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squidknees's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Minor: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Deportation
stvalentine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Blood, Car accident, Alcohol, and Colonisation
readingwithcoffee's review
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jessiereads98's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Infertility, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Abortion, Murder, Alcohol, and Deportation
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, and Classism
fairyribs's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I went into this book expecting it to be a history of the Japanese colonial rule but instead I got an intimate portrait of a family and it’s fight for survival during and after colonialism. I never knew that people like the Zainichi existed and to see how many of them came to be was quite illuminating, along with the discrimination many Korean-Japanese people face today.
Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, and Injury/Injury detail
bandysbooks's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
alisonannk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Car accident, Abortion, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
Minor: Gun violence, Murder, Outing, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol
yuki__'s review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Confinement, Gore, Infertility, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
marisacarpico's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
There's obviously a specificity to the immigrant experience here, but it also feels like it represents so many stories. All of these characters felt so real and everything they experience feels so momentous even though they're just regular people living normal lives. Quite a choice on Lee's part to have these huge historical moments happening around these characters but to never really focus on them. WWII is mostly just texture here, it's just one of the many elements that add to the characters' overall experience. It's a novel of accumulated experience that also reflects the immigrant experience throughout the 20th century.
I will admit the way the narrative accelerates in the last 100 pages or so maybe dampens the novel's initial power, but most of the book is so compelling. I probably have a lot more to say, but I don't know, I think the book speaks for itself.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Pedophilia, Racism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Dementia, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Classism
Minor: Infidelity, Miscarriage, and Torture