Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

14 reviews

julietlol's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia, Racism, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, and Racial slurs

The moderate content warnings that I wrote are some of the central themes of the whole novel.

mrsfishreads's review against another edition

emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was a tough read.  I think what I wanted is it to flow better, for the POV to stay the same.  There were times I didn't know whose point of view it was coming from..  the mother, the daughter, a stranger?  Beyond the writing, the story was heartfelt and heartbreaking.  The evacuating of Japanese- Americans during WWII was an absolute crime.   One America has never really paid for.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Xenophobia, Deportation, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Rape, War, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Racism, Animal death, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Vomit, Violence, Gun violence, Hate crime, War, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Racism, Murder, Bullying, Death, Deportation, Child death, Confinement, Grief, and Rape

relf's review against another edition

challenging dark informative 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

4.0

This short novel tells the story of an unnamed Japanese-American family from California being sent to internment camps during World War II. The story is told simply, almost starkly, with an eye for detail but without sentimentality, from the points of view of the family members. A powerful story that enunciates, without recrimination, the utter injustice done to Japanese-Americans and the struggle they faced even when they returned from the camps. Very moving. I listened to the audiobook, which is beautifully narrated.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Animal death, and Confinement

amiably's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I loved the last chapter the most. Check TWs before reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Confinement, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia

Moderate: War, Animal death, and Hate crime

Minor: Sexual assault

spacerkip's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

3.0

A powerful story about a part of US history it's tried so hard to ignore. The detached and impersonal writing style wasn't quite to my taste, so it didn't have as hard of an impact on me. I can definitely see it appealing to fans of more literary fiction. Emotions don't come across through the words on the page, but more through the things that aren't said/described. That being said, I think it will linger with me for quite a while. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Animal death, Confinement, and Death

Minor: Racial slurs, Torture, and War

abitbetterbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

It feels difficult to describe and rate a book that feels both deeply personal and also impossibly foreign. My own grandparents were interned in camps during WWII in Canada, and I am always searching for stories that can help me make some sense of that experience. After having read The Swimmers, also by Julie Otsuka, I really wanted something that dealt with the subject more directly and not just alluded to. When the Emperor Was Divine definitely fit that bill.

The American- and Canadian- Japanese experience was different, of course, but there were many similarities and notes that made it feel like a gut punch and also a ghost. I’m not exactly sure how else to describe it. I think the telling of a lot of this story through the eyes of children was a brilliant choice. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, War, Confinement, and Racial slurs

Minor: Deportation

turtleycool's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Deportation, and Racial slurs

directorpurry's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Xenophobia, Racism, Racial slurs, and Animal death

Moderate: Torture and War

stephalopuff's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

The last chapter of this book is powerful and stands on its own as a poem, for sure.

My star rating is reflective more of the audiobook than the book itself. Do yourself a favor and read a hardcopy. The narrator sounded so prim and proper, her style of narration felt inappropriate for the subject matter and the way the book itself was written. That being said, the book itself feels a little detached from its audience - do I dare say a SparkNotes of the characters' experiences? I'd like to read more detailed, thorough accounts of Japanese internment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs

Moderate: Racism, War, Deportation, and Colonisation

bookedbyelizabeth's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Forced institutionalization