Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

Happiness Falls by Angie Kim

7 reviews

izzirizzo's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Cancer, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Pandemic/Epidemic

siobhanward's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

Like with Kim's <i> Happiness Falls </i>, this book had a solid premise but the execution left me wanting more. I think in this case, Kim spent so much time explaining things (Mia's footnotes, the happiness quotient project), that the book felt bogged down. I wish there had been more time in the actual action and less on unnecessary detail. I get why things were included, I just don't think they added as much to the plot as they were intended to. I still appreciate Kim as a writer, since her ideas feel really unique, and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, and War

kk_47's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse and Sexual assault

fancyjess_party's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

jialianyang's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense 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

I see why this book is a bestseller! The narration is at times cerebral and fully in a teen voice, but eventually the character and plot developments twist and turn so rapidly that you can't help but flip page after page. This is a story about family, loyalty, secrets, respect, ableism, the limits of our public safety system, language, philosophy and more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, and War

suzydunk's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

annoyedhumanoid's review against another edition

mysterious 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

i loved the narration. i understand why it isn't for everyone, but my brain works in the same way so i felt at home. i also appreciated how this book advocated much more strongly for the humanity of its characters with disabilities than Miracle Creek (Angie Kim's debut novel) did. and that it took place during covid times. my main issues were that, compared to Miracle Creek, the plot:

1. wasn't as gripping. it started to drag three-fourths of the way through, and i got fed up with all the cheap foreshadowing of the form "looking back, i wish [x] hadn't happened".
2. didn't feel as expertly-crafted. though i recognize that's kind of the point—
   not all mysteries, especially missing person cases, have neat solutions; that's life
   —it was still somewhat disappointing. i'm trying to
   learn the lesson Mia did and
   accept an open ending—
   i choose to believe that her and John's mind-meld recreating the accident was a display of fraternal jeong, just the tiniest bit of magical realism.

nonetheless, this has cemented Angie Kim as an author on my radar, and i'm looking forward to her next book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Hate crime, Infidelity, Sexism, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, and Murder

Minor: Confinement, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Car accident, Alcohol, and Deportation