chelstell's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Child death, Grief, Infertility, Death, Torture, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Violence
lillyll's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Torture, Blood, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Violence, Gun violence, Grief, and Child death
midnightcroissant's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Moderate: Sexual violence
gokurakuji's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
i went into the book with a preconceived notion of what the structure would be like based on the summary but my prediction(?) was OFF. so i think that threw off my enjoyment.
but the horrifying knowledge that this book is based off history that i had 0 prior knowledge of (minus the name “gwangju uprising”) was frightening.
but the last chapter? it really made me come to appreciate the book as a whole.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Alcohol, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Sexual violence, Torture, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Blood, and Violence
wovenquiry's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Violence, Child death, Torture, Blood, Sexual violence, and Gun violence
rockin_robyn's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Death, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Police brutality, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Torture
rarasreads's review against another edition
4.0
Prior to reading this book, I had little to no knowledge on the Gwangju Uprising so I appreciated learning more about this historically tragic event. I felt that the epilogue was also a nice addition to the story as it appears to be a nonfiction account of the author’s own motivation, thought process, and efforts undertaken to research Dong-Ho’s life to thus share it with the world.
This was not an easy read and contains some graphic descriptions of violence, although it serves the purpose of Kang’s writing here - to showcase the pain and suffering that humans are capable of inflicting upon each other.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Torture, and Murder
sugarloaded's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Violence, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexism, Torture, Gore, Confinement, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexual violence
mcfay's review against another edition
- 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? No
4.25
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Torture, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Death, Confinement, Alcoholism, and Blood
kswan77's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Graphic: Sexual violence, Police brutality, Violence, Blood, and Torture
Minor: Suicide