Reviews tagging 'Slavery'

Tastes Like War by Grace M. Cho

9 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

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).

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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

scarlett_f's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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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

melissahawco's review

challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

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

knenigans's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

Devastating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Body horror, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Colonisation, Eating disorder, Genocide, Grief, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual violence

Moderate: Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Rape, Slavery, and War

taryngoehrig's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Xenophobia, War, and Slavery

ecn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Racism, Genocide, Sexual violence, Biphobia, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Murder, Police brutality, Violence, Rape, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Trafficking, Xenophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

atsundarsingh's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

I was so moved by this book, and learned so many things - about Korea, schizophrenia, US imperialism. I wish more memoirs like this came out more often, but the truth is, that is likely impossible, because the singular honesty and carefulness with which Cho crafted her story isn't something that just rolls off people easily. Heartily recommend, and I will totally be finding ways to weave this into my teaching and recommendations. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Bullying, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Colonisation, Classism, Death of parent, Death, Hate crime, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Trafficking, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Suicide attempt

amanda_marie's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

Cho’s is a narrative that defies traditional linear storytelling. As much her mother’s story as it is her own, she includes historical information on the US occupation of Korea, Korean culture, and scientific research into schizophrenia, all culminating in an interdisciplinary dish that’s hard to put down. I feel more learned for having read it, but mostly I hope she feels some peace from having written it. 

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Sexual assault