Reviews

Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim

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dembury's review

5.0

A stunning saga spun with multiple POVs and poetic writing that is one of the strongest debut novels I've ever read. "Beasts of Little Land" spans about fifty years of Korea's history, starting in 1917, moving into the Japanese annexation and occupation of Korea, the fight for independence, and finally ending with the split along the 38th parallel. It's a brutal book at times, yet also immensely hopeful; this is largely due to Kim's exploration of inyeon, a word that means a connection or tied-in fate to someone in a meaningful way. Right from the beginning Kim starts tying together the cast of characters in ways both seen and unseen, and watching each person move towards and around the others throughout the course of the novel is deeply rewarding.
Just all around a beautiful and meditative book that I'd definitely recommend to anyone who enjoys historical fiction that deals with explorations of fate, the effects of war and of decision making, and the things that bind humans together.

alexandraroth's review against another edition

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I just feel like the story could’ve been exactly the same without including that the 8 year old main character was excited about the prospect of being sold into prostitution

dar0822's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

elicchi's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

jess_is_currentlyreading's review against another edition

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2.5

although this book wasnt bad, it was very hard to follow but i found the audiobook pleasant to listen to.

tarrowood's review

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3.0

I would give this a 7/10 if goodreads with a 10 point scale. This is an epic novel for 20th century Korea, and that was a lot of fun to read. The symbolism of tigers through the book was great. However, I feel the book focused strongly on a romance triangle that I never got fully invested in. The characters were good, but I never felt strongly for any except Yamada, which was odd because, while he’s a recurring character, he’s not in it a ton.
Definitely worth the read, but not a favorite.