Reviews

Hurt You by Marie Myung-Ok Lee

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heather0927's review

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Thank you Libro.fm for the ALC!

Alright I gave it some thought and my thoughts are that I am going to remain unsure. First and foremost, I really enjoyed some of the representation here and with that came a lot to tackle: ableism, racism, sexism fatphobia, classism, bullying, gun violence, etc. etc. I also really loved the characters, but telling the story of a neurodivergent character through the voice of someone who is neurotypical is always a risk. A risk, but not impossible! Georgia is always supportive of her brother, and for the most part, instead of painting Georgia as victim who has no choice but to throw away her life to take care of her disabled brother, Marie Myung-Ok Lee uses Georgia as a way to highlight the lack of resources, support, and general understanding of and empathy for neurodivergent people and their families.

I did think I was going to give this 5 stars but the ending was...a choice. I do understand what the author was trying to do (truly! I do!) and I also understand this was a retelling of a classic, but I am still very unsure that the ending was the right choice. And by that, I mean that I think it was the wrong choice, but I can see how it could be argued that the point of it was to upset the reader and shed some light on some very real problems. I just think there could have been a more effective way for the author to get her point across, and I fear that the ending actually diminished some of the impact that the book had established throughout.

So, my thoughts are inconclusive. I loved almost the entire book, but the last few chapters unfortunately will prevent me from recommending it to others unless I really know their reading tastes.

***

omg i do not know what to think i’m gonna have to spend some time with this one….VERY good but i thought it was gonna take a different route. i have read of mice and men so i should have known what was going to happen, but hmm………not sure if that ending was eye opening, or if it erased the impact the book had already made.

theeuphoriczat's review against another edition

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DNF

literatefox76's review

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challenging dark informative slow-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? No

2.5

librareee's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5

There is a lot to unpack here. A really great exploration of a Korean-American family caring for a neurodivergent member. The various blatant and subtle connections with "Of Mice and Men" tell you how the story will likely end early on. Even still, the ending is abrupt and shattering. I both appreciated that and didn't care for it. It happened almost too quickly. But, on the other hand, acts of violence happen quickly and unexpectedly. In that way, it made sense.

I appreciated the added layer of the main character's struggle of finding space for herself, family, and friends in a predominantly white suburban town.

A difficult and important read.