Reviews tagging 'Child death'

La isla de las mujeres del mar by Lisa See

161 reviews

leahcatreads's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Racism, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death of parent

bibliosol's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

This was not a bad book, just very difficult for me to read. As a newer mother, this made me deeply emotional and took me about a year to read because I needed to take breaks.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, and War

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Physical abuse and Rape

janelleaimi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Murder, and War

siaeme12's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

An extraordinary book.

Well researched and informative, in a highly respectful manner, both in regards to the history of the haenyeo and the history of Jeju/Korea. Heartbreaking and yet full of strength, healing and intergenerational growth, this book detailed intense friendships and community ties amid deeply traumatic events (both things they could control and things they couldn't). I couldn't look away

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

kharlan3's review against another edition

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Genocide, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Xenophobia, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

zezeki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Colonisation, and War

thatsssorachael's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism and Sexual content

davschi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Cancer, Rape, and Blood

machenn's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape

halkid2's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

One of my favorite aspects of reading historical fiction is picking up a novel about a place, time, and society I know nothing of and then becoming totally immersed. That’s my reaction to THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN, a 2020 book that seems to be getting a lot of attention. (And now I understand why there were so many holds at the library on a four year old book.)

It’s a novel about deep human themes like anger and forgiveness, love and loss, and the enduring strength of a matriarchal society on the small island of Jeju, off the southern coast of Korea. 

The book spans the 70 years between 1938, when Japan occupied Korea, to 2008, — focusing on the relationship between two friends across the decades. Mi-ja and Young-sook meet as children. As close as sisters, they weather all kinds of hardship including World War II, the Korean War, the 4.3 Incident and the loss of many of the traditional ways of Korean life they respect and honor. Along the way readers discover the country’s internal struggle for independence, a not very flattering picture of post World War II United States control of South Korea, and the mysteries of the revered but outlawed practices of Shamanism. 

Both Mi-ja and Young-sook are also members of an elite group known as haenyeo, revered women divers who risk danger and extreme cold to free dive for octopus, sea urchin, and abalone. Exploring their closeness, training, and skill behind this group was a revelation. It’s a story with lots of drama.

Lisa See’s deep and thorough research (detailed in the end Acknowledgments) is skillfully woven throughout the novel. And I found  THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN held together well despite the disparate topics and events covered. Highly recommended.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Violence