Reviews tagging 'Death'

Obasan by Joy Kogawa

10 reviews

janeblue's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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: No

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, Deportation

raaahella's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

---

This was an interesting perspective to learn and I am glad I made time to read through it. How complicated a Canadian born from Japanese descendants must have been between the '30's onwards. Even decades later rhe main character still faces microagressiins and anti-feminist pushes towards needing to be married. 

I am uncertain why the book was called Obasan, as her character shows little.emotuon and speaks very little so it was hard to grasp her perspective.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, War, Classism

Moderate: Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Deportation

The very end of rhe book is very hard to read as it describes what happened in Nagasaki, Japan during WWII.

jadziaaudrey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Grief, Death of parent, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deportation

juliebruzon's review against another edition

4.0

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Death of parent, War

Moderate: Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment

mlg's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape

saroosh's review against another edition

4.75

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent

Minor: Violence, War

perenian's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional 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

---

Kogawa’s writing is poetic, beautiful as always, and utterly compelling. I loved how practically everything in the book was connected. I felt Naomi (the main character)’s grief through each word—it is a grief that hangs on, tugs at your heart for days afterwards.

“Itsuka, itsuka…” Naomi’s Oba-san says, over and over. “Someday, someday.”

Those are the words I’d use to describe Kogawa’s story. Oba-san’s words are a kind of foreshadowing, almost: it is a promise of things yet to come, things both painful and healing. It is not a word of certainty, either, and it is its wavering nature that solidifies the fears Naomi (as well as the others) has. Oba-san is a novel about journeys––those that are unfinished, those that are of self-discovery, and those that are pushed through with anxiety and a fear of the unknown.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Racism, Sexual assault

Again, not a light read.

booksinherhead's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual violence

ilovegrassjelly123's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional reflective

---

Nearly cried

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, War

jessicas_bookshelf's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Racism

Minor: Pedophilia