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parasolcrafter's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
this book made me. so sad...
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Classism, Dementia, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Abandonment, Cancer, Animal death, Body horror, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Child death, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It's quite difficult to sum up my mix of emotions towards this book. On one hand, I do think the summary put my hopes up too high, while on the other the book also succeeds exactly what it sets out to do.
Please Look After Mother's simplicity is, in my opinion, its biggest weakness and strength. The story moves along at a leisurely pace w/o any real sense of urgency, and any semblance of excitement is tempered by the fact that the majority of the story happens in the past and ultimately doesn't alter the ultimate outcome of So-nyo's disappearance. This simplicity, however, also underlines the glaringly obvious yet simultaneously unseen and unacknowledged presence and 'being-ness' of mothers, which makes the book's message so searing and searingly frightening.
While the book could certainly have been at least a little more complex or exciting, it still results in altered tangible real life behavior on my part, which might be what matters most.
Please Look After Mother's simplicity is, in my opinion, its biggest weakness and strength. The story moves along at a leisurely pace w/o any real sense of urgency, and any semblance of excitement is tempered by the fact that the majority of the story happens in the past and ultimately doesn't alter the ultimate outcome of So-nyo's disappearance. This simplicity, however, also underlines the glaringly obvious yet simultaneously unseen and unacknowledged presence and 'being-ness' of mothers, which makes the book's message so searing and searingly frightening.
While the book could certainly have been at least a little more complex or exciting, it still results in altered tangible real life behavior on my part, which might be what matters most.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism and Chronic illness
Moderate: Abandonment, Body horror, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Infidelity and Suicide
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