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banannabaker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
However, overall I did not enjoy reading it.
The cover and the blurb are misleading - describing a story about the haenyeo of Jeju and female friendship. The book is about those things, but also (and increasingly so as it progresses) about the very worst things humankind are capable of. Some parts are the kind of horrifying that makes your bones cold, and other parts are so sad it's hard to shake the scenes off when you put the book down. I read this on holiday and was relieved and exhausted when I finished it.
Graphic: Child death, Genocide, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Colonisation
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Police brutality, Murder, and Sexual harassment
clarke's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
epruta's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Violence, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Alcoholism, Suicide, and Alcohol
chemicallykat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism
alisonw'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? It's complicated
4.5
Firstly a TW: It deals with extremely heavy subjects of loss, war, corruption, all kinds of abuse, murder including all ages, all very graphically so please be warned if you think you can’t handle that.
But if you’re unsure, don’t let that put you off. This book tells the true story of the people of Jeju and all they have gone through in the last century through a fictional narrative and the graphic elements are there because they happened, reading them feels similar to the sobering feeling of going to a concentration camp has, it’s horribly sad but feels like a necessity to be able to respect and remember - in my case as a European who was taught nothing about Korea’s history, it felt so important to acknowledge and learn about these events for the first time.
The author is masterful at weaving history and fiction together, none of the fictitious story line feels forced to bring in a historical event, while at the same time the story does not steal from the history, I would actually say it helps give it more blood and feel more tangible rather than cold facts on a page about somewhere far away.
Highly highly recommend.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, and Sexual harassment
bahamyulala's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, and War
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment
henrylee1202'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
4.75
Graphic: Death, Gore, Rape, Violence, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: War
zombiezami'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
4.0
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Infidelity, Vomit, Kidnapping, and Fire/Fire injury
Starvationjennywinder's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Rape
ellanorte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Si tengo que ponerle un pequeño contra es el final, que me ha parecido muy precipitado.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and War
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment