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celticthistle's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Death of parent
stephmcoakley's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Grief, Abortion, and Death of parent
classicpseudonym's review against another edition
5.0
i always thought memoirs were (sort of) boring, but decided to give this one a go because i kept hearing about it. and also, gotta support asian women authors, yknow?
anyway, i'm so glad i did. zauner's narrative was well-crafted and kept me hooked simply with the way she describes her surroundings (and don't even get me started about how amazingly-well written the narrative was). the food imagery was beautiful (and mouthwatering, i need to try more korean food), and was a consistent metaphor/symbol for love and loss throughout the book.
i also really really appreciated the mother-daughter relationship depicted in general. even as someone who hasn't been through half of what zauner has, i saw my own relationship with my mom in the various interactions between the two characters? in the book. i'm now more conscious about not taking people and time for granted, and how truly valuable my relationships with the people in my life are.
another thing worth mentioning is how deeply i related to the various instances where zauner didn't feel like she belonged because of her mixed ancestry, as i am also asian-american. the recurring themes of not being white enough but also not being asian enough were well-integrated into zauner's narrative, and the retellings, from being singled out in her middle school years to the joy she found revisiting her homeland and making korean food really drove her story home, in my opinion.
finally, thanks to this (actually heartbreaking) memoir, i now have even more respect for cancer victims and survivors and their loved ones, as well as their caretakers. i'm sending all y'all so much love, and i hope you read zauner's memoir and know that you're not the only one facing this struggle. y'all are strong, and you're gonna make it.
last thing. if you're interested in a deep and personal and heartbreaking narrative that makes you reconsider and think about various things, go read this memoir. even if you're not, still go read this memoir. give it a shot, it's worth it :))
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Infertility and Vomit
ojreads's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Cancer and Death of parent
Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, and Infertility