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risemini's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Drug use, Car accident, Drug abuse, Cancer, Classism, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, War, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Sexism, Bullying, Racism, Addiction, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Alcoholism
weswillison's review
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Suicide, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Racism, Sexism, Colonisation, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
readingwithcoffee'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: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Murder, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Cancer, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Confinement, Classism, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Racism, War, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Car accident, Body shaming, Bullying, Abandonment, Rape, Infidelity, Infertility, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Blood, Alcoholism, and Abortion
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
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
issyd23's review
- 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
2.0
Graphic: Grief, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Genocide, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Toxic relationship
theliteraryagenda's review
- 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? No
3.5
Graphic: Death of parent, Cursing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Car accident, Toxic relationship, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Racism, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cultural appropriation, Torture, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, and Infertility
Near the end of the book, there are several scenes of graphic sexual content, which seemed unnecessary to the story.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
maevebm's review
- 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
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Xenophobia, Classism, Sexual content, Colonisation, and Racism
Moderate: War, Suicide, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, and Abortion
blanketenjoyer's review
- 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: Chronic illness, Colonisation, Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and War
Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Racism, Sexual content, Miscarriage, and Trafficking