Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

55 reviews

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

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

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

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

beeanka_reads's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, and Alcohol

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

daniellekat's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

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

2.25

This was the definition of OK. I didn't hate reading it, but nothing about it was particularly compelling. The author made some strange choices in the writing and structure of the book (i.e. no Sujin POV, ending the book mid way through the cycle of character POVs, so many odd paragraph breaks, etc.) I thought the general content of the book was interesting, especially since I'm far removed from South Korean culture, but I felt like Cha was trying to cover too many topics. As a debut the writing was solid, but the overall book could have been more tightly edited. The open-ending makes me wary of recommending this but I'd probably pick up Cha's writing again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage, Suicide, and Death of parent

sex work

marleen02's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing

• 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism