Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Płacząc w H Mart by Michelle Zauner

400 reviews

sarahrob's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

This book and heartbreakingly beautiful. I don’t typically read a ton of memoirs, and surprised even myself as picking this title for my book club, but I am so happy to finally read this one that has been on my TBR for a while now. 

I found the perspective and flashbacks a bit choppy at the start - it was hard to get into as Zauner jumped between times from one paragraph to the next. However, as the book progresses, I found no longer to be the case. 

She has a such a unique voice and I loved her ability to capture such immense grief and also occasionally break the tension with a line that was so completely relatable I had to laugh. 

Striking vignettes (crying in h mart, singing in Vietnam)
Motif and symbols (kimchi fridge full of photographs) 

One word: Visceral 
  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Addiction, Rape, Car accident, and Abortion

wishlissa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Infidelity, Medical content, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

It feels impossible to rate this book of another person’s grief. I considered this last night as I cleaned the kitchen, only two chapters left for this morning. Food is a means of connection in my family, too, although I won’t be naïve enough to say it is that way in every family. This book is poignant and beautifully written, made my heart ache, and ignited a craving for the unmistakable flavor kimchi I couldn’t satisfy at 1am. But when I go to the Asian market later to buy some, I will think of how my own parents show their love for us. And I will think of Michelle’s mom the whole time.

agathajanemaud1908's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

The hype is real. Such a beautiful book. I thought this would be a more challenging book for me due to personal experience with the subject matter (and it was tough in spots, especially the first chapter), but the main problem for me was how hungry this book made me!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

katy_heath's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative sad slow-paced

4.75

Don’t read while hungry, I did skim a few parts closer to the end to finish before due date. Most of these were step by step instructions for recipes the author made.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content

jessi_c's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I went into this with the full intention of not knowing anything about the premise or the author. And what an absolute joy and privilege to get to know this small family. A galaxy made from violence, gravity, and time. And the world receives every form of art that has grown from this grief in grand abundance. I will happily help to carry the weight and celebrate her life. I see her mother in my mother.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent

Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, and Grief

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, and Drug abuse

laurenlsmith's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Death and Medical content

Minor: Body shaming

mondayn's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Death, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Alcoholism, Xenophobia, and Alcohol

There is intimate, horrified handling of a dead body

You will get several Korean recipes lodged into prose

flamesocks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Abortion

linearev's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

So, I have been reading a lot of Korean and Japanese book lately, a campaign kicked off by the ‘before the coffee gets cold’ series and intensefied by Sayaka Murata. And so when I picked up this book, I fully expected to at least like it. 
However, I was not in the slightest, ready, for the heavy hitting force of the fact, that this is a self biography. A portrait of no the the Korean minority in USA but also of a complicated relationship between a mother and daughter. A generational tradition of complicated love and amazing food. It introduces the reader to the inner workings of someone who is both rather relatable as she is partly American, yet also somewhat astranged (from someone who grew up so differently). And yet, the brilliance of her writing reveals itself by letting us into her Korean side and guiding us through that world. It left me feeling both entertained yet also more knowledgeable each time I finished a chapter. Because somehow she balanced this complicated self portrait with humor which created the sort of entertainment often found in fictional books. 
All to say that this was very good. It sort of reminds me of the new and popular “I’m glad my mom died” which ironically takes the opposite stance of the maternal relation between the main people, yet left me with the same feeling of stepping out of the life of someone compelling and complicated. I liked it enormously and hope to read more from her soon.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

archaicrobin's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

Zauner’s memoir touches on her music career and the beginnings of Japanese Breakfast but the main focus is on the loss of her mother to cancer. 

Zauner does not shy away from the difficult story of her mother’s decline and being the first line of defense and support as the cancer slowly takes her mother away. This memoir is phenomenal, heart wrenching, and beautiful. It was difficult to read at times from how bleak it is at moments, but Zauner’s prose and focus on moving on despite her loss is inspiring. I have been a fan of Japanese Breakfast for years but I am not also a dedicated fan to her as an author as well. Highly recommend reading and listing to Michell Zauner’s works!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent