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sgonzo's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Grief, and Abandonment
Moderate: Body shaming, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
rosesofthespring's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Racism, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Fatphobia, Misogyny, and Death of parent
diaratewi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Car accident and Injury/Injury detail
angela_iseli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
parasolcrafter's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Body shaming and Alcohol
this is gonna be a book i remember for a long time. fucked me upbrucethegirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
But at the end of the day, the translation was excellent, the main reason this is 2 not 1 star. The way the translator was able to convey subtle aspects of Korean culture so brilliantly was honestly masterful. With only a single hiccup where they had to explain the relation between the different meanings of the word chagi.
I'll also admit that there were certainly aspects of this book that I really enjoyed, and that could have made me really love it- the things that kept me from DNFing in the face of the disgusting ablism. Most notably was the way the sexism and also the disintegration of their marriage was portrayed. It was clear if you read between the lines, but subtle enough I could see how it would be missed. But even from the first few pages, the hints are already there. It's how we're led to empathize with Ogi through the terrors he faces when he doesn't even recognize himself as the monster of his story.
But then that brings us to the real issue with the book. The way the real horror is so reliant on the ableism, not in the horror of how another could treat someone this way, but in the horror of losing control of his own body and being at the whims of another. Too often ableism is used as a means of horror, the way a reader can find themself in a state of horror without a monster having to be present. A different level of body horror that I just can't stand. Yes, the way his mother in law treats him is messed up, but its the lack of him being able to do anything as she forces his condition to worsen that makes the reader want him to triumph even as the horrors of his own actions are revealed.
There was so much promise in this book, ruined by the need to make disability horrific. That easy way out used to force a reader to observe a body at not fully functioning capacity in order to make them uncomfortable. That aspect was too much for me.
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual assault
Minor: Adult/minor relationship