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A review by meganmikaelian
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The fact that this book was so well researched and informative is what saved it for me. I liked learning about life on Jeju and Korean history during Japanese imperialism, especially after reading Pachinko earlier this year. I also always enjoy stories centered on women and female friendships. My main issue with this book was that it felt too similar to the author’s other works.
The main characters and their arcs were similar to those in Lady Tan’s Circle of Women in that there were two childhood friends, one with a traditional family and a little more money, and the other poor and unwelcome in society. The MC is jealous of her friend for being more beautiful than her and rising up despite her circumstances, and the friend can’t ever confront her about her own privileges without the MC getting upset.
While I appreciated the rich detail of the story, I thought the pacing was off. The beginning dragged and then the end felt rushed. Also the main plot point in the 2008 timeline was obvious halfway through the book. I also felt like the MC had no personality. She was naive and selfish and not willing to think outside of what she had always been taught even when she witnessed the failings of the systems surrounding her.
All that said, there were parts of this book that were extremely touching and empowering, and I did learn a lot. I might have enjoyed it more had I read a physical copy versus listening on Audible.
The main characters and their arcs were similar to those in Lady Tan’s Circle of Women in that there were two childhood friends, one with a traditional family and a little more money, and the other poor and unwelcome in society. The MC is jealous of her friend for being more beautiful than her and rising up despite her circumstances, and the friend can’t ever confront her about her own privileges without the MC getting upset.
While I appreciated the rich detail of the story, I thought the pacing was off. The beginning dragged and then the end felt rushed. Also the main plot point in the 2008 timeline was obvious halfway through the book. I also felt like the MC had no personality. She was naive and selfish and not willing to think outside of what she had always been taught even when she witnessed the failings of the systems surrounding her.
All that said, there were parts of this book that were extremely touching and empowering, and I did learn a lot. I might have enjoyed it more had I read a physical copy versus listening on Audible.