Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - Free Food for Millionaires

Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee

31 reviews

cassidy's review

dark emotional sad 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

some of the characters were really tough and I guess I wanted them to figure it out more, but it kind of got a little more brutal and at points, stressful. With that said this book was really compelling--it kept me up reading it and I did ultimately enjoy it and the main characters I did like. The protagonist shifted really skillfully!

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casira's review

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funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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? Yes

3.25

Lee does not write other races very convincingly. Hispanic portrayals were...weird? Insistent use of "hermano" randomly injected into what was otherwise English felt uncomfortable and inauthentic.

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ameliafr's review against another edition

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hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

Catching up on reviews! I loved this book so dearly. "Free Food for Millionaires" describes the life its main character in the first five or so years after college, during which she struggles to reconcile her social, professional, romantic, and material desires. I love that this novel depicts, without judgment, a character who wants so much from her life. Rather than portraying Casey's longing for a lifestyle she cannot afford as irresponsible, the novel questions the idea that someone who has less should want less. As its title suggests, this work interrogates what privileged people are given and the stories we tell ourselves about whether they've earned it. It never asserts that someone who is less wealthy should choose between settling for less material comfort or less fulfillment.

I would definitely recommend this to a friend, with the caveat that a potential reader should carefully check trigger warnings.

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lpeterson's review

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emotional slow-paced

4.0

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cspw's review

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challenging emotional funny reflective slow-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? Yes

4.0

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chr_luisa's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad slow-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? Yes

5.0

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ramseystratton's review

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medium-paced

4.5

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cass_lit's review against another edition

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3.5

It’s hard to adequately put words to a book this long and dense. Free Food for Millionaires is longer than it needs to be in my opinion, but even still after putting so much time into reading it, I was *also* constantly thinking about it while not reading and after finishing it. I didn’t like or understand Casey at first, and I didn’t know how I was going to survive 20+ hours of listening to her whine but seemingly do nothing about it. But spend that much time with someone, and you do begin to understand and/or empathize. I was sad about the abrupt ending not for my own understanding of what happens, but because I thought Casey deserved closure for her story. I also started out not enjoying the multiple POVs but grew to love them and how much context they gave us about the characters, Casey included and the world at that time. It felt at times as though we were humanizing abusive, shitty people but now I see it more as getting context as to why they acted the way they did.

If you’ve read the popular Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, you know her writing. You know she’s not afraid of putting her characters through hell (understanding that these are historical books). Free Food for Millionaires is no exception. And if you, like me, are 75% in wondering where the “graphic” rape trigger warning comes in, know that just because you’re near the end of the novel doesn’t mean you’re safe.

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joymargot's review against another edition

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slow-paced

4.0

While the slow pace coupled with the huge page count might ordinarily have put me off, I read this during the throes of covid and it was oddly comforting to spend so much time with the flawed and frustrating - but ultimately still likeable - Casey.

The story covers a relatively short time period in its 650 pages and feels more like a snapshot of Casey’s life than a structured story with a beginning, middle and satisfying end. It feels a little under-edited but the characters are well-developed and I found myself genuinely caring about (most of) them.

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natalieba's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

5.0

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