Reviews tagging 'Hate crime'

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

52 reviews

abigailjblay's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

2.0

Well written, just not for me but I'm sure many will enjoy this book

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Hate crime, Death of parent, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, and Terminal illness

tinyjude's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

An emotional family saga set during and after Japan's colonisation of Korea and WWII up almost to the present. It deals with the difficulties experienced by Korean immigrants in Japan, the war, poverty, misogyny, classism and many more. Although fiction, it is still closely influenced by true events and provides an overview of the situation many Korean immigrants endured at that time. The amount of characters and the objective point of view sometimes made it a bit difficult to care deeply about them, but nonetheless I think it is a very important and insightful read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, War, Bullying, Classism, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Racism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Ableism, Homophobia, Infertility, and Pedophilia

Minor: Abortion, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, and Addiction

readwithserena's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective 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

4.75

A moving story following generations of A Korean family during and after Japanese annexation of Korea. The exploration and varied perspectives on national identity is well done.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, Classism, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Bullying, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Trafficking, Xenophobia, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Abortion, and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Infertility, War, Infidelity, Hate crime, Death of parent, Death, and Child death

rzezniewiniatek's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Death, Miscarriage, Hate crime, and Racism

Moderate: War

Minor: Rape

alisonannk's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Classism, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Bullying, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, War, Death, Dysphoria, and Sexism

Moderate: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Child death, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Infertility

Minor: Alcohol, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Gun violence, and Murder

soffafa's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Trafficking, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, and Racism

Minor: Hate crime, Death of parent, Abortion, and Miscarriage

goldensun's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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? No

5.0

fantastic historical fiction epic novel. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Religious bigotry, Bullying, War, Suicide, Addiction, Sexual violence, Sexism, Hate crime, and Alcoholism

mr_sosotris's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

5.0

Beautiful, sweeping, devastating. I loved this book. Has the scope of Gone with the Wind, but handles discussions of racism and the struggles of minorities in societies who work to keep them down with much more nuance and intelligence.  The familial relationships are so beautifully painted, and I love how the elegant prose keeps the book from feeling sentimental or melodramatic. It takes cues from Victorian novels like David Copperfield, but feels so much more grounded. I was swept away by this beautiful story, and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys family sagas that span periods of great cultural upheaval.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Xenophobia, and Racism

Moderate: Grief, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Abortion and Violence

stevie's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Alcoholism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Suicide, Violence, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Grief, Hate crime, Stalking, Toxic relationship, War, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Sexism

ntvenessa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

A gem. This is a tale about poverty, suffering, colonialism, identity, salvation, endurance, family. Min Jin Lee's background as a historian shines through and Pachinko is exemplary of great historical fiction. It is factually consistent and you will learn much of Japan's colonisation of Korea, a topic not so in regular discourse. It is also emotional, generous, and sensitive to these historical facts. The characters are distinct and each have personalities which make sense for their context. It is intergenerational. The story is just so well crafted. This makes sense given how much time and dedication Lee spent workshopping drafts. I am normally averse to thick novels, but Pachinko has me unafraid -- it is exactly as long as the story needs to be, and moreover, it is easy to read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Ableism, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Suicide, and Car accident

Minor: Child death and Homophobia