Reviews tagging 'Classism'

The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson

3 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

I had to take my time with this one. It was dense, and I felt a lot of conflicting emotions, being Korean myself. I remembered my own introduction to both Korean and US propaganda of the North when I was in middle school and being filled with compassion and so many unanswerable questions. I remember my trip to the DMZ too. So I had a lot to sort through while reading this book. 

It was also one of the strangest and most haunting books I’ve ever read. It will stay with me for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Child abuse, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Animal death, Confinement, Violence, Physical abuse, Classism, Rape, Blood, Body horror, Sexism, Slavery, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Xenophobia, Bullying, Infidelity, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Self harm, Torture, and War

erfenden's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

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

5.0

An immersive and broad look into life in North Korea filled with complex characters making horrible choices. I was sucked into and consumed by the world of the book in a way that few other pieces of media have had the power to do. I was also, at one point, genuinely triggered by emotional bleed. It was a heart wrenching, beautiful journey into a land that is totally alien to my own experience of life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Classism, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping

wifeslife's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Police brutality, Torture, Classism, Blood, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Abortion, Death of parent, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicide, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Animal death, Confinement, Grief, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Animal cruelty