Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

122 reviews

the_prawn_from_shark_tale's review against another edition

challenging inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Intriguing, touching, and confronting. It follows a group of women living in one apartment complex as they navigate beauty standards, motherhood, and the pressures women face in Seoul, South Korea. I was gripped from the first page as the backstories of each of the characters was slowly revealed. None of the characters are perfect, but each one is complex and has their own motivations behind each decision. A fast read for sure!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Miscarriage

boop123's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-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

3.5

If I Had Your Face tackles on the prevalence and normalization of plastic surgery in Korean beauty standards, the inherent misogyny that exists in Korean society, and the value of women to settle down and have children despite the declining economy. Not much plot goes on here and it is definitely focused on character analysis of each woman who are struggling with their own thing given their socioeconomical climate but is still somehow intertwined with each other proximity and emotion wise.
 

Despite the thought-provoking insights you can dissect from this book given that a subject like this is very common in today’s society, I still find some of the characters underdeveloped. Shoved aside for the most part and is only remembered in the end. Specifically, I find Wonna’s character to be underdeveloped and there’s really not much to work with her as her struggles seem to be straightforward and concise. Though she has a few chapters dedicated to her and her history, it honestly doesn’t give that much to the table unlike Kyuri and Miho. 

Anyways, if you’re looking for a more character-driven story, I would recommend this but I wouldn’t read if you’re not a fan of alternating POVs (especially with a lot of characters). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, and Sexism

Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying

siebensommer's review against another edition

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Miscarriage, Sexism, War, and Classism

Minor: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.0

If I Had Your Face is an introspective, conversational book about womanhood in contemporary Seoul. With four intriguing protagonists who standout from each other personality wise, I can see the multiple POVs being hit or miss. For me, it made the book disorganized and the topics felt a bit surface level. I wished this had been more focused, perhaps even cut a POV or two or make them more interconnected, that way the characters and themes could have more room to breathe. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming and Misogyny

Moderate: Child abuse, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

ash_b444's review against another edition

dark emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Miscarriage

xvicesx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

3.75

A weird little piece, but somehow oddly compelling. Very nicely written and easy to keep up with, especially as an audio book, with short insights into each girl's life like a moving camera for each chapter. 

It's mostly slice of life, which is an acquired taste for the western palate, but the lives of the women featured are interesting and challenging in ways that you do not really expect. Each of them carries scars, some showing more than others, but it ultimately makes their stories very immersive. 

I don't know if I'd say I recommend it or not, since I'm unsure how I feel about it, but I'd say it's a good fit for people who enjoyed Convenience Store Woman. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Alcohol

Moderate: Infidelity, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Miscarriage

vaykay's review against another edition

adventurous reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

I wish there was more. The pacing was sort of whack.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

I would like to read this one in physical form, so that I can take my time with it. It feels like a such a different world that I don't know, and I also want to translate every Korean word in it. But I thought it was really interesting, and I'm excited for more from this author. I love this group of girls, so similar and also different, just trying to find their survival. Very interesting read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Suicide, Violence, and Grief

kaybee23's review against another edition

dark hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol

Moderate: Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Infertility, and Miscarriage

kutreen's review against another edition

dark informative inspiring medium-paced

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

3.75

Usually I don't like books that switch between various perspectives but I loved that all of the characters were friends or knew each other in various capacities and that their lives intersected often. I liked learning about pressures related to beauty, marriage, and women's careers in Korea, as well as about class differences, from women whose difficult childhoods have left them to learn to fend for themselves and make unlikely connections to survive.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Violence, Medical trauma, and Abandonment

Minor: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail