Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

46 reviews

lotstannard's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective 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? It's complicated

4.75

Plot: 4.5 ★
Prose: 4.5 ★
Pace: 4 ★
Concept/Execution: 4.5 ★/5 ★
Characters: 5 ★
Worldbuilding: 5 ★
Ending: 4 ★

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Content Warnings

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

mxkanteven's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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? No

3.75

I think this is the first time I’m saying this, but the adaption was better than the book.

The book is capturing and takes you on a journey across generations thorough the lives of Koreans but in occupied Korea and across the diaspora and their journey with Japanese colonialism.

It can be triggering for sure, but it is bracing and unflinching about the realities of colonized people and the social, legal and class hurdles they face. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Colonisation, War, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Religious bigotry and Trafficking

daphnewoods's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book definitely delves deep into some really tough subjects, but it’s written with such tenderness and grace and wisdom that it didn’t leave me in a place of darkness; but rather expanded my heart even wider. It’s an absolute treasure and should be required reading. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Colonisation, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Murder, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, War, Miscarriage, Grief, Police brutality, Racism, Self harm, Bullying, Physical abuse, Classism, Violence, Death, Death of parent, Body shaming, Suicide, Misogyny, Hate crime, Child death, Outing, Infertility, and Deportation

jaywcj's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

what beautiful and compassionate writing. each character had such depth, each storyline such richness. this book will stay with me for a while.

my only critique is that i wished the book ended with a more class-conscious perspective instead of the utter celebration of wealth. personal preference.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Child death and Suicide

Minor: Trafficking and Abortion

blanketenjoyer's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

lauravreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.75

Pachinko follows a family through 4 generations. Starting in 1901 with Hoonie and ending in 1989 with Hooneis great grand son Solomon 

Honestly, I feel that this might be my favorite type of novel. I love watching a family through generations. I love how it starts as historical fiction and it kind of works its way to more contemporary fiction. I also enjoy reading about the family dynamic and the relationships within a family and how they evolve through time and age. 

This book was such a good read. I enjoyed it so much. I learned so much about Korea and how the Great Depression and World War II affected so many people and particularly the Koreans, who lived in Japan throughout that time. I loved watching the advocacy for civil rights in Japan as the years continued. Each family member has such a profound and interesting story. I loved how easily the book transitioned from each member, and even though we might focus on one member, we can easily go back to another without deterring from the narration.

What was overall great read was a bit of a slow book and it took me about two weeks to read  Which is okay, but sometimes I wish things kind of picked up a little faster.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Racial slurs, Racism, Hate crime, Grief, Classism, Chronic illness, Ableism, War, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Violence, Terminal illness, Suicide, Police brutality, and Homophobia

jamiejanae_6's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

telcontar2901's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

• 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Sexual content, and Stalking

Moderate: Classism, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Alcohol, Bullying, Suicide, Violence, and War

Minor: Cancer, Miscarriage, Trafficking, Bullying, Abandonment, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Abortion, and Car accident

tinyjude's review against another edition

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.

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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