Reviews with content warning for Eating disorder - Lemon

Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun

21 reviews

jayisreading's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

3.5

I picked this up with very little knowledge of what the book was about, other than that there was some element of crime in it. I don’t think it has quite the thriller/crime vibe and, instead, feels more like a deep reflection on how death impacts different people and, for some, the way grief manifests over time. I definitely felt the book was far too short, but I also wouldn’t be able to tell you how to expand the story some more. In some ways, maybe keeping it succinct was for the best. I thought the pacing could have been a little slower, but maybe it felt fast due to how short the book was.

I’m not sure what else to say about this one, but there’s a lot to think about. That being said, I can see how this book isn’t for everyone, especially if they’re looking for a plot focused on the murder as opposed to character studies of sorts.

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kcelena's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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linguaphile412's review

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

3.25

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elskabee's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I don't think it was until the very end of this short book that I got what I was truly reading about. Don't let the synopsis misguide, this is primarily literary fiction and is about grief and tragedy rather than crime and mystery. For a book so focused on death and loss, it's ultimately bittersweetly hopeful with its emphasis on human connection and continuing to move forward in life.

The complexities of the crime aspect are fascinating at first but quickly become a backdrop to brief but powerful insights into the lives of the character's touched by the tragic death.

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abrownb15's review against another edition

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dark hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

Interesting, confusing murder mystery set over 17 years, names of characters POVs would’ve helped. Great way to restart reading though, and good plot to drive the narrative.

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internationalreads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

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egmamaril's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

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sarah984's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

"Lemon" is a novel that revolves around a murder, but finding the identity of the perpetrator (who is pretty obvious right from the start) isn't really the goal. The book describes the way the murder affects the surviving characters and the ways they construct their own actions and see themselves. I’d have rated it 5 stars but there were some aspects of describing the girl who was murdered that are pivotal to the plot but I found them really grating. Overall though, if you like true crime or crime novels (though this isn't really a thriller) I think you will enjoy this.

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futurama's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-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

A whodunnit told from the perspective of three women some sort of proximity to the deceased.
Wow! I didn't expect to enjoy this so much. Pitched like a thriller, most reviews said to expect more of a literary novella rather than a crime novel. However, Kwon balanced genres like an expert. It's still a murder mystery

there are subtle hints throughout the book to know who the murderer is and what someone does for revenge

but it's also an experimental form.
Before reading, I didn't know the novel was narrated by three different people. I enjoyed getting to know the three perspectives and trying to figure out who each person was. I wish it was longer, there were some societal and cultural elements that could have been fleshed out with more words, but I enjoyed the small amount of time I had with Da-on and others.
I guessed who the culprits were but I'm not one hundred percent on it. I'd love to discuss with someone else.

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