Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Das Beste sind die Augen by Monika Kim

140 reviews

megan_harper's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, Murder, Abandonment

Moderate: Stalking, Toxic friendship

ekgraham's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment

Minor: Pedophilia, Vomit, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail

feainnewedd's review against another edition

4.0

dark 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

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What a compelling read. I found the ending a bit weak, but nevertheless, I enjoyed this book very much. A great way to end 2024!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Racism, Abandonment

erica_reads_things's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A great slow burn. I loved the character development and path that Ji-won and her family took. I really love horror books in particular that take on specific communities and frame the horror around their real life struggles. This one was very well done. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Cultural appropriation

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent

dsam9's review against another edition

3.5

dark sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Finished the book because I had to but wasn't a huge fan. The gore was quite vivid which shows talent but the main character is not likeable in the least. It was a well written book in my opinion though because I have a lot of complex feelings which shows hiw amazing the author is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail

emilysshelf's review against another edition

3.0

medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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It was a short read that I took longer to read than I hoped for just because it overlapped with socializing on the holidays. I do appreciate feminine rage books and usually enjoy horror/gore, I was very excited for this one based on recommendations I'd gotten. Without spoilers here are some thoughts: I feel this had a slow beginning and I can see how people may be bored and DNF early on. There's nothing super compelling about the MC's narration or life. The MC wasn't anyone I particularly cared for and come to think of it I felt this way for many of the characters. I was mostly apathetic towards Jiwon, (which may have been intentional? Unsure, the author didn't have me often rooting for her despite the obvious reasoning for us to be on her side.) Jiwon just came off as an emotionally immature and kind of jealous, pretentious asshole, especially when viewing her friends and other relationships. A lot of this could've been avoided if she just went to therapy, I get that she was a child of immigrants and her parents obviously weren't going to go be proactive about getting help themselves but for Jiwon and her sister's sake she could've TRIED. There was a bit of victimization on her part despite her "learning" to not think of herself that way and not wanting to continue that cycle like other women in her life. I do wish there were more male figures in her life that didn't suck, this book felt randomly "anti-men" in a similar way to Chlorine by Jade Song. I almost feel that the abuse in her life didn't equate her reaction, which I guess is explained a little bit at the end but I still didn't feel things were justified. Perhaps Jiwon was just a tad of a psychopath at the core or maybe she was always going to slowly unravel this way, up to you to decide I guess. I wanted Jiwon's implied attraction for Alexis to be a bigger point, I wanted her to sit with the possibility of her being LGBT and that maybe impacting her choices as well. I think we barely touched this topic and there was so much potential for their relationship to shape Jiwon's actions. As for the horror elements I think imagery wasn't too graphic and the descent into madness could've been longer, or just better executed. It wasn't super scary at all, or gross at all really, pretty tame on the cannibalism trope unless you're squeamish or new to the genre. I do wish we had a less rushed ending but I understand that it's meant to leave things open ended. Hoping this is a standalone novel and no one requests a sequel, the open ending was a good way to leave things ambiguous. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cannibalism, Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism

Minor: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment

lana72905's review against another edition

5.0

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Actually really good book! It definitely is a bit slow to get into but once it starts, it gets the ball rolling! The whole idea is so unique and we see Ji-won truly unravel at the end of the book. You also start to realize as she tells her story that she isn’t as shy and submissive as she appears to be, especially once we realize how manipulative she can be. It was also great to see her mind tricking her and her delusions, almost tricking me at times and making me think i’m crazy. Overall, really good book and a fun short read! Finished in two days.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence

Minor: Cursing, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment

cloverandmoss's review against another edition

4.5

dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Kidnapping, Abandonment

tey_lynn's review against another edition

3.75

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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The ending was fiercely satisfying. I was worried for a bit, but it ended perfectly. 

The things that made her a bad friend were also the things that made her fierce and protective. A complex MC, kinda loved how strong she was, that I could trust that she would handle business, but was also disappointed sometimes with how she treated her friends.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Infidelity, Racism, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

neesbookshelf's review against another edition

3.75

dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, Murder, Abandonment, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation

Minor: Stalking, Toxic friendship