Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

Tastes Like War by Grace M. Cho

34 reviews

clarabooksit's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Death of parent, Racism, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Death, and Colonisation

Moderate: Trafficking, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, War, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Classism

Minor: Excrement, Homophobia, and Lesbophobia

natnat033105's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

4.5

---

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

kathrynjl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

In Tastes Like War, Grace Cho reflects on her mother’s life through their shared memories and experiences of food. This is a compelling and informative memoir that expertly situates Cho’s mother’s personal experiences in a broader cultural context of racism, misogyny, colonialism.

Reading this, it’s clear that Cho is an academic and a sociologist, but the book isn’t dense or overly theoretical. At times, I did find it hard to get through due to the sheer sadness and injustice in the story, but Cho’s details and descriptions are never gory or unnecessary. This book made me think, feel, and learn, so overall it’s a big recommend from me.

I read this book for The StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge 2024 (prompt: a nonfiction book about food and/or drink).

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Excrement, Genocide, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Racism, Slavery, Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, War, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Sexism, Colonisation, and Death

krystalanddogs's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective slow-paced

5.0

It's hard to rate or review memoirs. This one admittedly took me months to finish because the content can be heavy, but also it's hard to focus on the narration style for me unless I'm doing certain things or I wouldn't be in the mood to absorb the storytelling. 

It's hard to describe exactly what this is about other than exploring the journey her mother, and women like her, have taken as being immigrant wives in mixed race military communities, being biracial and the experience of living in the communities of both halves, and mental health/aging- all woven together with different cultural experiences and told through the language of food and caretaking as a means of making it all work. When I tried explaining the themes of this book throughout the 3 times I checked it back out from the library, it sounds like there's too much going on but if weaves together very well in a way that isn't confusing to experience. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Sexism, Death of parent, War, Suicide attempt, Racism, Grief, Ableism, Eating disorder, Dementia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Mental illness

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

---

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

scarlett_f's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Body shaming, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Eating disorder, Grief, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, and War

booksybookbooks's review

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

5.0

---

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

meganlafo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, War, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Racism

morag's review

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, War, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

melissahawco's review

challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Slavery, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Colonisation