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annaclaire18's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
The characters are convincing and complex, and the plot drags you under and doesn’t let you up for air.
I was less fond of the modern timeline that wove in and out of the story, but it did serve to help break up the heavy topic of the novel.
Warning: this is not a light read. Prepare for graphic descriptions of violence.
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
ilana_pop's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Pregnancy
leoniethespacewayfarer'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
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Alcoholism
emvoor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Mass/school shootings, and War
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual violence
astonecdp's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Child death and Violence
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Torture, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Sexual violence and Suicidal thoughts
azilisssss'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
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Vomit and Pregnancy
zombiezami'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
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Infidelity, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
Starvationlarkken's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Child death, Death, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Rape
bwwilhelm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts
This book talks about the horrors of war, REPEATEDLY. Do with that information what you will. Specific trigger stuff in spoiler text.krisawesome's review against another edition
2.5
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.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Death of parent
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Cancer, Excrement, and Alcohol
Other warnings: drowning, mutilation