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page_karla's review
- 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
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
adoto's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I think it does a really good job of what the author wanted to do, which is honestly reflect the varied experiences of being a Korean in Japan. It's also a beautiful ode to migrant grit and resolve. It just didn't grab me the way I expected it to. I would recommend it to a friend but never reread it.
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Colonisation, and Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Death, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Cancer, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicide, Police brutality, Trafficking, and Abortion
lazagn's review
- 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
4.75
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Suicide
brinxleyx'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? No
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, and Xenophobia
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Bullying, Abortion, and Alcohol
moonmemoirs's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I think the main objective of the book as a historical fiction novel gets across well - you learn deeply about the discrimination the Korean diaspora in Japan faces regardless of their choices, actions, faith, loyalties, and bloodline. It was introspective and informative in this sense, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning this. It was done with a level of skill as well that makes the reader sympathise out of incredulity at the treatment of Koreans in Japan, even five generations in, being treated as lesser just because of their bloodline. Even lesser than the lowest caste of Japan. It’s heartbreaking that whether you decide to pass as Korean or Japanese, you must suffer the consequences of betrayal and poverty and oppression in the aftermath of the occupation.
In terms of characters, the main characters of the earlier generations are really well developed, and I found myself really connected to those characters. I didn’t find that same connection with Solomon’s storyline, including his stepmother, Hana, Pheobe and Kazu. I also found some characters strange, such as Haruki’s wife’s narrative - it felt empty and unfinished. I felt some ennui because I think the characters in the new generations become less dimensional? Like you don’t empathise with them as much and the author is trying to force two dimensions on them like “oh a woman can only be a whore out of desperation but it’s justified because she has trauma from this superficial thing” and it’s a stark contrast from the earlier generations where they build that character development in many many many layers. One layer characters too were done better in the earlier chapters - I loved Isak deeply, and I found it interesting how a book that convinces you of perceptions around every character being troubled, desperate, war-torn, mistake-making, etc stood in stark contrast to this brief character who is perfect in every way, self sacrificing to a lengthy degree, morally benevolent and wise beyond his years.
Writing wise, I actually really enjoyed how the “Pachinko” element of the book which characterises the struggle of the Korean diaspora in Japan, in the third chapter really comes into focus. I enjoyed the storytelling of Yangjin and Sunja and Kyunghee better than Noa, Haruki, Solomon etc but I like how the objective of the book related to the title with the shadow of being in the Pachinko business looming over them. No matter how clean Mozasu’s money is, the Pachinko business, people are regarded as Yakuza and dirty anyways, adding another dimension to the discrimination the characters already face by being Korean.
Graphic: Hate crime and War
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Genocide, Infertility, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Colonisation
kyrajade'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? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide, Trafficking, and Abortion
sas_lk's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
The last third is unfortunately what lost me a little, and it is also why I am giving it 4 stars instead of something higher. At the end it started feeling a little disjointed, like the author lost track of the story a little bit. We were following the POVs of way more characters all of a sudden and quite a few felt pointless - atleast the depth that the author went into. And then it felt like the author added a couple traumatic things to keep the book sad and shocking without delving into these traumatic events. It felt like at the end she was speeding through her writing instead of taking her time with the events and happenings like she did in the first 2 thirds - this made me lose touch with the characters, and I almost felt like I stopped knowing them; like they were different characters than the ones I had been following throughout the whole book.
Overall, a great book, and I would definitely recommend it, I just wish the author had sat with the last third a little longer and not tried to do too much.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Death, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Grief, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
moonmoonsun'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? No
4.75
Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation
anh_read'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: Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Colonisation, War, and Classism
Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Medical content, and Medical trauma
A historical fiction about a Korean family immigrating to Japan. As the reader follows them throughout three generations, one gets a deeper insights into Korean history, as well as the life of Korean immigrants in Japan. Each generation faced their own kind of hardships and try to navigate their life in a foreign country that is hostile towards them.magnolia_berry'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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Child death and Trafficking