Reviews tagging 'Classism'

In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park

12 reviews

cataa_sousa's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture

Minor: Child death and Suicide

multitalented_egg's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Xenophobia, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Cancer and Sexism

gracie_reads_everything's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

A very powerful and moving story about a North Korean defector turned human rights advocate. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Religious bigotry, Stalking, and Fire/Fire injury

Biography, autobiography, memoir, North Korea, human rights, powerful

makesnononsense's review

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Sexual assault, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism

livay's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Classism, and Deportation

axo17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

4.75

Amazing personal account of her life in North Korea, China, and South Korea. It’s a dark truth, but overall I absolutely loved it. 

I included a lot of disclaimers. It’s a heavy read… lots of content that can be too much to handle at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

brandiereadsbooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism

ajsterkel's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

I didn't like it, which is a terrible thing to say because it's a memoir. I feel like I'm judging somebody's life. Maybe this is why I don't read more nonfiction.

The author was born in North Korea and didn't have an easy childhood. When she was 13, her and her mother escaped into China and became victims of human trafficking. They jumped from one bad situation into an equally bad situation. It's a brutal story to read.

Aside from the difficult subject matter, most of the book is fine. The writing isn't great, but I can forgive it because the author doesn't have the same education level as other writers.

I think the pacing is too fast. I kept wishing the author would slow down and give more details. I wondered how she learned Mandarin faster than the other kidnapped refugees, and why she was so valuable to human traffickers that they were willing to "go to war" for her, and why her mother allowed a 13-year-old to make so many important decisions for the family. I wanted more information!

Then, a paragraph at the end of the book slightly ruined everything for me. The author admits that her story has changed multiple times. She gave different accounts to different journalists. Instead of telling the truth, she told reporters what she thought they wanted to hear. She says, "I was reacting, improvising like a jazz musician playing the same melody a little differently each time, unaware that there might be people out there keeping score."

My brain went in two directions with this. First, I said, "She obviously lived through something traumatizing. Of course she's not going to spill her secrets to every reporter who asks a question." The second part of me went, "Nooo! North Korea is a vault wrapped in propaganda. Changing your story will muddy the waters and cast doubt on the stories of other refugees." The North Korean government is going to grab these inconsistencies and use them to discredit survivors and keep people trapped.

I don't know what to think about this book. I'm not mad that I read it, but I can't recommend it to other people. I lost trust in the author. How do I know I'm reading the real story right now? Does it even matter if I'm reading the real story? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism, and Deportation

ernie_8's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Moderate: Cancer and Confinement

Minor: Alcoholism and Abortion

nidhimoney's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Excrement, Trafficking, Grief, War, and Classism