla de las mujeres del mar es una novela sobre amistad, mujeres, sororidad. Sobre dolor, guerra y muerte. Lee despacio este libro porque cuesta digerir. De las lecturas que más me han calado este 2021. 

Si tengo que ponerle un pequeño contra es el final, que me ha parecido muy precipitado. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, and War

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Torture

krisawesome's review against another edition

2.5

Pacing is odd, Young-sook isn’t an especially engaging protagonist, and some of the personal conflicts were super predictable and felt a little trope-y to me (and not in a good way).

Although I had been warned about some of the descriptions in this book, I was still not fully prepared for how brutal some of the instances were. I’m usually fine to read those if I’m aware of them ahead of time but the end of the “Life-Giving Air” chapter (and a bit of the following one) were too much even for me. Note that I don’t blame See for including them, and I wouldn’t have even been all that surprised if I’d read them without warning - it’s not like she’d pulled punches earlier in the book either. But they’re hard to get past, is what I’m saying.

The 2008 chapters feel like they’re a little phoned in, compared to the research and effort that See obviously put into the main timeline. 

Stars were earned mostly by the anthropological and historical elements, as difficult as the latter were to read about at times. It was especially fascinating to read about the haenyeo and their matrifocal society.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, and Excrement

Other warnings: drowning, mutilation

purplelillyflower's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent and Police brutality

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

addie's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Torture

Minor: Vomit, Rape, Sexual violence, and Child abuse