Reviews tagging 'War'

How We Disappeared by Jing-Jing Lee

55 reviews

zoe_macgechan's review

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I only wish I hadn't read Brotherless Night before reading this. They are similar enough to compare, although still quite different books, but I loved Brotherless Night so much this pales in comparison. 

That's such a deeply unfair statement as this book is packed with emotion in the concluding third. 

It's very slow in building the characters and intricacies of their relationships to bring them to the book's climax, but the depth of feeling at that climax is worth it. 

It's beautifully and sensitively written. All of the characters are deeply flawed and yet perfect victims of circumstance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and War

One of the main characters is a girl trafficked into sex work during WWII. While sensitively written, these are not easy topics.

jmkemp's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

A book from an unusual point of view, covering a difficult subject that still remains taboo for many. The story is told sympathetically and with only just enough detail to move it along. The ending is sort of ambiguous, but satisfying enough. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Child death

j9wan's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, and War

Moderate: Bullying

I am heartbroken and so grateful for it.

rosinburger's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

While at times there is difficult subject matter in the book, it give an incredible personal view of the attrocities that these women faces, without demeaning and objectivity them. Such and amazing book  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Trafficking, and War

tassillow's review

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Gun violence, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

thebookfestclub's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Pregnancy, and War

stabilesero's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Although this is fiction; it deals with a very real historical period of time and the agony that many women and girls had to live through and deal with throughout their lives. I loved Kevin as a character and also Wang Di, how she survived all those years against her own battles and the views of others, in particular their opinions about "comfort women."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and War

claudiatralenuvole's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Una narrazione assolutamente splendida, che riesce a raccontare la crudeltà della guerra senza però fare pornografia del dolore.
Straziante tutto ciò che ha riguardo le donne di conforto, compreso lo stigma sociale succeduto alla fine della guerra. 
Ho apprezzato il modo in cui la storia di Wang Di si interseca a quella di Kevin. I capitoli del ragazzo erano meno intensi ma comunque molto toccanti per il suo modo di raccontare il bullismo, la depressione del padre e il desiderio di rimediare.
Una lettura che mi ha commossa in più punti e che insegnando qualcosa di greve riesce allo stesso tempo a donare una conclusione liberatoria. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Terminal illness

Moderate: Violence and War

Minor: Murder

sciencechick83's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence and War

Minor: Child death

abi_dutton's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and War