Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun

21 reviews

asolis's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

4.0

A series of vignettes from the perspectives of several characters - the sister, the classmates, the accused - chip away at the mysterious murder of a beautiful but odd teen girl, and how these characters coped. Tightly written, effective, and complex. Though the mystery unfolds, the book is ultimately about those who go on, and how. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

sgksoccer5's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Murder

Minor: Ableism and Eating disorder

carojust's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

This is a very quick and haunting read, thought-provoking about classism and its effect on families, their trauma and grief. 

Hae-on is a high schooler and is found murdered. Her case has gone cold. Her defining characteristic is her overwhelming beauty, paired with her vapid personality. We switch from the POVs of her younger sister Da-on, and two of her classmates, who each give us pieces to essentially solve the puzzle. 

There are big leaps in timeline, and undefined switches in POV, which might be confusing, but I really appreciated the effect it gave -- stumbling around in memories, trying to make sense of it all. Without spoilers, I can say Kwon Yeo-Sun beautifully balanced that fine line with the reader, giving us just enough to understand each character's personality, backstory and role in the murder. You're forced to overcome your own prejudice to see clearly what's right in front of you.

Give this a read if you're in the mood for a short book, Korean authors and stories, and darker plots.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder

caitlynes91's review against another edition

4.25

still collecting my thoughts but wow this snuck up on me and hit like a gut punch.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Murder

Minor: Ableism, Police brutality, and Classism

karimari237's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.5

there’s a moment where Da-on is describing how her sister didn’t understand the burdens that are supposed to come with having a body and that to me was the most heartbreaking part of all, not that she didn’t understand it but that it was one of the most dangerous things she could have done just existing as a girl with a body without shame 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder, Kidnapping, and Grief

booksandbabble's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Murder

Moderate: Cancer and Eating disorder

tristinrose's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Blood, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault

lynxpardinus's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Gaslighting

Minor: Pedophilia and Rape

withlivjones's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

An interesting exploration of grief, guilt, and the lasting impact of the death of a teenager on various people who knew her. I thought that the concept was intriguing but I expected it to be a somewhat different book, more of a murder mystery, but instead it focuses much more on the fallout of the murder rather than the murder itself. There are some lines that really pack a punch, and I particularly like the chapters where the narration is in the form of a one-sided conversation as you can get a real sense of character. I wouldn’t say that I really enjoyed this book as I just felt that something was missing from it, but I am glad that I read it nonetheless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Eating disorder, Terminal illness, and Alcohol

errie's review against another edition

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Kidnapping

Minor: Cancer