Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Human Acts by Han Kang

70 reviews

ceilingloft's review against another edition

Too graphic for me right now. Will return to it someday though because the writing is also beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

merle98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

jessiejessj's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

This book was gut-wrenching, heart breaking, uncomfortable, disgusting, and yet? It was beautiful. The way it’s written is stunning, and I loved the way each chapter was written by a different voice connected to the protagonist. It felt like reading the story for seven different points of view, but each point of view was adding to the story as opposed to re-telling the same part. I read this book as a recommendation from Kim Namjoon, and it broke my heart, but I feel better for having read it. I am in awe.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

patslibrary's review against another edition

dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, and Murder

Moderate: Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, and Suicide

lowercase_em's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

sunny_not's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

majuscule's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

this book made me feel such strong emotions with every page. the author keeps each pov switch fresh in creative ways. would absolutely recommend  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, and Police brutality

katiemcgregor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

To call Human Acts heart wrenching would be a misnomer. This book shook me to the very core of my soul. Kang does a magnificent job of introducing her readers to a historical event, they very likely haven't heard before, not through a dull recount of names and dates, but through the grief and destruction left in it's wake. The stories of those who live are just as tragic as of those who die and the whole book feels eerily close to non-fiction.

My main misgiving with Human Acts is the switches in perspectives. I found the second person perspective so jarring that, ironically, it was difficult to put myself in the shoes of the characters whose stories were told from this point of view. Along with the fact that I read a translation, the book is simply stilted in some places where it likely isn't in the original transcript.

I wouldn't say these issues prevent Human Acts from being effective in it's mission. Kang asks questions about humanity that are impossible to answer, but still left me steadily weeping through every section; not the intense type of crying that leaves you dehydrated, but the silent tears that can't be stopped because it feels like there's no other way to grapple with the unimaginable cruelties of this world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

sydneybedell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide

ksenie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Excrement