Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Tastes Like War by Grace M. Cho

12 reviews

natnat033105's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Medical content, Slavery, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Body horror, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Violence, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Chronic illness, Death, Racism, Grief, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Excrement

Minor: Abortion

kshertz's review

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

4.0

This book is excellent. For sure it’s a thesis that became a book. It’s in a weird in between but it somehow works. Her mother’s story alone is captivating. It’s so interesting to have it through the lens of food. I would’ve loved more of the food and culture references. It was super fascinating to think about schizophrenia for women that are older as well. There’s a compelling story here about medication for mental health throughout the years that could almost be a second book. it can be dark at times but I think it’s super informative and important

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, War, Physical abuse, Bullying, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Eating disorder, Medical content, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Violence

booksybookbooks's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Mental illness, Grief, Genocide, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, War, Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Death, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Suicide attempt, and Abortion

tayloraa12's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Grief, and Racism

Moderate: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, and War

Minor: Rape, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Child abuse

sarahelem's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I read this and thought about my American education, and how roughly 10 minutes of my entire school career was dedicated to the Korean War's impact on citizens, and even less on Asian immigrants from Korea to the United States. 

This memoir is incredibly eye-opening, challenging at all points, but in my opinion, essential reading. We need to amplify these voices. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Child death, Xenophobia, Genocide, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Racism, Excrement, Confinement, Chronic illness, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, Colonisation, War, Violence, Sexism, Mental illness, Death, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Murder, and Grief

xochilaz's review

dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

Grace Cho wrote about her mothers fraught history with incredible sensitivity, i think. Her overall tone in this memoir is intimate yet informative, her voice guides you through a deeply personal history and experience of life as an immigrant. Cho presents the historical information in a way that is approachable and easy to follow, even if you're not familiar with the material. 
In all, this is a deeply touching love letter to maternal relationships and all women who have had to endure the unspeakable and came out the other side.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Colonisation, Grief, Racism, Suicide attempt, War, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Medical trauma, Misogyny, Trafficking, Death of parent, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Racial slurs, and Sexual violence

undisciplinedbeing's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

I never thought this would be a rollercoaster of emotions when I picked this book out. This was so much needed after a reading slump, because on top of retelling of her mom's struggle, Grace slipped in a bit of research on history that I appreciate so much. I highly recommend this book :)

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Content Warnings

Minor: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Medical content, Racism, Colonisation, Classism, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, and Xenophobia

hgunsch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

I'm not sure I enjoyed this book, it was an eye-opening first-hand account from a minority I didn't know much about. I enjoyed the psychological analysis and care for her mother, despite it bringing up difficult feelings about my realtionship with my own mom. But I'm really surprised after finishing the book and reading a review of the book posted by the author's brother, who claims this story is little more than fiction and the author did not actually cook or care much for her mother in her final days. The truth is somewhere in the middle I expect, but if this book is more fiction than memoir, then it's not one of my favorites. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Mental illness, Eating disorder, and Domestic abuse

natashaleighton_'s review

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexism, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Toxic relationship and War

parasolcrafter's review

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

as always, it's a tad bit odd for me to add my thoughts to a memoir and this one is especially hard because it not only deals with the author herself, but with the authors mother in a deeply intimate way. i cant even begin to imagine how hard it must have been to write this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Violence, Classism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Ableism, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, War, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Homophobia