Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Die Vegetarierin by Han Kang

157 reviews

sinaprst's review

challenging dark reflective fast-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity

tilder's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

A feminist piece about two sisters and the darkness they share. A testament to patriarchal structures within families and the health system, Kang supplies ample commentary on the nuance of mental health treatment. I reccomend this book to someone who needs a jolt back to the present, beautiful prose and sharp horror this book checks all the boxes of modern magical realism. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

kat_jack's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, and Sexual content

oprah_wimpy's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

1.0

I did not understand the hype of this book. It was all I could do to finish it. I did, but my goodness I did not enjoy it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

rubiecore's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

i can’t really say i enjoyed reading this, but i also didn’t hate it either? the way this is told is interesting and different than what i was expecting after reading the synopsis. while part of me wishes we had been in yeong-hye’s pov instead of those around her, i think seeing her condition worsen from other’s perspectives was very interesting, even if it made me queasy at times.

update 8/28/24: decided to give it a rating! i watched a couple reviews and analysis videos on this and that helped me clear my heads and gather my thoughts on it. :) for me, this is just one that really needs to be discussed in some way so knowing that it's taught in korean literature classes feels fitting. not gonna expand on my original thoughts because i just think there are others who can talk about this a lot better than i can. :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

laky's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A short but incredibly captivating book that hooks you. I was unable to stop reading despite the increasingly bizarre and disconcerting events that were taking place. It made me rethink my own desires and if I would ever go too far.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Dysphoria

thomasina's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Loveable characters? No

1.0

I didn't enjoy it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

viireads's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Rape, and Vomit

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

doormango's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization

adrizeuza's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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? Yes

3.5

I feel like this book usually draws very extreme reactions, but for me it was okay! Certainly engaging, I kept wanting to pick it up and see where the story was going. Horrible men, and desperate women that have become desensitized to their awful lives and are on the brink of burn out, basically, but written in a way that felt compelling and authentic, instead of phoned in as is the case with a lot of books in a similar vein that have come out in recent years. The last section felt dragged out though. I think overall the main theme (the violence we inflict on each other so casually) was interesting and explored in a very original way (especially for the time), but also a bit superficial and repetitive... I felt like in every scene where I was hoping to have a conclusion drawn that made me go "wow", it just ended abruptly and we switched to another moment.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical trauma