Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

Concerning My Daughter by Kim Hye-Jin

49 reviews

h4rm0ny's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Hate crime and Excrement

Minor: Death and Dementia

lindcherry's review against another edition

reflective 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Dementia and Lesbophobia

shoelace's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia

nad_books623's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Wow this was a raw story that a lot of people in the lgbtq+ community can relate to while reading. The mother was so annoying and hypocritical.

The whole time that she was reflecting towards the end of the book with the nursing home and her inner homophobia we never got to see her challenge her hypocrisy. Which, I guess makes the story more raw in a sense but still would be interested to see.

I did like the stories comment on being elderly and what happens in society when someone no longer has a purpose.

The scene when the reporters came to interview Jen was a good moment that showed how she was seen as disposable since she could not give what they wanted from her. Another moment in the book was towards the end when Jen is in the last nursing home and how the carer says they're all just going to die there always.

I think this book also discusses well how care taking is a commodity in society and that due to capitalism people who need care do not get the proper care they need.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Physical abuse

Minor: Excrement and Vomit

zmeiat's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

This book made me think, at times, about the movie "All about my mother"/"Todo sobre mi madre" by Pedro Almodovar. They are different from each other in presentation and in overal message, but the vibes very definitely similar.

The writting was melancholic and engaging, especially with us being placed in the head of the mother and her battle with internalized prejudices that her own daughter directly challenges. This was a very strong book about the difficulties of life and how one at the end of the day simply should live through the coming tomorrows instead of the far future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Dementia, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

kerrence30's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A challenging read, due to the constant hoping for resolution, always waiting for realisation and never getting there. A sad tale of someone stuck in an archaic cultural mindset and not changing with a world that has already moved on in a lot of areas worldwide, and feeling negative for the wrong reasons. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Death and Terminal illness

Minor: Sexism and Violence

daniellekat's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

2.0

Picked this up on a whim and although I didn’t hate it, it wasn’t really my cup of tea. It was difficult to distinguish dialogue from inner thoughts since there were no quotations used. I hated the vivid descriptions of bodily functions, but overall the writing was good and I would pick this author up again. I enjoyed the themes of this book and

I appreciated that there wasn't an unbelievable turn around in attitude by the end but there was some character growth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Vomit, Dementia, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Homophobia, Misogyny, and Violence

Minor: Death of parent

merbears's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Dementia, Medical trauma, and Lesbophobia

theliteraryteapot's review against another edition

dark reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Whilst not an easy read (especially as a bi woman) because the story is told through the pov of a homophobic mother, I'm glad I read this book. This short novel has a certain ambition, trying to examine several aspects of society. Homophobia, heteronormativity, ageism, poverty/low-paid job, loneliness, generational trauma (particularly passed on from mother to daughter), traditionalist society, the treatment of patients in a retirement home, ...

Maybe not perfect, this book still is quite significant, an important read. This story may feel like it's been done before but to me, growing up in a rural environment with homophobic family members, this is sadly a little too relatable (even down to the care assitant job).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Sexism, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Dementia, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Classism

pingi444's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail