Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park

84 reviews

ravina_b's review against another edition

challenging fast-paced

Feels inappropriate to rate this, but I will say that it’s so insightful and such a harrowing and heartbreaking read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: Sexual assault and Death of parent

cataa_sousa's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Minor: Child death and Suicide

marinarose3's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

multitalented_egg's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Cancer and Sexism

gracie_reads_everything's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

A very powerful and moving story about a North Korean defector turned human rights advocate. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury

Biography, autobiography, memoir, North Korea, human rights, powerful

mikaellen's review against another edition

3.5

This book was my first time really learning about North Korea, and it was jarring to say the least. Major kudos to the author for being brave enough to tell her story!

Major trigger warnings for SA and human trafficking.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking

mmontemurro's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This was a gripping memoir of Yeonmi Park's harrowing journey out of North Korea. She describes her childhood in a country where having no food for days on end was commonplace, and how they would eat dragonflies for protein when they had nothing else. She describes seeing dead bodies on the side of the road - people who had died of starvation. Her father was taken to a hard labor camp after being caught selling "illegal" goods which in any other place would be considered legal. Her mother left to attempt to retrieve her father from prison, and she was left to care for herself and her sister. While others tried to help them, it sounded as though most people had little to give for food. I was shocked to hear about the government radios which had to be on at all times - it reminded me of 1984 where they were constantly watched and listened to. No one could be trusted but yourself. Her sister left for China, and eventually Yeonmi leaves with her mother too, to hopefully find a better life in China, and get her father out of North Korea. Yeonmi and her mother were trafficked for many years in China, and forced into marriages by Chinese brokers. They were considered second-class citizens - or really not citizens at all in China. Yeonmi secured a deal for herself as a young girl in order to get her mother and father, and hopefully her sister, who was missing, in exchange for becoming a mistress to one broker. She describes painful, terrible rape and having to endure that for her family. Eventually they leave with a Christian missionary group for South Korea. However dangerous, they do eventually make it to South Korea, and are able to become citizens there. Due to a lack in eduation in North Korea, Yeonmi is told that she will never amount to anything, never catch up to other classmates, and never go to university. She surpasses every goal by working extremely hard. Her story is incredible, and she has everlasting hope through all the bleak moments of her life. I hope that this story reaches many, and that her story can inspire others to understand the tragedy of North Korea and understand that anything is achieveable in this life. 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Deportation

Moderate: Abortion and Pregnancy

This book really captivated me from start to finish. I had heard of Yeonmi's story before from the numerous interviews she does, but I had not heard of some specific details about her family and her survival throughout her teenage years. It humbles me and I am grateful to live in a country where freedom is a right and I am able to achieve my goals without significant hardship or sacrifice. I am glad that after all the hardship Yeonmi endured, she was able to gain freedom and is now able to spread awareness and information to others.

jillmarie_23's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

Minor: Death of parent

kaigeg's review against another edition

emotional informative medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Grief

makesnononsense's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Sexual assault, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism