Scan barcode
lotstannard's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Minor: Sexism, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, Violence, Bullying, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Cancer, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Racism, Terminal illness, Torture, Abortion, Addiction, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Deportation, Drug use, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide, and War
scifi_rat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Prose: 4.5 ★
Pace: 4 ★
Concept/Execution: 4.5 ★/5 ★
Characters: 5 ★
Worldbuilding: 5 ★
Ending: 4 ★
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Misogyny, Colonisation, Racism, and Sexism
Moderate: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Abortion, Child death, Grief, Pregnancy, Suicide, Bullying, Classism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Cancer, Alcohol, Body shaming, and War
Minor: Infertility, Murder, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Deportation, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, and Trafficking
ok7a's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Sexual content, Child death, Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Incest and Alcohol
Minor: Infertility, Addiction, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Suicide
kalmia31's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Sexism, Bullying, Ableism, Classism, Colonisation, Racial slurs, and Racism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Hate crime, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Misogyny, Police brutality, War, Addiction, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Deportation, Grief, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Cancer, Infertility, and Infidelity
abaighritz's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Graphic: Colonisation and Racism
Moderate: Addiction
Minor: Suicide
jessiereads98's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Infertility, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Bullying, Confinement, Violence, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, War, Death of parent, Grief, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Sexual violence
Minor: Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Alcohol, Homophobia, Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Genocide, Rape, Child death, Deportation, Cursing, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Drug use, Gore, Medical content, Murder, Terminal illness, and Torture
ritugp01's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
The book began with powerful, to the point writing. Sentences were simple. In a way, it reminded me of the succinct nature of Hemingway, minus the required reaches for symbolism. Rather, the simplicity in Pachinko offered no hidden messages beyond the story it sought to share. It's simplicity offered a quiet, forthright sense of power and confidence within the long, windy, melancholic story. In this, Min Jin Lee was remarkable.
It's characters, whether that be in the quiet and strong Sunja, who spends most of her life fighting both inside and outside due to something that was done to her, or even in Phoebe, whose appearance was short, impactful, yet fully realized, became not just characters, but people I knew. For a story spanning four generations, a multitude of characters was to be expected, yet every single one of them seemed fully realized. Some other readers may feel that the side stories took away from the main family, but I disagreed. In a sense, it reminded me that Sunja and her family are not alone in this long fight we call living. Everyone else, every character that the family might have touched, were helpful in reminding me that Sunja's family was one of many. Sunja, Yangjin, Hoonie, Isak, Kyunghee, Noa, Mozasu, Solomon, and Yumi were some of my favorite characters and I know they will stay with me for some time.
Truly a modern classic.
Moderate: Bullying, Classism, Suicide, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Alcohol, Abortion, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, War, Xenophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Terminal illness, Misogyny, Addiction, Racism, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Mental illness, Death of parent, Death, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer, Police brutality, Abortion, and Miscarriage
novelisa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Colonisation, Death of parent, Racism, Suicide, Violence, Death, Miscarriage, Grief, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism, War, Addiction, Torture, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Abortion
c_dmckinney's review against another edition
- 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
3.25
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Ableism, Addiction, Death of parent, Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Bullying, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Sexism
jamiejanae_6's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Classism, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Trafficking, Violence, Physical abuse, Blood, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Grief, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, War, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, Death, and Terminal illness
Minor: Deportation and Homophobia