Reviews tagging 'Violence'

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

77 reviews

sophia_chakmahill's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This was such a beautiful book and an interesting look into the misogyny of Korean society. You can peep into the struggle of backbreaking work with pay that leaves the future uncertain without connections to move up, the pressures of beauty standards where plastic surgery is common, and even the troubles of the wealthy. We watch the lives of young  women and an exploration of entangled yet deeply different lives brought together by both envy, care and solidarity in a world of harsh realities. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Ableism and Abortion

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

courtney_scott1025's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this book. I loved Frances Cha's writing. The story on how all the characters are connected is beautiful. I just have read some better books this year, and it doesn't stand out all that much for me. I really enjoyed the context of Korean beauty industry. It was very insightful

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual violence, Violence, and Trafficking

lianne_rooney's review against another edition

dark informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, and Abandonment

serendipity421's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

tutuna's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence

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

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

rionstorm's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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 kind of sad, kind of gentle slice of life. I wish the book was slightly longer, so we could have seen a bit more of what the girls lives are like once they've all had their development arcs and become more intertwined in eachothers lives.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Miscarriage, Sexism, Medical content, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Infertility, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Pregnancy, and Classism