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4.32 AVERAGE
4.32 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
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
informative
Such a brutal story, but it needed to be told. You can tell it was well researched. The author writes so vividly that you feel like you’re right there, in that place in time, while reading it. However, reading it on the eve of our elections was a poor choice on my part because I was very depressed after reading it. People are so cruel to each other.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
Lisa See truly has a knack for merging historical fiction, female friendships, and tragic irony. “The Island of Sea Women” reveals heart-felt, well-researched details surrounding The Jeju 4.3 Incident (which last essentially 7 years) which is yet another horrific part of world history that is hidden by many a government who have failed people.
We witness the 4.3 events through the POV of two girls who grow up together on Jeju Island, an island off of South Korea, and how they navigate growing up amidst societal shifts, war, and much tragedy.
An additional theme is that of forgiveness. What does it mean to forgive, to love, and to be a good friend. To paraphrase a quote from the book: everyone has lost a loved one, and each loss is painful. Forgive those who do not show up as their best selves amidst tragedy.
For me it’s not 5/5 because initially I found the writing harder to get into. Compared to other books by Lisa See, this narrative style is dense and skims through life with something akin, but not quite, detachment. Not exactly like a text, as there’s too much heart and pain, but it took awhile for me to feel engrossed. Once I was, I couldn’t stop reading.
We witness the 4.3 events through the POV of two girls who grow up together on Jeju Island, an island off of South Korea, and how they navigate growing up amidst societal shifts, war, and much tragedy.
An additional theme is that of forgiveness. What does it mean to forgive, to love, and to be a good friend. To paraphrase a quote from the book: everyone has lost a loved one, and each loss is painful. Forgive those who do not show up as their best selves amidst tragedy.
For me it’s not 5/5 because initially I found the writing harder to get into. Compared to other books by Lisa See, this narrative style is dense and skims through life with something akin, but not quite, detachment. Not exactly like a text, as there’s too much heart and pain, but it took awhile for me to feel engrossed. Once I was, I couldn’t stop reading.
A compelling story of friendship, tragedy and loss which teaches us there are two sides to every story and about the dangers of bearing grudges
Every time I learn something new about the history of the world I am once again shocked by the seemingly unending cruelty of men
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
i cried SO hard at the end of this book. the schoolyard scene was beyond sickening and the second i realized who yo-chan’s wife who clara mentioned was i absolutely lost it and could not get it together at all for the rest of the book. my only complaint was that the end went SO fast for me. however it ended perfectly in my opinion. lisa see i’m suing for emotional damages and also requesting a copy of every book you’ve ever written. paperback, please.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced